Clinical Tips & Tools

Thomas Michaud, DC

Dr. Thomas Michaud is the author of Human Locomotion: The Conservative Management of Gait-Related Disorders, the content of which forms the basis for this and subsequent articles. All illustrations in this article appear in the book and are reproduced with permission. Dr. Michaud is a 1982 graduate of Western States Chiropractic College and practices in Newton, Mass., where he has treated thousands of recreational and elite runners. His first textbook, Foot Orthoses and Other Forms of Conservative Foot Care (published in 1993), was eventually translated into four languages and is used in physical therapy, chiropractic, pedorthic and podiatry schools worldwide.

Previous Articles

An Unrecognized Cause of Toe Pain
May 1, 2026 (Vol. 44, Issue 5)
Arch Height and Injury: The Reality
March 1, 2026 (Vol. 44, Issue 3)
Gaze Stabilization: Clinical Relevance for DCs
December 1, 2025 (Vol. 43, Issue 12)
Plantar Plate Injuries: Conservative Management
September 1, 2025 (Vol. 43, Issue 9)
Smarter Than Static Stretching: Prolonged Isometric Contractions
June 1, 2025 (Vol. 43, Issue 6)
Stationary Bike Riding for Management of Parkinson’s Disease
April 1, 2025 (Vol. 43, Issue 4)
Bowed Legs and Knee Arthritis
January 1, 2025 (Vol. 43, Issue 1)
Prevent and Even Reverse Bunion Formation - Without Surgery
August 1, 2024 (Vol. 42, Issue 08)
Understanding Peripheral Neuropathy
May 1, 2024 (Vol. 42, Issue 05)
I've Fallen and I CAN Get Up
March 1 2024 (Vol. 42, Issue 03)
Prevent Hip Fractures by Addressing a Subtle Evolutionary Adaptation
January 1, 2024 (Vol. 42, Issue 01)
New Concepts in Managing Achilles Tendinopathy
September 1, 2023 (Vol. 41, Issue 09)
Anti-Inflammatories and OA: Are the Rewards Worth the Risks?
June 1, 2023 (Vol. 41, Issue 06)
ACL Injuries: The Right Strategy to Prevent and Treat
April 1, 2023 (Vol. 41, Issue 04)
Exercising the Multifidi: Why Isometric Contractions Are Essential
February 1, 2023 (Vol. 41, Issue 02)
Tight Hip Flexors and Painful Arthritis: The Surprising Connection
December 1, 2022 (Vol. 40, Issue 12)
The Ideal Stretching Routine for Managing Plantar Fasciitis
September 1, 2022 (Vol. 40, Issue 09)
Does a Torn Rotator Cuff Always Require Surgery?
April 1, 2022 (Vol. 40, Issue 04)
The Overlooked and Underappreciated Soleus Muscle: Its Clinical Significance
February 1, 2022 (Vol. 40, Issue 02)
A Novel Exercise & Stretches for High Blood Pressure
October 1, 2021 (Vol. 39, Issue 10)
The Positive Wink Sign
August 1, 2021 (Vol. 39, Issue 08)
Blood Flow Resistance Training: Clinical Benefits
June 1, 2021 (Vol. 39, Issue 06)
COVID-19: Lessons Learned From Past Pandemics (Pt. 2)
August 1, 2020 (Vol. 38, Issue 08)
COVID-19: Lessons Learned From Past Pandemics (Pt. 1)
July 1, 2020 (Vol. 38, Issue 07)
COVID-19: Why Your Neck Flexor Strength Is Important
May 1, 2020 (Vol. 38, Issue 05)
Five Simple Exercises to Prevent Age-Related Muscle Loss
February 1, 2020 (Vol. 38, Issue 02)
In-Office Screening for VAD
June 1, 2019 (Vol. 37, Issue 06)
How to Predict Knee Injuries (and Then Prevent Them)
March 1, 2019 (Vol. 37, Issue 03)
Overlooked Considerations When Managing Heel Pain
October 1, 2018 (Vol. 36, Issue 10)
A Novel Way to Prevent Elderly Falls: Toe Strength
July 1, 2018 (Vol. 36, Issue 07)
An Overlooked Tool for Musculoskeletal Injuries
March 1, 2018 (Vol. 36, Issue 03)
Are You Putting the Spine in Jeopardy?
June 1, 2017 (Vol. 35, Issue 06)
Low Back Pain in Running Athletes
February 1, 2017 (Vol. 35, Issue 02)
Anteromedial Ankle Impingement Syndrome
March 15, 2016 (Vol. 34, Issue 06)
Managing Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome
January 1, 2016 (Vol. 34, Issue 01)
Surprising Reasons for Orthotic Efficacy
September 15, 2015 (Vol. 33, Issue 18)
Should You Change an Athlete's Natural Running Form?
July 1, 2015 (Vol. 33, Issue 13)
Managing Tibialis Posterior Tendon Injuries
April 1, 2015 (Vol. 33, Issue 07)
An Easy In-Office Test to Evaluate Foot Function
February 1, 2015 (Vol. 33, Issue 03)
The Science of Stretching
August 15, 2014 (Vol. 32, Issue 16)
Arch Height and Running Shoes: The Best Advice to Give Patients
May 1, 2014 (Vol. 32, Issue 09)
Were We Really Born to Run?
April 1, 2014 (Vol. 32, Issue 07)
Running Form: Should a Heel-First Strike Pattern Be Discouraged?
February 1, 2014 (Vol. 32, Issue 03)
Treatment Protocol for Sprained Ankles
September 15, 2013 (Vol. 31, Issue 18)
Differential Diagnosis of Heel Pain
January 15, 2013 (Vol. 31, Issue 02)
Popliteus Tendinitis: Biomechanical Factors and Conservative Treatment
December 16, 2012 (Vol. 30, Issue 26)
The Real Cause of Iliotibial Band Syndrome
November 18, 2012 (Vol. 30, Issue 24)
Interdigital Neuritis
August 26, 2012 (Vol. 30, Issue 18)
When Patellofemoral Pain Meets Conservative Care
July 29, 2012 (Vol. 30, Issue 16)
Conservative Management of Hamstring Strains, Part 2
June 17, 2012 (Vol. 30, Issue 13)
Conservative Management of Hamstring Strains, Part 1
May 20, 2012 (Vol. 30, Issue 11)
Achilles Injuries, Part 2: Paratenonitis and Non-Insertional Achilles Injuries
March 26, 2012 (Vol. 30, Issue 07)
Achilles Injuries, Part 1: Insertional Tendinitis
February 26, 2012 (Vol. 30, Issue 05)
Managing Sesamoid Injuries
January 29, 2012 (Vol. 30, Issue 03)
Strength and Stress Fractures
January 1, 2012 (Vol. 30, Issue 01)
Chiropractic Management of the Painful Bunion
Co-Author: James Brantingham, DC, CCF 
Co-Author: Alison Deliman, DC, CCFC
Co-Author: Randy Snyder, DC, CCFC
Co-Author: Charles Brantingham, DPM
June 17, 1994 (Vol. 12, Issue 13)
Trending
News / Profession
MAHA Launches Chiropractic Hub
MAHA Launches Chiropractic Hub

