Don't Transition to Minimalist/Barefoot Shoes Until You Watch This (Hip Flexor Problems)
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- čas přidán 20. 09. 2023
- 👉Minimalist/Barefoot shoes can be very problematic for some people.
👉To walk without compensation, our brain needs appropriate neuro-sensory feedback.
A good article on the subject....
👉lermagazine.com/cover_story/th...
Hey there, my name is Neal Hallinan.
The purpose of this channel is to help people understand and resolve chronic muscular and joint pain, primarily through the discipline of Postural Restoration.
As someone who lived with chronic pain for many years of my life, I know how debilitating and isolating it can be. But I also know it can be resolved.
I hold the following credentials:
Postural Restoration Trained (PRT)
Strength and Conditioning Coach (CSCS)
Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT)
Amateur Historian (AH, my own self-designation)
I live and work in the great state of New Jersey, USA.
I offer one-on-one training as well as online consultations via Zoom. The information can be found here:
pritrainer.com/on-line-consul...
/ neal_hallinan
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Subscribe to my channel here: / @nealhallinan
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For an example of typical exercises for a beginner program, you can look here:
pritrainer.com/pri-left-aic-r...
Please note, this is quite generic and not sufficient for everybody!
![Top 5 Barefoot Shoes LIES! [Plantar Fasciitis, Bunions & Flat Feet]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/3elMryUe4a4/mqdefault.jpg)
Quick version: Wear arch & heel supported shoes on flat ground and minimalist shoes on uneven ground
This video describes me to a T! I’m anterior pelvic tilt, left foot flat arch, posture- rear end and gut sticking out, tight IT bands, very small inactivated glutes, calves and hamstrings sore as hell after a 5K run, (and some sciatica to boot). It’s amazing that my girlfriend pointed these things out to me and shortly after I find your videos on the internet. Love you both ❤
After a day of climbing trees and walking in nature in logging boots, high heel and steel toe, nothing sets my hips straight and feels better than walking in barefoot shoes, hard pavement doesn't hurt one bit with proper stride and rhythm. It is all about foot to ground and brain connection.
You are a legend! So much interconnected information laid out in an understandable and approachable format. I really appreciate what you do. Thank you.
You're quite welcome. I'm glad it's helpful.
Great video ! I liked how you took many talking points you used to have separate videos for and combined them into one video while still having the focus on the main topic, minimalist shoes. This really answers why things are the way they are, which is really important for understanding and then execution
I'm glad you appreciated it 👍
This makes sense. I recently started running/walking with minimalist shoes, but I absolutely hate them on the sidewalk/pavement (flat ground), but I absolutely loved them running along a dirt trail (uneven ground).
very thankfully, walking barefoot in the house, and wearing totally flat shoes my feet can spread out in has helped me TREMENDOUSLY
They sell wide toe box shoes with heel support. Altras, Crocs, etc.
Neil just wanted to thank you for all your videos and for responding to my questions. You have made PRI, which seems very complex, understandable and approachable. I am making great progress with my local PRI person and am grateful to you for your dedication to explain and share your wisdom and personal experience with PRI. I can walk again without pain, due in large part to you. Grateful to and for you.
I’m happy to hear you are making progress!
Hello, brand new to you. Everything you say resonates with me and my chronic neck, back, head shaking issues BUT I have lost so many teeth. All my molars got pulled when I was 12. Braces plus many from bad health. I HAD L4L5 replaced with pig bones. TITANIAM PLATES, rods and screws. Is it too late for me to fix stuff?thank you
Hi, new subscriber here. I'm glad that I clicked before I bought minimalist shoes again. I didn't want to go back to getting a second pair to 'fix' my problems with feet from working in safety toe boots (steel toe and composite) for years. Military boots and now working in the large power plant where I'm walking most of my 12 hours shifts.
Neal I love how curious you and and are always perfecting your knowledge and wisdom from constant research! Brilliant man! ❤
Thank you!
There’s a lot of misinformation in this video.
Most people walk around with a lazy gait and land on their heel fairly hard, instead of using the leg muscles as suspension to walk more softly (as people naturally tend to do when walking barefoot). Minimal shoes feel like a lot of work for the calves at first because people suddenly notice that they’re slamming their heel hard, and use the calves more to soften the landing. This actually reduces impact to the hips because the leg muscles are capable of much more suspension than even the thickest padded shoes. You say that walking should use the least amount of muscular effort possible-this is a recipe for overloading the joints. Use the muscles as suspension, protect the joints. It’s mostly bone from heel to knee, if you don’t use your calves as suspension, the calf muscles will get weaker and more impact to the knee joint.
I disagree that barefoot shoes contribute to hip flexor tightness. Having a zero drop shoe makes it easier for me to stretch my hip flexor with each step. Walking often is the best way to counteract the obvious cause of hip flexor tightness in most people- sitting down all day.
One thing we agree on is that natural, uneven surfaces are better for developing ankle mobility. If we are walking around on unnaturally flat surfaces, meaning the problem is that we underuse our pronating/supinating muscles, why would we make this problem even worse by wearing a shoe that stabilizes the ankle? The foot can pronate and supinate much more in a barefoot shoe.
It seems that you have done a ton of mental gymnastics to deny the obvious truths that barefoot shoes, compared to normal shoes:
1. allow for more sensory input through the bottom of the foot
2. allow the foot and ankle to move more freely
3. strengthen the foot and leg muscles more for any given activity
4. encourage natural gait and movement patterns, reducing impact to the knee, hip, spine
5. improve blood flow through the plantar fascia
I’m not saying that nobody’s ever had a bad experience with barefoot shoes. But this is often due to trying to transition too quickly or retaining old (bad) habits such as hard heel striking, not “because humans are asymmetrical”
i like your detailed reply, i totally agree. i use barefoot shoes a lot.
