Yearly Archives : 2013
Chronic Pain, the Brain, Sadomasochism and Athletics
If you put your foot in a fire, you will feel pain. In order to feel pain, all you need is three things – the body part, damage to the body part and the brain. Pain is pretty straightforward, right? Details…
The High Price of Physical Inactivity
“There is a pestilence upon this land” – Roger the Shrubber According to a new report this past week the fitness levels of children in the USA have declined about 6% per decade between 1975 and 2000. That’s before Details…
Shin Splints – What You Need To Know
Shin splints (technically called “Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome, or MTSS) is a very common injury in runners. I see a lot of runners with this injury and the vast majority of them are relatively new to running. The Details…
Is This a Good Shoe for Me?
Imagine you’re back in high school chemistry. You take 5 units of compound A and mix it with 5 units of compound B. You knew exactly what chemical reaction you were going to get. Unfortunately, the consistency that exists Details…
Non-Clinician's Guide to Ankle Dorsiflexion
This blog post is regarding limited ankle dorsiflexion – the biomechanical implications, the injuries that may result, how to test it and what to do about it. This is the “non-clinician’s” version. If you are a clinician, or want to Details…
Clinicians Guide to Ankle Dorsiflexion
Imagine running, squatting or going downstairs in a ski boot. Do you think your legs and pelvis would move differently? Have you ever tried to do those things with ski boots on? It’s pretty tough. What if you were Details…
The Great Shoe Pendulum
Part I – Minimalist Shoes Get a Thick Skin Pendulums tend to swing back and forth and when you reach one extreme, you can be sure that it will head the other way. The running shoe industry is no Details…
Does Running Ruin Your Knees?
Most of the group of guys that I tend to golf with know that I run quite a bit and occasionally, some comments are made. Last week, one of them got a very serious tone (which is a rare Details…
How Fatigue Affects Running Form: Implications and Applications
There are many changes in running form that are seen during running induced fatigue. It is logical to assume that these adverse changes in mechanics may increase injury risk due to muscles decreasing ability to absorb energy (Mair et Details…
Examining a New Study: Pronation Not Linked to Injuries
“So doc, what kind of running shoe should I be in?” A seemingly straightforward and innocuous question, but one that will take much longer than most people’s attention spans will last. This blog post examines a new study talking Details…