Pain – Is It All in My Head? 

by Jane Milliff 

When I decided to go to Physical Therapy School, how did I  miss the fact that every day I would be discussing pain? I  thought about helping people walk and move with ease, but  pain never seemed like the biggest deal. Oh how I have  learned! 

Physical Therapists think about pain and its behavior for at  least half their day. Yes, we are interested in FUNCTION – whether a person can tie their shoes, sit for long periods at  work, or run a 10K, but most of the time, for our client, function  is limited by THE PAIN that happens with positions or  activities. So, the bottom line is this: clients usually come to us  because they are experiencing pain. 

Even though we’re pretty good at helping people through  painful episodes, pain can sometimes be mysterious. This  video gives insight into pain and why it might be so  COMPLEX. At ALTA, we get that. That’s why we have so  many different treatment approaches that look at the WHOLE you and make this journey with you so individualized. It’s really  about you – all of you. 

Enjoy the video and please share it.

from 1 PM to 8 PM,  and feel like I only  scratched the surface  of Ron’s enormous  body of work. 

Most of the worksop  was experiential. This  was in deference to  Ron’s teaching style.  Ron taught by doing  the work, not talking  about it. Ron  

embodied a  

singular intuitive  

sense of the workings  of the body and  

movement  

technique. He brought  an original perspective  to the Pilates Method  combining his  

innate talents and  abilities with his study  with Martha Graham  and of course Joe and  Clara Pilates. 

Ron is always with  me, and I have the  opportunity to  

share what I have  learned from him  

every day in my  

practice of physical  therapy and teaching  Pilates. It was such a  joy to bring my  

experiences of Ron’s  influence to other  Pilates colleagues  who were very  

receptive to all that  Ron created. 

by Jonathan Oldham 

Understanding Pain:  

What to do about it in less  than five minutes? 

Plantar fasciitis

Do you have pain at the bottom of your heel as you step out of  bed in the morning? Is your running impeded by a nagging  ache in your heel? If so, these are two very common  symptoms of plantar fasciitis. Plantar fasciitis is the most  common foot pain condition treated by health care providers. 

What is it and how Can I fix it? 

Plantar fasciitis is actually an inflammation and micro-tearing  of the ligament that supports the arch in your foot– the plantar  fascia. When your foot hits the ground, the plantar fascia  stretches to accommodate your body weight and the ground  reaction forces generated by walking and running. During  walking, up to 3 times your body weight is taken through your  arch; when running, up to 9 times. If the condition develops,  the person usually reports a sharp pain under their heel that  may spread into the arch of the foot. The onset is typically not  from an injury, but develops gradually and, if left untreated,  gets worse over time 

. Many causes can contribute to plantar fasciitis: • Standing on your feet all day with poor foot wear

Congratulations to  John Tribbia for a  podium finish of the  Teva Winter Games  Vail Uphill race. Even  more impressive than  the great finish in a  competitive field is the  fact that John was  hobbling from a  

scooter crash just six  weeks ago. Read  John’s story. 

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• Increasing running intensity or distance too quickly • Shoes inappropriate for your foot type or shoes that have excessive wear
• Poor foot mechanics (foot is too flexible or too stiff) • Weakness in your core, hips, and lower leg
• Tight legs, especially calves
• Low back pathologies with nerve root irritation • Poor running mechanics

What to do about it 

There are numerous ways to treat plantar fasciitis and some  you can easily initiate yourself. Try the following strategies: • Ice massage: Rub an ice cube directly to the area of  discomfort in a circular motion for 5-7 minutes. 

• Stretch: Calf stretches against wall: straight and bent knee, plantar fascia stretch – see the following videos showing these 3 stretches: 

Plantar Fascia Stretch Calf Stretches 

Straight and bent knee 

• Proper shoes are essential. Fleet Feet does a superb job of fitting you with the right shoes. Be sure to replace shoes after 300-400 miles of running,  

depending on your size. 

http://www.fleetfeetboulder.com/retail/fit-process • Self massage to plantar fascia with tennis/golf ball or  tubing 

• Deep tissue massage to calves

• Decrease training intensity and cross train if possible • Strengthen for core and overall lower extremities • Wear a Strassburg sock at night. Available at Fleet  Feet.