I’m Paul Thompson, Podiatrist of 10 years, dad to a 3 year old and advocate for a Barefoot lifestyle!
I am passionate about teaching you to build a body that supports itself and to increase the longevity of your joints whilst reducing your need for orthotics.
My own personal experience with years in orthotics, injuries, and increasing pain through day-to-day activities, has lead me to successfully seek a better way of life!
Warning Signs
I am a keen surfer (doesn’t mean I am any good at it but I certainly love it), but for a while there I found myself becoming subject to an ‘old’ body. I had disconnected from my foundations and found myself feeling old. I was surfing less due to aches and pains, stiffness and generally just feeling less confident in my body’s ability.
I was wearing orthotics and was constantly looking for treatments and remedies for my nagging ageing body. I found myself not being as active as I wanted with my son – which was a huge warning flag and ultimately the final-straw for me!!! I did not want to be a parent limited in the activities I could participate in with my kids due to my own dysfunctional body.
Back to basics
Watching my son move, learn and develop reminded me that our body knows how it needs to move naturally! We are born and designed to move and live without supports/cushions and other comforts we have become accustomed to and told we need. It is our modern day conveniences that place us in dysfunctional, unnatural positions for extended periods of time in which our body then needs to adapt to and compensate for. More often than not we are left disconnected from our foundations, out of alignment and inevitably in pain.
As well as being a qualified Podiatrist, I am also a certified Barefoot Trainer, Functional Movement Specialist and a qualified Pilates Matwork Instructor. I have been trained in dry needling techniques and mobilisation techniques, so I guess you could say I understand a thing or two about human walking patterns, foot posture and how to help you achieve functional barefoot greatness.
Our Approach
My approach to foot posture and optimal foundation health is different to what a lot of other products and practitioners can offer. I essentially turned my back on traditional thinking after realising first hand I was only offering a bandaid solution to much bigger problems. After trialling alternative methods on myself, as well as continually studying and training, I came up with a methodology to not only get myself out of orthotics and pain, but to also help me move with freedom and ease and start participating in life again, which I am so excited to now bring to my clients.
Instead of masking aches and pains with orthotics or simply treating symptoms, I look deeper and aim to treat and educate you on what is dysfunctional and what needs to be done to actually solve those problems, take your pain away, make you stronger, more flexible and most importantly give you back control over your body and your active lifestyle.
I created The Barefoot Movement out of frustration! Frustration with the over prescription of orthotics…the over reliance on orthotics…the effects of modern day footwear on our bodies/lifestyles…frustration at seeing clients come in to my clinic in pain, wanting a quick “bandaid-fix”…and frustration with the preventable missing link between dysfunctional foot posture and the pain that is affecting your life.
I’m excited to see you build a body that supports you, not a body that relies on support!