I've been in barefoot shoes for a decade, and have every symptom described in these videos, it's uncanny. I've been a firm believer in barefoot shoes - after all, it makes sense. But this makes more sense. I'll continue going barefoot walking my dog twice a day, and search for a wide toe box with an arch for indoors. My posture declines so quickly in the house, pain ensues. My partner will be delighted to not hear my whinging about the wooden floors and running around on tip toes with a hiked hip after 30 seconds on the flat. The neural adjustment is so quick. Don't let your ego and attachment to beliefs stand in the way. You may not have these issues in barefoot shoes and that's awesome. My body is extremely sensitive to its environment - it immediately adapts. Perhaps you are not hypermobile. My ligaments are loose so it makes perfect sense that muscles tighten even more when the brain can't figure out where the body should be in space. This is an excellent video integrating proprioception, biomechanics and the senses.
Thanks, Neal, for so brilliantly explaining what I mightn't have gotten past as a simple intuition. Delighted and ready to have found your videos.
@@josedgwick9595I did an abrupt transition to barefoot shoes on flat ground that ive used for at least an hour daily for about 2 months. This all contributed to making these patterns worse and tightened me up further and further. In fact it was so bad i had to look up what the possible causes could be , which led me to discovering Neils CZcams channel
My spine from the thoracic to C1 are actually tilted to the left due to an accident, but I’ve still been having trouble with my right hip, right hip flexor, and inability to breathe especially on the right side of my diaphragm. I started marching like you said to do in another video and calling cadence for myself like in the Army, and so much of this pain went away. So thank you.
Your left? Your left right left?
I honestly don’t know where to start I found you recently and it’s so much info regardless I’m grateful
it's good to find more than one opinion :)! Cheers! Jesus saves!
Thank you, Neal, for the profound and insightful wisdom! I always thought something wasn't right many years ago when I first used Vivo barefoot shoes on flat concrete, so I moved over to Altras. My Altras are still zero drops with a wide toe box but much more supportive; I also added some arch support. From my experience, simply moving to zero drop altras corrected my extreme inward pronation where my heel would wear out over time at a severe angle of about 30 degrees, and my back pain resolved by about 80%. I think it's the zero drop and wide-toe box that is important rather than a minimalistic sole and shoe. What's your take on the Zero drop aspect? It appeared to me that raising the heel can also negatively affect correct skeletal alignment due to my experiences. I have EDS.
! I'll never forget when my legendary dentist, Dr Amir, who specialises in jaw asymmetry, tested me at separate times with arch support and a dental appliance, and both brought my pelvis into correct alignment. Your video has helped me make complete sense of 8 years of my progression with improving my skeletal alignment!
I agree with you
I did the same thing. I now wear my vivos on uneven dirt trails and altras on flat pavement.
Going through a similar shoe situation currently now, thank you for this confirmation ! Also, who is your dentist, Dr Amir ? Have a jaw/pelvis misalignment here, as well ❤
What dental appliance helped your pelvis?
Neal, thank you so much for the videos you have put out. The countless hours of research that had to go in. I have been struggling with left AIC right bc for a very long time now. I went to the PRI website and found a certified physical therapist in my area because of your videos and personal stories. I am now getting the help I need to be a properly functioning human lol And not have to worry about pain. It felt totally legit going to my first appointment with my therapist and am now I’m literally re- teaching myself to do normal stuff, ie. walking breathing chewing. I had given up on the thought of getting rid of my back pain and believe it was some kind of disorder of my physiology. But my hopes and moral are restored thanks to you sir. I tip my hat. & please do not stop what you are doing lol
That’s an amazing comment. I’m very happy for you! Just trust the process, and beyond normal PRI techniques, I’d suggest you try some things I’ve talked about in regards to “artistic expression”: music, dance, acting etc…anything where you stop being “you” for a little while.
11 years ago I had a back procedure. I also had my right hip operated a few months prior, although that procedure did not solve any problems.
When I was well enough to walk, swim and ride a bike, a decided to change my running style to minimalist shoes and barefoot running. It is not the shoes that are important, but the way your feet start contact with the ground.
It took me around a year to run comfortably with minimalist shoes and without shoes (just sometimes). Quite a few times I had to return home from 4/5 km away just walking because my tendons did not allow me to run more.
But the effort paid off. Indeed. Nowadays I am able to run 10k or longer and I always use minimalist shoes. The way the foot takes initial contact with the ground, with the front part making contact firstly, is basic to avoid your hips (socket and etc) to receive that impact repeatedly.
Nicely done. As I mentioned, this video only pertained to walking rather than running bc most people will forefoot strike when running. Walking is not a forefoot striking activity (at least it shouldn’t be).
@@NealHallinan Agree on walking. Disagree on forefoot running, as modern shoes force people to make first contact with their heels, which is terrible for their hips and pelvis. Much less than 50% of the runners run with their front part of the feet. Runners with less experience or power or technique or just strength or stamina make contract with their heels first.
Hello, where did you purchase your minimalist shoes?
I totally resonate and agree with what you are saying. In my opinion, the right side has to do with "self". Simply put, putting ourselves first or relying on our own strengths to navigate through life. This can lead to worry, anxiety, and fear which all can contribute to being too much on the right side. Its a big topic but I really appreciate how you address the whole mind and body, Neal.
Thank you very much for your explanations!!! They helped me.
