Feeling pain, tingling, numbness, or weakness in your hands or feet may be a sign of peripheral neuropathy. With over 20 million Americans diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy, this is a common condition which contributes to impaired mobility, altered balance and increased fall risk. The goal of managing peripheral neuropathy should be to maintain and restore the function…
Category: Barefoot Science
5 Healing Benefits of Grounding
Grounding, also known as earthing, is one of the simplest ways to support the natural health and healing response of the body. Dating back thousands of years and represented in various cultures, grounding taps into the conductive charge of the Earth and has documented benefits ranging from improved sleep to faster wound healing. Our disconnected…
Custom Orthotics? Friend or Foe?
When you hear the word “orthotics” what comes to mind? Medical device? Beneficial to foot function? Expensive? Or, simply an over-prescribed and unneccesary arch support? When it comes to foot function, one of the most controversial topics in this space is the benefit vs. potential overuse of custom foot orthotics. As a Functional Podiatrist, I…
4 Ways to Improve Foot Circulation
Research has shown that various types of foot stimulation can have a positive effect – not only on foot muscle strength – but also on foot circulation. So why is foot circulation so important? Good circulation is beneficial for everyone who is looking for healthy feet, legs and movement. You can think of good circulation as…
5 Ways to Bulletproof Your Feet
Strong feet means a strong foundation. With over 29 muscles in our feet, there are important daily steps that can be done to ensure your feet stay strong and healthy. Below are Naboso Founder Dr Emily’s top 5 ways to bulletproof your feet. Step 1 – Daily Foot Mobilization 5 minutes twice…
Proprioceptive vs. Mechanoceptive Training for Ankle Rehab
Ankle sprains are the most common lower extremity injury in athletic populations, representing up to 30% of all sports-related injuries. These injuries can result in long term disability, high economic costs due to persistent symptoms and repeated ankle sprains; and can potentially end an athlete’s career. Rehabilitation typically includes proprioceptive training of the foot and ankle with…
Improving Body Schema through Tactile Remapping
“Body schema” is a spatial representation of the body in its environment. This neurological representation of our body in space is what allows us to navigate the external world. An example which I often give to explain body schema is to imagine you are walking in a crowded restaurant, walking between the chairs and tables to…
Sensory Stacking | The integration of tactile, visual and auditory input
The seemingly simple task of balancing on one leg or walking across the room is actually a complex, integrated, multisensory experience with stimulation coming from the eyes, ears, joints and plantar foot. For this integration to occur, the various sensory inputs must ultimately converge on the same neurons. At the cortical level, it has been…
Balance & the Basal Ganglia | The Power of Eye Movement Exercises
Fall reduction, balance training and body awareness training are all key concepts for the baby boomer and the client living with a chronic neurological condition such as MS, Parkinson’s or neuropathy. Being able to balance on one leg is not only a skill but a necessity when it comes to walking. In fact, it was the…
Somatosensory Development in Children
The somatosensory system is the part of the sensory system concerned with the conscious perception of touch, pressure, pain, temperature, position, movement, and vibration, all of which arise from the muscles, joints, skin, and fascia. In children, this complex system is crucial to the development of posture, movement, perception of self, emotion and social interactions. By understanding the way our…