Comments on Barefoot and Grounded .com: Injuries While Barefoot: The Elephant in the Room

I agree, getting hurt is bad, but talking about it...

2011-12-23T15:27:59.282-06:00

I agree, getting hurt is bad, but talking about it is cathartic and helps in the healing. In my blog, the most popular postings are when I show a picture of a foot injury...people are a little morbid and always kind of gravitate to a story about an injury...especially if they feel it's self induced by irresponsible activity. I agree with the author, and just let the criticism roll off my back. The benefits of barefooting far outweigh the risks.
Barefoot Dan
http://barefootdan.blogspot.com

Feet get hurt; with or without shoes. As a podiat...

2011-12-09T06:59:48.771-06:00

Feet get hurt; with or without shoes. As a podiatrist who supports the barefoot lifestyle, I can attest. It shouldn't stop people from trying. Yes, I've seen many stress fractures from enthusiastic VFF patients, but I've also seen them in shod runners, military recruits, etc.
Injuries happen--we injure our bare hands all the time, and if we want to go barefoot, we have to accept similar injuries happening to our feet.
Please see a barefoot-friendly podiatrist before you begin minimalist or barefoot running/walking, just as its recommended for people to see their primary care doc before beginning an exercise regimen.

I don't usually go out barefoot because I feel...

2011-12-01T03:59:20.817-06:00

I don't usually go out barefoot because I feel like I'm absorbing the dirt on the floor. Injuries might definitely occur if you don't protect your feet.

foot doctor

2011-12-01T00:50:24.256-06:00

This comment has been removed by the author.

I would say that the article is pretty accurate. ...

2011-10-04T20:50:45.502-05:00

I would say that the article is pretty accurate. I recently did my first barefoot run, and I got a small cut on my toe. Nothing serious, but it gave me reason to question how I would handle a more serious injury. So I searched the barefoot sites & blogs, only to find nothing. If you never read anything outside the barefoot community, you'd never know that accidents are even possible.

thank you for this! last summer was when i first s...

2011-08-28T20:56:41.922-05:00

thank you for this! last summer was when i first started barefooting and within a short period of time got stung by bees twice in a park! i had to hobble home barefoot. after that i began avoiding grass then starting getting blisters trying to walk/jog barefoot on the sidewalk. it's been quite a process for me taking it very slow and finding the right surface!

Good article.The only injury I've had was few ...

2011-08-27T23:56:56.798-05:00

Good article.The only injury I've had was few years ago when I was running barefoot in the park. I was on the cemented jogging trail when the side of my foot hit a large bump that was on the trail. I fell and the side of my toe started bleeding. As soon as I got back to the car, I poured some water on it and when I got home, I treated it with some antibiotic and put a band-aid on it. The cut looked worse that it actually was. To this day, I still walk and jog barefoot at the same park but I'm more careful and I always keep a sharp eye on those trail bumps. Besides that, I've gotten a splinter and two ant bites on of my smaller toes. Despite this, I'm going to continue going barefoot because it makes me happy. This article just reminds us to be more careful as we enjoy the pleasures and joy of barefooting.

Michael, I just want to address one issue here tha...

2011-08-27T09:19:22.906-05:00

Michael, I just want to address one issue here that you mentioned.

Regarding the woman who had the neuroma. I've had a lot of experience with this condition, and kind of doubt that her being barefoot had anything directly to do with its development. Neuromas are almost always caused by the pressure of tight shoes over time. She probably had it all along without realizing it, but hitting the metal desk just aggravated it and made it more noticeable and painful.

Neuromas normally don't just "heal." The only sure way to get rid of one is surgery. It's usually simple surgery that can be performed in a podiatrist's office.

I know about these things because I've had 3 neuromas. That was back several years ago when I had to wear shoes all day, every day, for work (I'm retired now, so happily a full-time barefooter). On my first neuroma, the doctor first tried injecting it with steroids, but that did nothing for it. Then he gave me several options, including surgery, which I chose. He removed it, but later it grew back, since I went back to wearing shoes. He removed it again by surgery, and it never grew back after that. Then later, one developed in the other foot. I got that one surgically removed as well. About that time, I retired and was able to stop wearing shoes completely. So I've never had trouble with them again.