This video is actually only gonna help a small section of people. The advice really only makes sense if you assume that "people who have spent almost no time barefoot growing up" is the absolute standard human being and no others exist who are worth mentioning. People who grew up walking barefoot heelstrike, of course they do. People who have been so habituated to zero haptic feedback from their heel by extreme cushioning that they tiptoe to try and keep a similar experience when transitioning are not a big enough group to generalise to every one of your watchers. The idea that barefoot shoes and flat floors lead to avoiding heelstrike is wildly reductivist and says a lot more about what kind of people tend to walk into your practice than the broader picture of humans and minimal shoes. On a final note, as someone who grew up rurally wearing shoes as little as possible, contrary to what you're saying, there are many flat surfaces in nature. Any path walked often enough will turn to beaten earth, which is unrelentingly flat. The trail you showed is just that, a trail, not a path. Even deer and badger trails are flat in many biomes, it all depends on the type of vegetation, soil, and toprock. And when you're barefoot in nature, you naturally am to out your foot on the flattest, hardest bit, cause getting mud or grass in between your toes isn't very nice, and rocks and branches hurt and slow you down - not to mention thorns. There are so many more surfaces out there than you're aware of. Books and professional experience are fantastic but they have their limits. I'd love to see you do a video where you talk to some knowledgeable people in the barefoot community about your conceptions and you compare notes. They could learn a lot from you and despite what you seem to think, you could stand to learn a lot from them too!
Interesting point of view. I seek everything natural and have to barefoot shoes, pri shoes are nothing alike and it seemed stupid to buy them. After I did buy bola shoes as recommended my issues are almost gone. Can't force barefoot into my life 😅
Fantastic comment. I’ve thought the same for a while and i’m in complete agreement with you.
100% agreed. Feel that it's important for one get pampered with experts information BUT always take into consideration background, current living style and medical conditions before deciding what works for you😊
If we naturally oriented to the right, even visually, how does that affect people who have impairment to their right visual field?
I regret not watching your videos before I bought my 4th pair of minimal shoes. Through whole year I was trying to figure out my left hip pain, until I met your Channel. 2 weeks after transition into my old shoes hip pain was gone!
You didn't learn how to walk properly. I love being barefoot, but it took time and effort to learn the proper stride.
Respect to you Neal who empirically made his way to this knowledge. Learning that it's about sensory deprivation been a big game changer. Can you give some information regarding hand balms ? Got the feeling if throttle grips on motor bikes or computer mouses were on the left, it would be more upper back friendly.
Thank you for your expertise and for sharing this info with us ❣️
Thank you for such a deep content!
I 53 & been barefoot lifestyle for 6 years,I’m also yogi & calisthenics,after discovering in June that I’m ‘right torsion’ I’ve made incredible progress in the shoulder area & it’s going well getting the rib flare down,but I’m not seeing any progress in areas down below & ive a feeling next time I see my therapist,I’m gonna have to put the barefoot shoes to one side & look at a proper heel support & arch,I 100% get where your coming from,as I completely relate to the higher arch on the right & makes sense about not sensing the ground properly,over the last month or so,I have experimented with a bit of folded up felt under the arch & things do feel different,but obviously I have no clue/experience with this,so can’t wait to get back to the therapist & discuss the next phase of unravelling this nightmare ‘right torsion’ x
Forgot to mention,I’ve given up yoga & dialled back my calisthenics & weights.i only practice stuff that doesn’t put me in extension & I only do single limb training now & just with the basics of keeping out of extension,is helping loads x
@@-technodream- As I know from my own personal experience, torsions are really difficult. They effectively take away your “ground sense”. A change of shoes can certainly make a difference, but the primary driver is coming from the cranium and even changing shoes may not make a huge difference. On the other hand, the cranium may not be able to unlock fully without appropriate shoes. So you never know until you try. Good luck!
Right torsion here too! it's a journey :) be patient but also you can have fun, I recommend exploring Salsa dancing, boxing, hula hooping, climbing :)
I have been experiencing right hip pain. I’ve done quite a few interventions from diet, exercise, barefoot shoes, everything. Everything until I watched this video. I do walk barefoot at home or very flat house shoes. I have a very high instep and arch, and I noticed a small pronation with my left foot. I put an arch support band on my right foot and immediately noticed the weight shifting with my right foot. The right hip pain is gone. Right away. The first day I noticed different sensations in my knees as if they were adjusting as well. Today I have mostly neutralized sensation as my posture has realigned. Sleep had gotten quite uncomfortable as I’d often wake due to achy hip. It’s been just a few days and I’ve been sleeping great and walking pain free!!
Thank you!!
Interesting commentary on a topic that is very relevant to my personal life. I really do enjoy my barefoot shoes, and wear my Merrell's and Whitin's for everything that I do. I can see that there are pros and cons to supportive or minimalist shoes, but overall I would much rather have started wearing these years ago. With proper stretching and a safe transition plan they can be a huge benefit.
Hello Neal, I have just discovered your channel and have been looking through your videos and I actually want to start doing the things you recommend but I'm always confused about the fact that even though I'm most likely left AIC (as you've mentioned in your other videos that most people are), I see that almost every example has high arch on the right feet and low arch on the left but for me it's the opposite and for example when I split squat I feel the left glutes a lot (and my left glutes are more developed also) and almost no at all on the right (and a lot of quad on the right but not much on the left). Should I still do the things you recommend for the Left AIC pattern or should I maybe do them while supporting the higher arch even though it is the opposite feet (left in this case, as opposed to the right that you usually show in your examples)? I also have a bit of an S shaped scoliosis, does that maybe relate to any of this?