Building on a historic March 2026 meeting between Make America Healthy Again and chiropractic leadership, MAHA has announced the launch of the MAHA Chiropractic Hub, “a coordinated national partnership uniting MAHA Center, MAHA Action, and the chiropractic profession, including national associations, state organizations, practitioners, educators, researchers, and patient advocates. The Chiropractic Hub will advance federal policy, expand patient access, and build broad public support for chiropractic care across America.”

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Dynamic Chiropractic Staff
Education & Seminars
Confronting the Threat to Chiropractic Education
Confronting the Threat to Chiropractic Education

The chiropractic profession is confronting one of the most significant federal regulatory threats it has faced in decades. A new U.S. Department of Education (ED) accountability framework – commonly referred to as the “Do No Harm” (DNH) regulation – could place many chiropractic programs at risk of losing access to federal financial aid (student loans), potentially reshaping the future of chiropractic education and workforce development across the United States.

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Healthcare / Public Health
From Pain Scores to Performance Metrics
From Pain Scores to Performance Metrics

Pain has become the dominant language of musculoskeletal healthcare. Numeric pain-rating scales and symptom reports are routinely used as primary indicators of clinical success. But while pain reduction is meaningful, it is an incomplete and often misleading representation of recovery. This has real consequences for patient adherence, long-term outcomes, and how conservative care is perceived within the broader healthcare system.

Christopher Proulx, DC, PhD(ABD), CSCS