QUICK-FIX
Get Back Your Happy Gait
10 Steps to Barefoot Therapy

Dr. Phil Maffetone

The other day Coralee and I played music for about four hours at a busy outdoor market. During one song, I watched a man, not much older than me, hobble along with two canes. He had lost his happy gait, no longer having that spring in his step we associate with vigor and youthfulness. I wanted to put my guitar down and show him some things he could do that would help him walk better without the canes. Instead, I wrote this article after returning home.

Without exaggeration, I’ve spent most of my life barefoot—and I’m not counting the time spent sleeping. Though I never knew it until I studied the merits of foot muscles and biomechanics, I was performing the oldest natural remedy for my whole body—being barefoot. Looking back, I attribute my almost lack of physical injuries, despite being very active, to staying out of shoes. (There were the rare exceptions of a twisted ankle while running a rough trail or calf pain following a hard race.)

Being barefoot is perhaps the most potent treatment that helps the whole body maintain—or regain—the vigor and spring in its step. And, it’s free. The best time to do it is right now.

Bad shoes of all types have infiltrated our closets, and wearing them has shamed our bodies into making irregular and erratic movements, increasing wear and tear on muscles, joints, ligaments and bones. It usually happens over a longer period of time so it’s not as noticeable. The results are poorly functioning feet and an unhappy gait that creates back pain, knee and hip problems, spinal distortions, and even shoulder and neck dysfunction. It also reduces our balance, increasing the risk of falls.

Whether we’re professional athletes or couch potatoes, most of us spend a considerable time on our feet, or at least we should. But if our foundation is not solid, flexible, and effective in moving the body above, we crumble over time like the Sphinx.

The barefoot and minimalist shoe movements are getting a foothold in mainstream articles and blogs of late. The once conservative publications, including the New York Times, is even including these topics, with whole books on the subject filling up Amazon’s virtual shelves. McDougall’s Born To Run was the breakthrough book because it brought a surge of acceptance to what was once a bunch of barefoot buccaneers.

But it’s treading on trendiness, like the latest shoe fad. And when this happens, some of the more important, serious issues tend to be left right out of the discussions. The most important one of all is the fact that being barefoot is very therapeutic no matter who you are, and not just for the feet, but the whole body.

Of the dozens of therapies I used throughout my 35-plus year career of treating physical injuries, from acupuncture and biofeedback to manipulation and exercises, being barefoot is one of the most powerful, easiest to apply, and quickest to get results.

Barefoot therapy has helped many people rehabilitate their feet—it’s necessary because wearing almost all shoes, whether for sports, leisure or dress up, can damage a foot’s delicate muscles, nerves, and bones. By allowing the most natural of foot movements, being barefoot trains the feet to function better, and helps support the many structures above: the ankle, calf, knee, hip, back, and all structures up to the head. The result is that many aches and pains—including what some would consider chronic injuries like that bad hip or shoulder—get better.

But one cannot abruptly make the change to being barefoot after years of wearing dangerous footwear: those thick, over-supported shoes that ruin your feet have weakened your foot muscles. Whether you’re wearing common running shoes with thick soles, high heels or most other footwear, weaning off them must be done at a pace that pleases your muscles—the weakest part of the average foot and the area most in need of rehabilitation.

Here are ten barefoot steps you can take to dramatically change your ailing physical body.
1. Take off your shoes. Don’t put them on in the morning, unless you’re going right outdoors, and when coming home, taken them off before walking into your house. Spend more time standing, walking and otherwise being barefoot at home, in your office, and other indoor locations. It’s best without socks, but a thin pair would be acceptable if your feet get cold. Walk on the bare floor, carpeted areas, and wherever your feet take you. This provides different types of foot stimulation to help muscles work better—the first step in rehabilitating your feet. And it’s huge for the many people whose addiction to shoes is damaging the body. Do this for a couple of weeks before the next step.

2. Now, take the plunge and venture outdoors in your bare feet. This will provide additional foot stimulation over the comforts of home. Stick with smooth surfaces—your driveway, sidewalk, and porch. Do this for at least 10 minutes. The different environment—the feel of new materials by your bare feet, including temperature changes—provides added foot stimulation. Do this in conjunction with step #1. A week or so of this additional activity and you’re ready to move on.