Wonderful information 🎉 THANK YOU
This information just blew my mind! 🤯
I started wearing barefoot shoes a couple months ago. I do a lot of walking for exercise and my work is on a flat surface. Great at first but my left hip started to be painful and sometimes I have to take ibuprofen for relief. Thanks for this video, it explains my pain. Back to my brooks. I might add I see a chiropractor every three weeks for preventive of low back pain. I had him treat my hip pain on the last two visits and he noticed my pelvis was rotated and he asked me if I was doing anything different. I told him no because I did not even think of the shoes being different.
Brooks are really good shoes for neuro-sensory input.
I love your videos Neil! Great Information!
What would you recommend for bilateral hip impingement and labral tears? I can’t externally rotate my right leg/sit Indian style and knee hurts along with calf and foot pain. Is this the impingement? Seen so many docs… clueless.
Neil, so what shoe do you recommend bc I’ve been wearing minimalist shoes. My right foot has chronic plantar fasciitis so usually sneakers feel weird on the right side versus left. Any recommendations? Right foot is slightly bigger or more edema on the bottom. The best feeling is walking barefoot outside or on grass… I love it!
Thank you!
Thank you for this video. I'm learning so much from your channel. I have a pair of minimalist shoe and notice how they tense up my calves and feet more. Now, I know why and will try them on the natural ground instead!
I'm glad it made sense to you.
Hi Neal. Thank you so much for the videos. In addition to PRI, do you think acupuncture can help to balance out left and right sides? I recently went to one session and it really changed the way I was walking. It really threw me for a loop neurologically. My palms and feet were sweating and it felt like my body was fighting to figure out what to do with new muscles that had come into play. I had to keep taking naps because it was so exhausting. I felt my left abs and hip flexors kicking in to participate when they were previously dormant. It felt like I could feel the floor on the left and my left my left glute turned on and was trying to help hold me over to the left. My right hip and low back was not as tight. Then after about 24 hours it wore off all of the sudden and my body went back to its old pattern. But I am wondering if I kept going on a regular basis it would stop wearing off. I am fighting an injury caused by a chiropractor 8 years ago. It’s a long story.
You can certainly try it, but I have no personal experience with it. Sometimes we can “un-pattern” and then “re-pattern” and it can make you feel pretty lousy. My guess is that your neck didn’t “release” fully, or if it did, may have become overactive again.
If you are in pain or don't feel right, do yourself a favor and try your options, you might be surprised what works for you. My wife delt with foot, knee and low back pain daily for most of her life. Took me 2 years to get her to try on a pair of barefoot shoes because she doesn't like the way they look. The second she put them on the look on her face was like a lightbulb turned on. Over a year in and she won't wear anything else, because all of her pain is gone, seriously, it's gone. Are you going to feel like your foot and leg muscles are working harder? Yeah probably, they haven't had to do much in probably 20-30 years, proceed with common sense and patience. Find what works for you and go with it.
Learning that the diaphragm is NOT one single membrane of a muscle, really helped me solve the riddle of my pain at my ribs. Thanks for sharing!
Tell us more
Just want to thank you for your simple content around everything, especially left zoa. Has literally over night changed my life. Thank you and please never stop with this content that conventional medicine chooses to ignore.
You’re welcome. I’m glad it has helped you.
@NealHallinan please help! How does someone with hypermobility fix the issues you discuss? There is not a PRI anywhere near me😢
Wow
I transitioned to barefoot over 4 years ago, after breaking my toe and dislocating my ankle, I couldn’t stand the pressure of shoes on the area at that time and looked for wider options, which eventually led me to the barefoot movement. I’m already prone to tight hip flexors, but I noticed in photos recently my upper body is tilted forward and I’ve had left SI joint pain for some time now. My mobility is pretty good, but again I notice loss of flexibility in the mid back, exactly as you described.
Now I’m in a quandary because when I put normal running shoes on, my feet and arch ache and fatigue fast.
Lots to think on for me !!! thanks for sharing this, it was a bit of a lightbulb moment for me.
From lots of experience doing this, left SI joint pain is due to an unstable left hip which by definition will leave you with poor "left heel recognition" since your weight will be shifted too far forward on your left side. People will unconsciously lock out their left knee to stabilize things, but that just overactivates their hip flexors and they get stuck in this vicious cycle of instability and tension.
Maybe an idea to compromise might be a wide toe box zero drop or lower drop running shoe like Inov8. I'm trying that and resting the minimalist shoes for a while except when running in the woods.
Just an idea.
another great video, thank you
Your videos are revolutionizing my understanding of body health.
Hi Neal, you have very very interesting videos. I’ve had knee pain for some time and have turned to research and Chinese medicine for assistance since going to a PT doesn’t seem to help me much. I am a dancer so am moving my body a lot, but have been having issues with pain around my knee cap for the past two years. I’ve had an MRI and X ray and everything appears fine. It gets worse in heels and sometimes when barefoot, which has me believe it could be an alignment thing. Weirdly enough switching to barefoot shoes and use of the mobo balance board has actually seemed to help quite a bit. One thing to note is I have flat feet and a bunion on my right foot, which I have a feeling may contribute.
This is my right knee I’m talking about and in general my right side tends to have more issues. I also feel jaw tension often on my right side.
In Chinese medicine they talk about the right and left being the masc/feminine sides or yin/Yang sides, so I’ve been thinking about that and how the pain could potentially be related to my way of being.