Being barefoot relieves the pressure that causes or exacerbates the formation of a neuroma. It plays no roll that I can see in causing one.

Great article. I just posted an article on a simil...

2011-08-26T12:50:20.401-05:00

Great article. I just posted an article on a similar topic. A warning for transitioning to quickly to minimalism. Injuries will happen to everyone at some point. The goal is to make them as infrequent as possible, shorten the down time from them, and speed up the recovery to get back to doing what you love. Here is my post.

http://tao-fit.com/warning-about-transitioning-towards-minimalism

Jesse James Retherford
Licensed Massage Therapist, Fitness Coach, Barefoot Running Coach
http://www.tao-fit.com

Yes, there is no problem talking about injuries. P...

2011-08-26T09:53:24.643-05:00

Yes, there is no problem talking about injuries. People get injured playing sports all the time. And they can't wait for the injury to heal so they can - well, go back to playing the same sport again. No one questions that, right? During the barefoot heyday of the 1970s people did get injured every so often, even in stores, but they shrugged it off as "I should have watched where I was stepping", and just put on a bandaid. On a side note, the medical staff at Woodstock in 1969 reported that the most common reason for treating concertgoers was not drug overdoses as many people would maybe think, but it was foot injuries, since a very large percentage of people there were barefoot. It was no big deal, and the world did not end, and no one sued anyone, at least not for that reason.

Agree with being honest about injury. I'm nurs...

2011-08-25T22:12:23.772-05:00

Agree with being honest about injury. I'm nursing my most "serious" injury to date - a stone bruise at the point where my forefoot hits the ground. I've hit small, hard-to-see rocks before, but my feet typically adjust quickly without permanent effects. This time, it caused a lingering bruise.

I'll be wearing my invisible shoe huaraches for longer periods during my runs, at least until I'm healed. I think that hitting a rock at this point again is inevitable.

Great column! Yes, a sliver of glass now and then ...

2011-08-25T20:44:04.641-05:00

Great column! Yes, a sliver of glass now and then is real possibility for barefooters, but as others have noted, the long-term advantages of bare feet over habitual shoe-wearing are well worth the occasional mishap. I always try to remember that "shoes are tools," and it is a good idea to wear them if one is in a situation where he or she is not comfortable with going barefoot. That will be different for each individual, but the bottom line remains that the feet do better overall when they are given adequate time for barefoot locomotion.

I have had two or three injuries including one tha...

2011-08-25T19:32:56.476-05:00

I have had two or three injuries including one that was quite painful in the last few days. I have continued going barefoot and will do so! It's the default position for me. Small price to pay for such a great and healthy pleasure!

I agree with Andy 100%. Of course we want to be sy...

2011-08-25T19:26:32.246-05:00

I agree with Andy 100%. Of course we want to be sympathetic when someone gets injured, but like Andy I've personally had no serious foot injuries and rarely have even minor ones (knock on wood). I think some people are just more injury prone than others. I had a student who ripped a toenail *every time* we went hiking; she finally gave up barefoot hiking completely. Regardless, we definitely want to encourage, not criticize.

Great post, a good reminder for us to be mindful o...

2011-08-25T18:49:44.226-05:00

Great post, a good reminder for us to be mindful of what is around us even then random things can happen out of our control.

It is not only our actions that affect us both those around us, if it be family, friends or complete strangers they all effect our lives.

Keep enjoying your foot freedom

I agree that there are more minor "injuries&q...

2011-08-25T18:25:45.508-05:00

I agree that there are more minor "injuries" around than barefooters readily admit, particularly thorns and tiny shards of glass. However such injuries do not happen many times per year, are of brief duration, and are far preferable to being shod! (It's amazing how the body purges foreign objects, all on it's own!)

It must be wrong to suggest being barefoot significantly increases risk of major injury
for the seasoned barefooter, except perhaps at home which is almost certainly the most dangerous place to go barefoot; dropped knives, missed larger bits of freshly broken glass, etc.

I am sure many barefooters genuinely do go many years without injury, especially if they don't live in a run down area, and even in such places common sense goes a long way (eg: avoid long grass if you know it's likely to be full of broken glass or worse.)

The occasional few hours of discomfort well worth paying for the years of liberty!