Take Care of Your Feet .Pub

Newsletter Feb / Mar 2018 www.chiropractorcapalaba.websyte.com.au Publisher Dr. Patrick J. Shwaluk Educated - Safe - Effective Doctor of Chiropractic Spine Care Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician Many patients consider this Take care of your feet Feet are complicated. Immobilizing feet by newsletter as a squeezing them into tight fitting reminder to come in shoes and standing on them all for their monthly day can causes the muscles to good spinal health shorten and cramp. When the check up. Now is a arches drop the joints, fascia, tendons and ligaments to get over good time to book stretched, thicken with scar tissue, your “tune up” stiffen, become brittle and painful. appointment . By the time someone experiences plantar fasciitis they have a drop in one or more of the arches, stiffening Figure 2: Plantar Facia of some of the joints of the feet Clinic Hours and a 50% thickening Figure 1: 3 arches The stretches in figure 3 should be held for of the plantar fascia three minutes each. Long duration stretches, - Mon 10am 7pm ligament, figure 2. referred to as “melting stretches”, are required - Tues 9 am 12pm to cause plastic deformation of the fascia and - Wed 10am 6pm Each foot has 26 bones and 3 arches, an increase in its length. Short duration - Thurs 3pm 7pm figure 1 . The transverse arch, A-B, is stretches will feel good and mobilize the feet - Fri 9am 4pm associated with metatarsalgia and Morton’s but not change the overall length of the fascia. - Sat 9:30 am 12:30pm neuromas. The lateral longitudinal arch, B-C, is associated with lateral foot pain. The medial The figure 3.1 stretches effect the ankle, Capalaba Business Center longitudinal arch, C-A, is associated with Achilles tendon, plantar fascia and calf Suite 8 plantar fasciitis and pronation. muscles. This stretch with the knee straight will 39 Old Cleveland Rd effect the gastrocnemius muscle. The stretch Capalaba QLD 4157 In most cases, the pain and stiffness from fallen with the knee bent will effect the soleus arches and reduced foot mobility can be muscle. The figure 3.2 stretch effects the top Phone: relieved with a combination of chiropractic foot of the foot, ankle and the peroneus muscles. adjustments, three minute multidirectional The figure 3.3 stretch effects toe extension. (07) 3823 2282 fascial stretches, proprioception and strength The first toe should be able to bend backwards Fax: (07) 3823 2520 exercises. In other cases, orthotics and a 70 -90 degrees without pain. Figure 3.4, stretch Mobile: 0409878180 change of footwear may also be required. flexes the toes. Figure 3 .5 stretches the Email: chiropractor@ bytesite.com.au The advice in this newsletter is to be 70 to 90° used in conjunction with chiropractic care and not as a substitute to professional care. Have your chiropractor evaluate your feet. To unsubscribe to this eNewsletter hit reply and say “unsubscribe please.” Figure 3 Another foot strength and proprioception exercise. Stand with equal weight on the balls and heels of your feet. Close your eyes and raise your toes up off the floor, just the toes, and then let them fall. Make sure you have equal weight on the balls and heels of your feet. Pay attention to what happens to your arch height as you raise and lower your toes. Lower each toe one at a time, as if you were playing the piano with your toes. Play it for 1-2 minutes multiple times/day. This exercise will increase the foot’s proprioception and dexterity. NONE, ONE, SOME, plantar fascia and helps release painful trigger ALL OR TOO MUCH? points, tight band of muscle, in the bottom of Many people never the foot. Roll the ball around until you find a stretch. Some will tender spot then hold pressure on the spot for stretch one or some of 3 minutes. Excessive rolling with a ball can their muscles when bruise the bottom of the foot and make it sorer they feel pain and so just roll the ball around until you find a sore tightness / stiffness. spot then hold pressure. A golf ball is useful for Others do full body addressing particularly deep and painful spots. stretches like yoga or Let your foot deform to the shape of the ball to fascia fitness classes mobilize the foot. The above stretches can be routinely. Rarely, avid done while sitting at your desk, dining table or yoga fans, which are watching TV. Progress to standing stretches. Figure 5 hypermobile to begin with, stretch too much The figure 3.6 stretch is useful for releasing too often and cause tension and thickening in the Achilles tendon. It anything. Runners should be able to do 10 further hypermobility may be more useful to use a foam roller single leg calf raises with no problem. and instability. instead of just a tennis ball and to rest one ankle over the other for extra pressure on the After you have developed reasonable calf and Aging and a lack of full Achilles tendon as in figure 4. Roll the ankle foot strength it is advisable to skip for 30 body exercise from side to side and roll up and down over the seconds once or twice a week. Skipping predisposes one to a calf to identify the tender and thickened spots. develops the fascial spring, referred to as the loss of muscle Then hold pressure on the painful spot for 3 elastic recoil capacity. The spring, “stored strength and minutes or until the pain subsides by 70% or energy capacity”, in the fascia / tendons allow endurance. Likewise, more. Then move on to another spot until all runners to run long distances with minimal the lack of activity of the thick / tender spots have been released. fatigue as they use the elasticity in their fascia causes fascial to run rather than constant muscle exertion. dehydration, tightening, and a loss Skipping is a form of plyometric exercise. of fascia strength and Bounce exercises are essential for building the elasticity. tendon strength and elasticity. Elasticity and strength are needed for Achilles tendon injury When muscles are too prevention and optimal sport / dance tight / out of balance performance. they inadvertently apply abnormal In the process of developing flexibility, strength compression forces to and spring in the foot and calf it is common to joints predisposing experience some deep foot/ankle and calf them to pain and ache/pain. This is normal. Do not be afraid. degenerative arthritis. Figure 4 Continue doing the exercises daily unless you In other words, doing over do it and the pain becomes too much. If these stretches will Most of the strong muscles which control foot the feet become too tender from over rolling help prevent toe, foot, movement are deep in the calf. After you have with a ball take a day or two off from the ankle, knee and hip stretched your feet and rolled the calves at stretch / strengthen routine but do not give up pain and degeneration. different angles you need to strengthen the on yourself. But you must do them feet and calf muscles. The single most useful regularly until normal foot strengthening exercise may be single leg A few sessions of mobilization with a ball under flexibility, balance and calf raises, figure 5. If you are very weak you the foot will give some pain relief. 6 weeks of strength are achieved can start by doing calf raises with both legs at strength training will show nice changes in then maintain them. the same time while hanging on to a wall, chair muscle size, strength and endurance. Fascia, The older we get the or table for balance. As you get stronger pro- on the other hand, is very slow to change. It more we need to gress to single leg calf raises with one foot takes a year to replace 1/2 of the fascia in our stretch and exercise to tucked in behind the other for better form and bodies. In some cases 3 months to 3 years of maintain fascia and balance. Your goal is to be able to do 10 free regular stretch and strength exercises may be muscle health. standing single leg calf raises in a slow required to achieve the desired outcome of non-jerky motion without hanging on to strong and flexible feet with healthy arches. .

Load more