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.
We are revamping our website to be more user friendly format. Look for the changes – coming this spring.
Join Our List |
- 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.