But I love what you have to say and am excited to learn more about PRI. I’m wondering if you have any input on what could possible be creating this pain? Thank you 🙏
thank you this was really helpful, I have been wearing barefoot running shoes for 10 years and love them but recently I was in pain and having trouble. This made me once again mindful that I need to run on dirt paths, trails and grass not concrete for the benefits and if I run on concrete paths I will be in pain. I forgot to apply this rule and was wondering why my barefoot running shoes stopped working!
It's definitely better to run/walk on uneven ground when given the chance.
Woah. This video just blew me away. I finally know what has been going on with my body for the last 17 years. Thankyou so much.
The problem is, so often where I live I am walking switching between man made flat surfaces and natural earth/grass all the time. So which shoes do I pick?
Hi Neal, thank you! The Birkenstock footbed has an arch built in, but i have heard that they are too stiff at the front so our big toe doesn't get enough bend, so i have been looking at the zero-drop Altras that have a wide toebox, is an insole with raised-arch good enough to improve the zero-drop shoes?
Hi, nice video, is there any resource that documents all these patterns like the AIC pattern? I'd love to look into those more on my own time
It’s all from the Postural Restoration Institute.
Awesome video and content! What about shoes that have good heal counter/support, flex at the toe, but are zero drop? Obviously not on the Hruska list but would they still help to maintain neutrality?
Hi Neal, loved your video, thanks for the informative details. I am a PT student, very interesting the part about the right arch doesn't feel the ground. Can you refer me to some resources about the connection between the lack of sensory input from the right arch and absence of pronation?
Thanks again :)
Only 1 minute into the video and already looking forward to what you have to say. I tried Altras for walking and since then I’ve been dealing with a weird numbness in my right big toe and the section between the big toe and first toe and it’s really concerning. My chiropractor says I have a metatarsal issue and suggested pads but they seem to cause more aggravation in my foot. Idk really weird though. Any ideas?
Although I get what you’re saying, I guess I’m now confused more than ever. I’ve been trying to become a minimalist with my shoes and follow ones who are proponents of Vivo and other “barefoot “ shoes. So are we or are we not supposed to have arch support, etc? 🤔🥴
Hi Neal thank you! very profound 🙏
A question - can I put heel cups inside my barefoot shoes and fix the sensory deficiency?
(it's just that I really enjoy having wide toe box to splay and regular shoes do not have this option so much..)
Thanks for all your content very helpful!
You could certainly try it, but from my experience most people will need a pair of sneakers with stable heels and insoles for arch sense before they can get neutral and then restabilize.
Loved these videos. I have been using Vibrams toe shoes for hiking and I feel amazing and get no pain( I think I have Lower arches) . Hiking shoes have me in pain after 2 miles in the knees and hips. I also have Xero shoes which are minimalist and I tend to have issues with them more so in the beginning of use as I feel my feet struggling to find their way. Thanks for the tip on flat floors as I don't wear shoes at home and work from home and think it could be causing an issue.
Hello Neal, showed this to some friends at work and it blew their minds a bit. Do you think you could possibly make some recommendations on footware for flat surfaces? Also any thoughts on zero drop vs elevated heel? And are wide toe boxes preferable to slim narrow shoes?
This is very accurate.
Like 8 years ago I tried out minimalist shoes, high foot traffic job in a flat medical facility. At first, amazing. Not so much calves, but very pleasant sense of active glutes. Then they just seized up and died and have never worked properly again.
That was my experience when I first started wearing converse. Felt my toes and glutes and thought it was amazing, but it just made me tighter in the long run.
thank you for the video, very informative. please, talk about cases of left leg being shorter then right leg
Hi, been watching your content, just a niggling doubt- say my body developed another compensatory pattern on top of a highly pronounced left AIC, would you directly treat the left AIC or the secondary compensation?
For eg. : plantar fasciitis on right foot due to left aic and then another compensation to avoid the right foot when running.
The left AIC is still the underlying pattern so you treat that. The compensations simply strengthen the left AIC pattern but will undoubtedly create compensatory tightness in the thorax and perhaps neck. I had plantar fasciitis in both feet for 5 years. My feet were never the problem. They were just the victims.
Just wanted to share a personal tidbit about my experience with getting out of barefoot shoes. I had been seeing a chiropractor while wearing barefoot shoes for 6 months before I got a shoe recommendation from a PRC (Postural restoration certified) DPT. After wearing my new shoes for a couple hours I went in for a chiropractic adjustment and for the first time in 6 months my chiropractor exclaimed how relaxed my spine was compared to the past 6 months of "rigidity". I was pretty blown away because I didn't expect that reaction and hadn't mentioned anything about my shoes to him. Now I understand that my brain needs proper signals from my feet in order to feel safe and relax.
Thanks for that tidbit! Shoes can make a huge difference for some people. Chinese medicine associates the spine with the arches of the foot (I saw it in a book years ago, and I think I'm remembering correctly). I always found that fascinating because if you can't pronate (arch sense) you'll stay extended through the spine.
So does the type of shoe matter or could a pair of hasketball shoes work
Thanks for your work in the field of postural restoration. I found your videos by an anonymous online recommendation and began seeing a PRI provider after watching your videos. It has since then made a world of difference in my life. @@NealHallinan
What brand of shoes you bought?❤
very curious what the shoe/brand was that was recommended by the PRC?
Hey could I get a example of where to to the padding in my minimalist shoes? A picture maybe or a better explanation so I can get an idea of exactly where to place the padding.. thank you if you reply
THANKS FOR THE INFO BLESSINGS
THis is so good thank you
Whats your opinion on toe spreaders? ive been wearing some for the last few months and felt ive had good results and better function of my toes.
