The Year’s Best Blister Horror Story
You may have seen the news articles either in your newspaper, or on Facebook, or on TV. Let me paint you a word picture of some of the headlines and quotes: Marin Cilic let the tears come midway through the second set after calling for medical attention for a nasty blister on his left foot. […]
Doc on the Run
I recently attended a conference where I had the opportunity to meet Dr. Christopher Segler. He’s an award winning foot and ankle surgeon and podiatrist who is a runner and 15-time Ironman finisher. His practice is in San Francisco and the Silicon Valley in California. His focus in on helping runners, triathletes, and athletes to […]
Blister Formation
This is the first in a multi-part series on blister formation and prevention. Subsequent posts will focus on various part of the blister process. Too many people do not understand how blisters form, some even think they are a natural part of the running or hiking experience. Blisters are the result of shear trauma to […]
Understanding Shear
This is part II of a series on blister formation and prevention. If you’ve missed the first post, I encourage yo to go back and read it to get a foundation on blisters. Here the link: Blister Formation. In this part II, we’ll look at shear. For years we didn’t understand the concept of shear and […]
Understanding the Five Factors in Blister Formation
Understanding the Five Factors in Blister Formation This is Part III in a multi-part series on blister formation. This is a subject that still confuses many athletes. In this post, we look at the five factors that are the leading causes of blister formation. For years, we thought blister formation was caused by heat, moisture, […]
The Components of Prevention
This is Part IV in a series of posts about blisters, their formation, causes, and prevention. In this post we look at the 13 components of blister prevention – five major and 8 minor components. They all play a role and are important to understand. Blister prevention takes place through a combination of 13 components. […]
Finding the Right Combination
This is Part V in a series about blister formation and prevention. Below are links to the first four parts of the series. Finding the Right Combination Each athlete needs to find a blister prevention strategy that works for him or her. One may use a lubricant, another may use Zeasorb powder, and yet another […]
The Power of ENGO
Tamarack Habilitation Technologies, a company dedicated to the prevention and relief of skin breakdown for individuals with prosthetic limbs and orthopedic braces, created ENGO Blister Prevention Patches in 2004. The patches are designed to prevent blisters and reduce pain from existing blisters. These patches are one of the best products to help athletes that have […]
A Survey about Your Favorite Tapes
I have often shared information about different types of tape for blister prevention and blister patching. I have my favorites, but am always open to learning about new tapes. When I first learned about taping, there were only a few commonly used tapes. There was duct tape, Elastikon, and white athletic tape. That was back […]
Another Horrific Blister Story
Last July I wrote a blog post about The Year’s Best Blister Horror Story. I told how Marin Cilic was unable to continue in his championship tennis match at Wimbledon against Roger Federer—because of a blister that formed under a callus on the ball of his left foot. Before you decided to skip reading this post […]