3. Now venture off to uneven natural ground. Walking on grass, dirt, and sand, will provide greater motivation for your feet to function better, helping the structures above be more stable. Start with just a few minutes if you’re sensitive, but with three weeks of barefoot training, you’ll be ready for this big step: Work up to a short walk of about 10 to 15 minutes.

4. Most people will have to wear shoes for various activities—work, running, shopping, social occasions. During this rehab period, there are two important things to do with your shoes. First, start wearing thinner, simple footwear without supports. And second, make sure all the shoes you slip your feet into are a perfect fit. (I’ve discussed these two topics extensively in my books and on my website.)

5. Almost everyone can take these first four steps. It will help improve the body’s mechanics from toe to head. But many people need more foot stimulus for additional rehabilitation. Being barefoot will do this eventually, but you can speed the process. Here’s one way: a foot massage. A professional massage is always great, but you can treat your own feet daily at home, either by yourself or trading treatments with others. Even a five-minute massage for each foot can work wonders. Start with the feet relaxed, clean, and dry. A small amount of organic coconut oil is a nice option. Slowly and gently rub the foot all over using both hands, working up the leg where key foot muscles originate. Use firm pressure, but it should not be painful. Do this daily or as often as possible.

6. A key feature of optimal foot function is that it helps balance the whole body during walking, climbing stairs, running and all other movements. Over time, wearing shoes can significantly diminish this balance mechanism. Being barefoot is very helpful, but here’s a way to speed the process. You should be able to easily balance on one bare foot for thirty seconds or more. If you can’t perform this action, it’s probably due to foot dysfunction. Start with attempting to balance on one foot for as long as you can, even if just for a few seconds; next, try the other foot. Balancing on each foot can gradually improve the communication between feet and brain promoting better balance throughout the body. Here’s a way to incorporate this therapeutic activity into a regular routine: After a shower or bath—hold one foot up to dry it while standing on the other. Be sure to get each of your toes, and keep your foot relaxed. Then switch feet. Here’s another good routine: Each day when putting on your shoes, do it standing, holding your foot above your knee to put on the shoe and tie it, then do the same with the other.

7. If you’re on your feet a lot throughout the day, especially if you must wear shoes, you may get home with tired, sore, and hot feet. Cool them. A cold footbath can work wonders, even after a hot shower. It improves circulation, tones muscles and overall improves foot function, and helps them recover from the day. Use a large enough bucket or foot tub that fits your feet without jamming your toes. Place your feet in cold water so they are completely submerged above the ankle. Add a small amount of ice to prevent the water from getting warm, but do not fill the tub with ice as this can freeze the foot, risking damage to nerves, blood vessels and muscles. Keep your foot immersed for five to twenty minutes. A deeper bath can also cool the leg muscles. A cold footbath can do much more than an ice pace placed only on the area of discomfort. Take a footbath while answering email, catching up on phone calls, or use it as a time to relax and listen to music.

8. Sometimes, the use of a hot footbath can be therapeutic, not to mention comforting. Moist heat works better than a heating pad because it penetrates into the foot better. Use the same size footbath as mentioned above, and fill with hot water—not scalding—but most people can tolerate temperatures of around 90-100 degrees Fahrenheit. Adding Epsom salt (magnesium salt) is also soothing. Beware: Heat comes with contraindications. Do not use heat if you have an acute injury, especially one that’s inflamed, swollen, or bruised, and avoid heat with any skin disorder, diabetes, circulatory problem, or an open wound. When in doubt about using heat, avoid it.

9. For many people, here’s one more step: turn your outdoor barefoot walk into an easy jog or run. There are many ways to describe this process, but like other natural activities, your body already knows how to do it. Whether you begin on blacktop, smooth dirt or other areas that are comfortable, as you naturally thicken the skin on the bottoms of your feet, you may be able to run anywhere barefoot. Use this barefoot time as a warm up for your longer run in flat shoes, a cool down, or keep it as a separate therapy. Many people take this as a launching pad for regular barefoot running, whether a 45-minute workout or even running in races.

10. This final step is most important, and for everyone. Once you’ve weaned off bad shoes, rehabbed your feet, and restored good foot function, be careful to avoid returning to old unhealthy habits by wearing bad shoes. It’s that simple.

Rehabilitating your feet with barefoot therapy, and riding your body of bad footwear will quickly bring renewed physical function. It can bring back the spring and vigor in your step, prevent injuries, and help maintain overall physical activity for years to come.

BAREFOOT IN THE DESERT