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Many of us suffer from severe pain in the soles of our feet, otherwise known as plantar fasciitis. Until recently, experts thought inflammation in the connective tissue, or fascia, of the feet caused this pain. However, more research is coming out that this painful condition is a result of tight muscles in the calves and feet as opposed to inflammation in the body. This is an important distinction when you consider that reducing inflammation would require steriods or anti-inflammatory pills/shots to improve the pain versus some daily stretching.
A study on runners suffering from plantar fasciitis mentioned in a recent New York Times article reviewed 2 different types of stretching regimens and their effectiveness on plantar fasciitis. The study tested a stretching technique similar to what we perform at Clear Point Wellness called eccentric stretching, where a muscle is active the entire time you are stretching it. The control group in the study performed traditional stretching where the foot is just pulled back with a strap. After 3 months, the active stretching technique proved to be more successful in healing plantar fasciitis pain than traditional ‘touch your toes’ stretching as I like to call it.
For more information on the types of active stretching we do at Clear Point Wellness, check out our videos!
Shannon Rashap, CPT, M.A. Ed.
Helping you find effort with ease…
If you look at your shoulders in the mirror, do they appear to be rolled in? Check out the side view–rounded upper back? Do you have neck pain? Do you work in front of a screen?
If so, this week’s video will help strengthen your upper back to pull your shoulder blades back where they belong, your back and not your ears. Feel your posture immediately improve and your chest muscles relax and passively stretch by externally rotating your shoulders. This is a personal favorite in my ‘sexy shoulder series’. Give it a shot!
Shannon Rashap, CPT, M.A. Ed.
Helping you find effort with ease…
Tight hips? You could be weak in the abductors–the leg muscles that lift our legs out to the side and that help with balance. It’s a movement we don’t do often, but those muscles help to stabilize our pelvis when walking and running.
When weak, they can be a culprit for low back pain as well as knee pain. If you tend to be knock-kneed, you are weak in this area. If you have tight hips, your rotational muscles aren’t moving in their full range of motion so doing this exercise will help those open and loosen. We also tend to have one side that is weaker, which affects how we put weight on that hip, which impacts our balance. Here is a quick exercise to keep those muscles strong and hips open!
Shannon Rashap, CPT, M.A. Ed.
Helping you find effort with ease…
