Lateral Midfoot Strike: For Lessening of Impact Shock

Here is another video emphasizing lateral midfoot (cuboid/5th metatarsal base) landing in running and walking as a possibly gentler place for impact. 

Midfoot Landing: For Some a Less Stressful Striking Position

I have seen many very efficient and effortless walking and running patterns. Definitely, dominant heel strikers or forefoot strikers can seem to have more problems. It seems I try to teach runners and walkers with instability problems or chronic pain problems to land more on their midfoot (over the cuboid/fifth metatarsal base). The video below emphasizes this landing position and it is a possible solution for walkers and runners to obtain a less stressful gait pattern. 

Posemethod of Running: For some softer and gentler method which can reduce symptoms

     I love watching good runners run. The style and grace of powerful motion is not only appealing, but I can almost remember when I could do something like that. Most of us can not hit a golf ball like Phil Michelson, nor kick a soccer ball like David Beckham, nor dunk the ball like Blake Griffin, but we can run with the same powerful forms of the running greats. If you love to run, study running. Study the shoes and the various running styles. Find out if your running style is efficient or not, smooth or injury prone. Many running clubs exist that offer advice. Running shoe stores also can be helpful. Podiatrists and physical therapists that specialize in running injuries can be found. The American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine is a good place to look for a referral (www.aapsm.org) in your area. Definitely if you can run smoother, you should have a longer running career.

     It is very hard to change your running style and it can give you problems. So, who should change? And, is there something in your running style that can be changed? I have always told my patients when we want to make changes in running style to start with each run or workout from one telephone to another and then forget about it. The next workout 2 telephone poles, and the next 3. With this technique, you begin to practice and you begin slow. You also really focus when you have a short distance. When you want to change heel strike like in the video above, and also arm swing, etc, make one change at a time. Give yourself 6 months to make a major change. It should take longer if you have run for 15 years vs 6 months.

     Running is a gift to Homo Sapiens. It is built into our DNA, in contrast to basketball, tennis, football, etc. We are all natural runners, although some more than others. Being a natural runner does not mean you are a natural athlete. Sweating or exercising may not be what you like. But, you still could, with relatively minor training in the grand scheme of things, run a marathon safely. The first steps may be to get the right shoes for your biomechanics and then have your running style evaluated. See if some minor changes may help. Start Slow and Go Slow.
   

   

Joseph Hamill, PhD, Challenges the Idea that Forefoot Strike Patterns seen in Barefoot Running Reduce Runer's Injury Rate

http://www.lowerextremityreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/LER-Steps_Ahead.pdf

     In the above article, Dr Joseph Hamill, PhD, UMass at Amherst, discusses research related to the benefits and disadvantages of running with a forefoot strike. Forefoot landing at impact is the key to various running techniques including the barefoot running technique. Dr Hamill is a natural forefoot striker himself when he runs.

Some of the points I thought summarized the article:

• Whereas the barefoot running group highlights rearfoot or heel strike as the source of many injuries, running injuries are complex and multi-factorial.
• From a pure Biomechanics standpoint, there is no benefit to run barefoot or a forefoot strike.
• Forefoot strike decreases vertical impact peak, also called vertical ground reactive force, but there are still impact peaks just lower in her frequencies (intensity).
• Lower impact frequencies are attentuated (absorbed or dealt with) by muscle activity, higher impack peaks by bone. Muscles are weaker at handling impact stress than bone. Muscle injuries should occur with more likelihood with forefoot strike, and bone injuries more with heel strike.
• Loading rates may actually not be lower in barefoot running as claimed. Changing technique may be the most significant driver of change. When natural forefoot strikers switch to rearfoot strike, their loading rates went down. 
• Even though heel strike may have more ground reactive force, it is less delicate of tissue than the forefoot, and can handle that stress.
• There are different strike patterns for different functions. Rearfoot strike for maximum energy efficiency. Forefoot strike for maximum speed. So Forefoot strike not designed for all purposes. It will work for some, and not for others.