Problem Solved
How many times have you had a patient come in with a myriad of musculoskeletal complaints? You know the ones – they would like to increase their aerobic exercise, but end up back in your office with plantar fascitis, anterior compartment syndrome, patellar tendonitis, iliotibial band syndrome, trochanteric bursitis, and lumbar dysfunction with pain. Additionally, to their credit, they do not want to resort to medication or injections to keep exercising. They are looking for something they can do naturally to ease their pain and disability, while continuing on with their exercise program. Frankly, they are looking to you for answers. Answers that are different than the ones they read about online or pop culture is prescribing.
If you are like me in my twenty five years of treating athletes, you have encountered the above scenario, literally, thousands of times. I am here to tell you – I have great news, and it starts with their feet. You and I know how challenging it is to stay current with all of the different product lines each shoe company offers and the different demarcations they have. What we really need is a terrific shoe with support, control, flexibility, and the width most of our patients require. Oh yeah – we know it needs to look good and be somewhat different, as that is what pop culture prescribes! We now have that shoe, designed and produced by TJ Gray and Ashley Brown over at 20 Degrees North, the XTERRA. We have been running and prescribing this shoe line in my three offices since I found out about it, and it really is the universal answer to so many of our patients problems.
Why am I so excited about the XTERRA shoe? My enthusiasm was born when taking my XT 1.0 out of the box. I immediately sensed the lightness of the shoe, even though it was for trails, a refreshing change. What impressed me was the sturdy calcaneal control coupled with a flexible forefoot. What impressed my wife, an interior decorator (the artistic one in the family), was how cool the color combination worked together. Additionally, it seemed as if someone finally realized most patients require a wider toe box than just about any shoe company has produced thus far. We know, as our patients age, their anterior arch flattens and results in pain and irritation in the forefoot and the metatarsals. Sometimes, we even need to supply them with a custom orthotic, further complicating the issue when the shoe just will not handle the device. You will not encounter that problem with XTERRA footwear.
Now we all know the real test is in hitting the roads or trails. I have tried to make a point to test drive whatever I suggest or offer my patients, and this has served me well over the years. I was so surprised by the feeling of grip in the forefoot of the 1.0, how it allowed my longitudinal and anterior arch to work in concert, grabbing stones and branches on my run through the National Park by my home. Our pedal foundation is designed exquisitely to dissipate shock, yet shoe companies have, for decades, tried to create a formula that works with appropriate control and flexibility. Gray and Brown have done it — by controlling the calcaneus, allowing flow to the midfoot, and flexibility in the forefoot, they have lessened impact to the kinetic chain above. That is how we address our patients’ maladies – with a shoe that, through a combination of both internal and external mechanics, allows the kinetic chain to work as it was designed.
I recommend XTERRA shoes without hesitation. I will be providing more prescriptive details later, but my first recommendation is that you try a test run yourself – your patients and their neuromusculoskeletal systems will thank you!
Happy Trails!
L. Neil King, DC
CEO King Chiropractic Institute
Potomac, MD
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