THIS IS AMAZINGLY NEW EVERYTHING U SAY MAKES ME THINK................... OFF COURSE THANK YOU A MILLION TIMES
You are quite welcome.
It's all about sensory Input, Safety and our past. Had a pair of shoes that had a thin front sole and thick chushy back sole. I loved the shoes but in the end, not feeling the back of the foot as much as the foot gave me an uneven feeling or an out of timing. A heel elevation gives me an overstricking and an non steady walk pattern, so the center of mass is a little before the body - so over time the body and posture have to follow and beside your left and right pattern we will get a front and back pattern too.
Save walking is a solution to get better, but walking in flat and functional shoes or barefoot is a solution for the front/back pattern, more feeback from your surrounding help too.
So if you have a more domiinant front/back pattern than you have mostlikely a dynamic problem which will represent itself in your static standing and sitting reperesentations.
if you have right/left dominant not front/back this talk is more for you.
But old age will catch us all, not training, not walking or aging will make front/back pattern more dominant with time by most people.
So can i go with barefoot first on flat terrain for 2 mins and later on irregular ground for a long time to get a better posture ... , because i always walk on flat areas .
What would you recommend to people who have barefoot shoes because of the wide toe box. Normal shoes were giving me bunions because of how my big toe was being forced over and I’ve only found barefoot shoes to have that wide toe box.
I’m interested in this as well. Although I’ve always worn flat shoes in the gym I’ve only recently got wide toe ones.
That’s a conundrum. I don’t really know. There is a PRI shoe list that you can find online. Some of those may have a wider toe box. I’ve never had a problem with the toe box issue, personally.
@@NealHallinan I'm wondering about making a sort of DIY hybrid shoe. Take the barefoot shoes I own and add a widewidth insole like the superfeet insoles that cup the heel and provide arch support. Would something like that provide the type of heal contact you're describing in your video? That way I could not irritate my toe joint, but get the feedback my feet need?
Finally we’re getting to it.
Left AIC Right BC pattern can be related to uneven bite, TMJ PAIN and jaw misalignment?
My right TMJ is painful when I move my jaw right-left-right and sometimes when I largely open the mouth.
I have neck pain and right shoulder pain and the shoulders are uneven. My right limbar side is compressed and the left QL hurts. My right leg feels shorter and my hips are uneven.
I am a mouth breather for almost 5 years caused by a deviated septum.
Can you tell me, please…
Jaw was affected by mouth breathing and then my posture was affected?
From where I should start? I should start to treat my deviated septum and then my jaw?
I used braces till age of 18, till then I had no problems with back, then the problems started…
Thank you - am I understanding correctly that if I put an arch support inside a minimalist shoe, there is no difference? I really need the width accommodation, as someone with naturally wide feet. Curious now about drop vs. zero drop shoes, and posture.
I'm not really a shoe expert. I just care that whatever shoe someone chooses, it allows their body to stay relaxed.
Hi Neil, how do I book a zoom call with you? Your link doesn't work.
hey Neil, do you think it would be smart to put a papertowel under my right arch and buy a left heel cup for everyday use on mostly flat floors?
I really only do it with people to help them inhibit their extension patterns. As they get more stable, they aren't as sensitive to being barefoot. Unless you are completely stuck, I wouldn't think it necessary.
Hello there from Anglesey in North Wales. I'm 55 & been wearing barefoot shoes for over three years now. and I loved them. Until I came across your video. I Am an 'avid runner. But two years ago I got this injury in my left hip, from out of nowhere? I've been really struggling with this since then. so from tomorrow, I will be wearing proper shoes. it all makes sense now! Neal thank you, you have given me real hope.🦵💪
I'm a bit confused. Wearing minimal footwear is not the same as wearing "regular shoes". We're taking people who have spent their entire life in regular shoes who have developed habits, good or bad, to suit those shoes. Or perhaps the habits they developed were never addressed mechanically, but instead aided by a product. I overpronate, and I thought I had flat feet. If I went to a podiatrist, would they suggest that I change how I stand, walk, and run, or would they sell me orthotics?
Supportive footwear is great, you put it on and your pain goes away. Before I started wearing Asics stability shoes about 10 years ago, I'd go home from my retail job and my ankles would hurt so much that I could barely walk. Then with the Asics shoes, I could work all day with minimal issues. The problem is, once you take off the shoes, all of your problems still remain. You are bound to that support to be pain free.
I started wearing barefoot shoes almost 4 months ago, but I didn't just put them on and go, because I knew that without the support, my ankles would start to hurt again. So I did a little digging, and changed everything mechanically. My feet were pointed outward when I stood still, so I pointed my feet forward. All of my weight was on the inside of my feet, so I shifted it to the outside of my feet, and wouldn't you know it, I have arches in my feet. The photo you showed of the gentleman's feet that were asymmetrical, his left foot was pointed outward, which is going to flatten out his arch. If he just pointed his left foot forward and balanced himself now that his feet are matching, they would have looked the same. I've worked on fixing the position of my hips, I've switched to a midfoot strike with shorter steps, etc.
I just started a new retail job, so I'm back on my feet all day. I was a bit nervous that my feet wouldn't be ready to take the abuse yet, so I got some Lems shoes that have a little bit more than my other shoes. We're still only dealing with about 10mm under my feet. I took the inserts out because I was having a hard time feeling the pedals in my car. When you're used to being able to use only your big toe to push the pedals, anything extra feels like too much. But anyways, back on my feet all day on hard floors with no support from someone who has overpronated their whole life. I'm not finding good form with no support much different from bad form with support. When I get home, I can take off my shoes and still run around the house, up and down the stairs, and my feet are a bit sore, naturally, but they're fine.
