213 | Why Getting Barefoot Can Help Your Back Pain with Ben Le Vesconte

Could your feet be related to your low back pain? Ben, a functional exercise specialist, briefly describes his journey through transitioning towards going barefoot. Explaining the biology simply and briefly, Ben explains how a barefoot shoe can help your back pain, who barefoot shoes are for, and the role of barefoot shoes in sport. He explains how long it may take for significant changes in foot function to be seen and why research uses big toe flexor strength as a measure of foot strength. Ben dives into orthotics, arch support, and how you can progress to running in barefoot shoes. Providing research, he provides insight into recent perspectives regarding footwear, especially regarding immediate improvements in balance. Let's dive in! Have you trained your feet? DocJen is introducing her brand new 14-day barefoot mini course that comprises 10-minute videos that assess the foot and ankle complex, how it works together and why you might be falling into specific pain patterns. Each week will end with a solid flow of exercises to help understand your bare feet and get them working and moving again. Our feet are our foundation, affecting the Achilles, knee, hips, and lower back. Join us and strengthen those feet! Use code "TOB" to get 15% off. **Vivo offers a 100-Day trial period. If you are not completely satisfied, you can send the shoes back and get a refund. What You Will Learn in this Interview with Ben Le Vesconte: 2:34 - What led Ben into going Barefoot 8:38 - How might a barefoot shoe help you back pain 11:27 - Is there a transition period into barefoot shoes 14:54 - High Arches? Can you play a sport with barefoot shoes 17:11 - How long until you can see significant changes when wearing barefoot 18:47 - Why use big toe flexor strength to measure foot strength? 19:37 - Can you wear orthotics with your barefoot shoes? Should you wear orthotics at all? 23:47 -Do you need arch support? 28:04 -From walking to running barefoot - how to progress? 30:55 - From heel STRIKE to Heel STROKE 31:23 - Developing research on footwear 33:09 - Progressive overloading for shin splints 37:39 - Should kids wear VivoBarefoot shoes 39:30 - How VivoBarefoot shoes helps with balance immediately 41:46 - Check out VivoHealth Items mentioned: VivoBarefoot's Instagram VivoBarefoot - Use code 'TOB15' at checkout To learn more about Ben and view full show notes, please visit the full website here: https://www.docjenfit.com/podcast/episode213/ Thank you so much for checking out this episode of The Optimal Body Podcast. If you haven’t done so already, please take a minute to subscribe and leave a quick rating and review of the show! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/tobpodcast/message