Greetings to all on this sunny August day!

If you are worried about growing older and walking painfully in a slightly bent over and hunched posture, you might want to read this brief story. If you are worried about having weak core muscles, stop feeling guilty. (Most of the core muscles you might have been told to work on go

against what you need to be working on.)

The patient I am writing about was 55 years old. I have heard this kind of story often. She was an administrative assistant for over 35 years. Her job required a great deal of sitting. She did exercise intermittently throughout her life. When she came into our clinic, she was most concerned about her bent posture, but also her chronic back pain. 

After hearing her story and examining the weak and strong areas of her body, we implemented our postural correction program. She was given certain simple exercises to perform and a new way of looking at her daily activities. She was surprised when she learned about the effect of

prolonged sitting and her gardening. At the end of her therapy, she had a great understanding of what changes she needed to make. 

It has been two years since her last visit. She is presently doing well with her posture, and her back pain is no longer chronic. She did make several small changes in her life and is continuing to implement those changes daily. I have outlined the information we taught this patient. I hope

it may help you improve your posture and decrease any back pain you may have.

Over the course of our life, gravity is influencing our posture. Think about most people’s days and nights. As we age, we sit to eat, sit at school and, often, work in a bent or seated position. We then, sit in our cars to drive to work or on vacation. Many of us sleep in the fetal position on

our sides, which contributes further to the gravity muscles getting tighter. Unfortunately, we rarely discuss the difference between antigravity and gravity muscle groups. Most of our workouts emphasize gravity muscle groups! It would make sense to work on our antigravity

muscles more than our gravity muscles which are naturally tightening and pulling us down. If we take time to break up our prolonged sitting and work our antigravity muscles more often, we could increase our chances of walking more erect and of not having serious back pain as we

age. This is not as difficult as you might think. Like we have with any problem, there are simple or more complex solutions to every problem. If you are someone who does not like exercise, the simpler solution would be better for you and much better than doing nothing.

For those interested in the simpler solution, try to make a few adjustments in your daily life. Try to limit, as often as possible, sitting more than 45-60 minutes. You can set a timer, if necessary, that will not stop and will force you to get up to shut it off. The key is to get up and walk or put your hands on your hips and arch your back 15x3's. If you are able, lie on the floor on your stomach for 5 minutes. This reverses the bend from sitting and stretches the tight gravity muscles.

For those interested in the more intense exercise program, you need to begin working your back and hip extensors and external rotator muscles more than your abdominals. For example, lying on your stomach with a pillow under your hips, arms at your side and lifting your head, chest,

and shoulders up. You can also stay in this position, bend your knee, and lift the upper leg one inch off the table or ground. Hold for 2 seconds and down for 2 seconds ten times. If you can only do 4-6 times, it will still be beneficial.

The basic advice of not sitting, whenever possible, for more than 45-60 minutes applies to everyone. Getting up from bending during gardening, shoveling, lifting, or working in your yard should be done at least every 30 minutes. These are preventative measures that if implemented

daily, will improve your posture and help decrease back pain over time.

I hope you are all having a great summer! Please remember, you do not need a referral from your physician to visit our clinic. If you have any questions, feel free to make an appointment. We would be glad to examine your weak areas and educate you on how you might improve

your posture and overall health

Enjoy the journey,

Fran McDonald President/CEO

Physical Therapy Guide to Plantar Fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis is a condition causing foot pain. The plantar fascia is a thick band of tissue that supports the arch of your foot. It connects the heel to the ball of the foot. This band can become inflamed or can tear, causing pain. Pain can be felt in the heel, along the arch, or at the ball of the foot. Plantar fasciitis is a common foot condition. It occurs in as many as 2 million Americans per year and 10% of the population over their lifetimes. Plantar fasciitis affects people of all ages, both athletes and nonathletes. Men and women have an equal chance of developing the condition. Physical therapists help people experiencing plantar fasciitis reduce their pain and restore their walking ability.

What Is Plantar Fasciitis?

Plantar fasciitis is a foot condition that develops when repeated activities put a strain on the plantar fascia, a thick band of tissue that supports the arch of the foot. People diagnosed with plantar fasciitis also may have heel spurs, a bony growth that forms on the heel bone.

Plantar fasciitis occurs most frequently in people in their 40s, but can occur in all age groups.

The condition can develop in athletes who run or jump a great deal, and in people who have jobs that require them to be on their feet for most of the day, such as police officers, cashiers, or restaurant workers.

Signs and Symptoms

Symptoms of plantar fasciitis often appear with a sudden increase in activity. You might feel a stabbing pain on the underside of your heel, and a sensation of tightness and/or tenderness along your arch.

People with plantar fasciitis may experience pain:

• In the morning, when stepping out of bed and taking the first steps of the day.
• When standing for a long time.
• When standing up after sitting for a long time.
• After intense activity such as running or jumping.
• When climbing stairs.
• When walking barefoot or in shoes with poor arch support.

Your pain can fluctuate during the day, with pain improving as your body warms up and worsening later in the day after activity. As the condition gets worse, you may begin to limp.

How Can a Physical Therapist Help?

Physical therapists are trained to evaluate and treat plantar fasciitis.

When you are diagnosed, your physical therapist will work with you to develop a program to decrease your symptoms. Your treatment may include:

Assessment of your gait. Your physical therapist will observe how you walk (your gait) and how this may impact your symptoms.

Stretching exercises. Your physical therapist will design a program to improve the flexibility of your ankle and the plantar fascia.

Strengthening exercises. Your physical therapist will design an exercise program to improve the strength and endurance of the muscles that support your foot.

Application of ice. Your physical therapist will instruct you on how often and how long to use ice to decrease pain and inflammation.

Taping of the foot. Your physical therapist may tape your foot and instruct you on how to use taping for short-term pain relief.

Orthotics (shoe inserts) and supportive footwear to minimize abnormal foot motion, or to help support your arch, reducing stress to the plantar fascia.

A night splint to help you maintain correct ankle and toe positions while sleeping.

Gait training to help lessen symptoms and improve your walking ability.

Research shows that most cases of plantar fasciitis improve over time with these conservative treatments, and surgery is rarely needed.

A treatment program may begin with exercises that you can try at home.

**choosept.com