Other things I've noticed is that my achilles tendons aren't tight anymore, my balance is improving, I can run faster and easier with a forefoot/ midfoot strike in minimal shoes than I ever could with a heel strike in supportive shoes, it goes on.
Basically, what I'm getting at with all this, is to question whether the people who have begun wearing minimalist shoes have done the work to correct their gait and their posture, or if they're carrying over the same habits from decades of harmful footwear. It would be similar to giving someone a freeweight bench press, and just telling them to start lifting. You come back to them a month later and their form is terrible, they injured their wrist, and they look no better physically than they did before. Instead of teaching them proper form so they don't hurt themselves and they actually get good results, you move them into a guided bench press so they don't have to worry about balancing the bar, they can just lift. Their form will still be terrible, and they won't be getting the full benefit of a bench press because all of their muscles aren't being utilized. So this person gets really comfortable with the guided bench press, and maybe they can lift 150lbs no problem. Once you put them on a freeweight bench press with the same weight, they'll drop it and possibly hurt themselves because of the issues mentioned above.
To get the full benefits of minimal footwear, you need to put in the work to make sure you're moving properly, you can't rely on the shoes to fix your problems.
Do you have any recommendations for doctors in Maryland who do what you do, or if I can use MD insurance to visit you in NJ? Thank you.
I have been slowly gaining interest in this over the last few months. How do I get certifications in PRI?
Does this matter with being left dominant l handed?
Great thanks for the knowledge. I am right handed but my left foot arch is higher than my right one. Given the complexity of the body, I am sure there's no simple answer. But would there be any common indication?
Thanks for the video Neal. Could I improve high arch shoes by wearing a heel cup like the one you showed?
(e.g. ´Birkenstock - Gary´ shoes), which do not have a heel cup but good arch support.
I only use them to get people to "re-sense" their left heel when I first work with them. After that they just use normal shoes with a stable heel. You could certainly try it. However, because their is a bit of bulk to them, your brain may "reject" them long-term which would be counter-productive.
@NealHallinan will you make a video on correcting POSTERIOR Pelvic Tilt? I’m one of those rare few with too flat of a low-back and a permanently tucked pelvis.
This is an excellent explanation of the junction of the methods that I use; Anatomy in Motion (AiM) and PRI. Now I understand the value of L heel, R arch from a PRI perspective and why giving the foot (brain) new inputs via the various wedging positions we give in AiM restore the brain's sense of the ground. I've commented for years about the problems with flat level floors for our brains and why the brain predicting uniform experiences from those floor conditions means the brain puts very little stock in what our feet are doing. This video is also an excellent explanation for all the barefoot enthusiast newbies who get excited about barefoot shoes solving all their problems and then getting myriad new problems. The problem wasn't your shoes. The problem is your environment and lack of long term variety of inputs for your brain layered on our natural asymmetry. Resolve those issues first and then your brain can accept whatever shoes you wish to wear, barefoot or 'traditional'.
Great comment. Thank you. People think the barefoot shoes are helping, but they are often just transferring the tension elsewhere (usually the neck)
now i see why my jaw was so relaxed when i camped at the beach barefoot for 2 days
That is definitely possible. uneven earth works very well with a bare foot.
@@NealHallinanhello so barefoot is very good??I
I am using Hykes Pinnacle barefoot shoes, best shoes I have ever owned and will never go back to restricted regular shoes. My feet are so much stronger and love the feeling once you get used to them.
Thank You So much ❤
I really have no opinion on it because I've never worked with a client who goes barefoot 24/7. If they spend most (or much) of their lives on real earth, it may be ok.
Does thiz mean that depending on you pains, that will determine what kind of shoes to buy? Do you have any specific brands/ types you recommend?
There is a PRI shoe list that you can find on-line.
Hi Neal thanks for the videos , is there any way to teach my foot to feel the correct feeling while still being in barefoot shoes.
What shoes then would be best for weight lifting? And for standing or walking on flat ground what shoe brands are good?
Try googling "PRI Shoe List". it gives good examples and reasoning.
Do you think the shift of the body to one side has something to do with our dominant hand? I am left-handed and I believe my whole body has an exactly inverted problem to the one that you describe (my right foot is pronated, the left foot supinated etc.). I have lots of asymmetrically tight muscles, and according to your theory, they are tight on the "wrong" side considering the organs and their needs. Can this lead to some additional health issues?
The underlying pattern is the same in all of. The overlying pattern (our compensations for this underlying asymmetry) are unique to the individual. If I see a flatter right foot, and higher left foot, it is due to compensations. The science of PRI is to figure out how to undo those compensations.
I was looking to write you because I have been watching your videos for a long time and got a new perspective about the human body and brain. However, I am not a physiotherapist, a doctor or a physician and I have my difficulties to follow you. However, I find your way of thinking about the body correct and enlightening. I have therefore tried to apply something from your videos for me. First, I would like to write that I do not feel any pain. However, I see that my motor function is not correct. First, all my shoes are always worn on the outer heels first. My jaw cracks when I open it wide. I can also see that when I close it, it first bends to the left and then closes straight. I have already visited several physiotherapists because of the cracking, but none of them could really help me. They all tried to massage the muscles of the jaw. What I definitely have is hip impingement, which was diagnosed by a surgeon and orthopedist. Maybe you could recommend me certain videos of yours that will put me on the right track in correcting my motor skills. Best regards Lukasz
GREAT 411
I appreciate your insight
Happy New Year
Question, Neal. I gave up barefoot shoes when I started doing PRI techniques. However, I’m having difficulty with almost all shoes on the PRI shoe list having heel lift. It feels much harder to control my anterior ribs when the shoes feel like they are “pushing” me forward. My sense of ground isn’t great with barefoot shoes, but I can keep my center of gravity back easier. Any suggestions?
