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…
Category: Barefoot Science
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…
Walking Speed – A Predictor of Longevity
Walking. The most foundational and functional movement pattern we do every day. This subconscious movement pattern is often taken for granted however the implications of poor walking metrics is actually a huge predictor of vitality and longevity. In fact a 2009 publication by Fritz et al. referred to gait as the 6th vital sign. Walking Speed, the Sixth Vital Sign According…
Can you feel your feet?
Can you feel your feet? Often taken for granted, our feet’ sensation is necessary for optimal movement, balance, and performance. Over 20 million adults in the United States live with decreased foot sensation, also known as peripheral neuropathy. From diabetes to multiple sclerosis and autoimmune disease, this peripheral loss of sensation contributes to over…
Gravisensing | Gravity as the Sensory Driver to Movement
One of the most sensory complex movements we do every day is walking, with the sensory stimulus and driver of that movement pattern being gravity. This omnipresent weight on our shoulders not only reminds our nervous system that we are on planet Earth but it also helps establish what is called body awareness. Body awareness, or our sense…
Textured Insoles & Foot Stimulation Increase Brain Activation
As the founder of Naboso Textured Insoles and being a barefoot science educator I am very passionate about the benefits barefoot sensory stimulation can have on movement optimization and longevity. I am constantly reading the latest research in this field and am excited to share any studies that further validate the benefits of both barefoot…
How to Hack Nighttime Nerve Pain
Restless legs, burning pain, tingling in the toes, these are just a few of the peripheral nerve symptoms experienced by over 40 million adults in the United States. The distraction of these symptoms makes it difficult to focus during the day but imagine trying to get a good night’s sleep when you have the urge to…
A New Approach to Improving Mobility in Peripheral Neuropathy
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 quite common condition or symptom of other conditions. The goal of managing peripheral neuropathy should be to maintain and restore the function of your peripheral nervous…
Infant Brain Activation with Foot Stimulation
It has been well established and accepted that sensory stimulation is critical to both cognitive and motor development in children – with many professionals advocating barefoot is better! With the advent of Jean Ayes work and rise in sensory spectrum children much attention has been directed towards techniques which will increase sensory input and…