Are you working with a PRI therapist or on your own? I can't think of anyone who has come to see me with barefoot shoes whose neck hasn't been quite tight. So if your neck is tight (as demonstrated through testing) it won't matter what shoes you wear because necks keep you ungrounded.
Cool (long) video, I have many questions. Of course, I understand if you don't have time to get to all of them but I appreciate even brief responses. First, as directly pertains to the topic of this video:
1. You briefly touched on the importance of pushing down with the big toe. Is that possible in traditional shoes? (11:35)
2. You say that the calves tensing up for new minimalist shoe wearers may not be a good thing, and that walking should really feel like hardly anything. But if the feeling doesn't persist, could it be that it just reflects the impacts of a transitional phase? (20:45) Also, if this causes the pelvis to tilt forward, does correcting with tension only lead to more and more tension? (15:30)
3. Most traditional shoes have elevated heels. Won't that scramble your sensory feedback somewhat?
4. You say that minimalist shoes cause loss of ground sense, because your heel doesn't sink into anything. But perceptually it feels like an information channel has newly opened up, at least it did to me. Why would there be such an incongruence between perception and reality? (18:10)
And some more general questions:
1. You mention frequently that asymmetry is perfectly natural. But isn't asymmetry still one of the main things you try to correct in your profession? How much asymmetry is acceptable?
2. Isn't how much your brain senses stuff variable and dependent on situation?
3. You drew a cycle that linked sense to processing to action to sense and so on. Why do you centre on the brain, the processing? There is a famous experiment in which the head of a cat was severed and it kept walking for several minutes...
4. You mentioned that many of your minimalist shoe wearing patients had problems... do you get many patients without problems?
Hope you find the time to respond to some of these. Cheers
Wow, great questions
What does it mean if i don't feel the ground on both sides ? (Left and right)
So what type of shoe do you recommend for flat surfaces ???
What does planter fasciitis have to to with any of this if at all? Thanks
More calves information please! What if your calves are always tight and really overactive (not able to squat correctly due to tight calves and achilles) regardless of which shoes you wear. Is this also due to the wrong sensory input and how to fix calves issues?
interesting, I have definately experienced the back arching with barefoot shoes and thought it was my weak hipflexors or lazy mind, I also tried leaning forward which does seem to help, and building momentum so that the backchain is dominant. I also walk on sand/grass but sadly theres no alternative other than heel striking unless you have another idea? I'm quite happy with my SportS shoes. and another thing to mention, is that we don't just move foward, we move in a wave. so the movement can be stimulated with the core muscles and side abs. this is done by the weck method and goata. it basically mimiks how lizards crawl and animals spiral in movement. also like yin/yang in qigong/tai qi the feet move with the body as a unity. pelvis is tucked under also preventing arch. there is less spiral than an athelete because slower/more conscious movement with head/senses as you mentioned. it reminds us to think where we're going and what our emotional investment is!
Well, walking should involve heel strike. That’s normal walking. Heels give you hamstrings/glutes and those muscles are needed to pull the pelvis into position was we walk so we can alternate from side to side. Do you not heel strike?
I have a pectus excavatum so my ribcage is dramatically asymmetrical. My right side rib cage is sticking out while my left is sucken in. To add insult to injury, or I should say injury to insult, my right eye took a traumatic blow and now ive lost some vision in that eye so my left eye is stronger than my right! I guess I'm all balanced out.
I have the same issue pectus
Neal, how does this information relate to someone who has had hip replacement? Also, what if one replacement was from the posterior side and one was done anteriorly?
What types of tendonitis did you have when you were in pain ?
May i please know what is the last postural exercise where he is sitting on the bench?
Intresting video. Thank you… I might concider changing back to more ”normal” type of shoes now that I have started to have Very…VERY bad tightness-problems around my pelvic-muscless and lower back. I am not sure if the problem is in the shoes or not but I have to start using my old shoes again cause the pain starts to be unbearable.
BUT!! The problem is that WHY IN EARTH SHOEMAKERS DO NOT MAKE FOOTSHAPE ”normal-shoes”?!?!??
I have wide feet and ”the normal shoes” are always so narrow that my bunion proplem starts to bother.
What do you think about the widness of ”normal shoes”?
Neal. I would like to ask, since i live in Argentina and i can t go and see you. Im not sure regular physiotherapists have this depth in knowledge. Is there any root i could search on a professional to understand that he or she could actually give me a neuroscientific approach to my postural and tensional issues?
Postural Restoration is really just based off the understanding that the right and left sides of our brain/body are different. After that, it incorporates physical therapy, biomechanics, and neuro-science. I'm not sure if Z-Health therapists are in Argentina. That is very "neuro" based, but I don't think they incorporate the left/right understanding into their therapy. Sorry, I don't have a great answer.
@@NealHallinan it´s frustrating because i practice sports, and im falling into injuries more and more because of these patterns you describe. The thing about your videos is i don t really understand if you just focus on explaining the underlying theories of all these, or you actually promote to us a solution. Because i end the video and i don t really know what to do, is like, am i supposed to put paper on my feets? Just wondering what´s your approach.
I need to meditate on this. Wow!
My toes no longer comfortably fit into regular shoes! I have so much pain in my feet and ankles since transitioning to minimalist 2 years ago. Wondering if getting some arch supporting insoles will help🤔