Short blog this week. The video below discusses the referral patterns for the pectoralis major and pectoralis minor. The pain patterns are similar, but how to get the most out of foam rolling these two muscles is slightly different. It's about working smarter, not harder.
Here is a list of my 5 favorite types, of foam rollers or accessory rollers, in no particular order. Each one has its own unique advantage.
Everyone has heard the phrase repeatedly, over the past 5 years or so, while squatting, “drive your knees out.” This can be a great cue when used appropriately, however, it has almost become obnoxious with everyone and their mothers yelling this phrase. Don’t get me wrong, I apply the cue myself, but it is highly overused. The cue should NOT be said every single time someone squats, if so, find a new gym.
Foam rolling has become an increasingly popular solution for self-myofascial release to decrease pain and to increase performance. Dr. Rachel and I have taught at several locations "The ART of Foam Rolling," to help everyone from inpiduals to large groups of people wanting to empower their health and performance in Wichita, Kansas. While teaching, we hear several different excuses, if you would, as to why an inpidual may choose not to foam roll. We hear everything from “I don’t have enough time,” to “it hurts too much.” Let’s be real for a second, to foam roll might take 10 minutes out of your day, tops, that equates to 0.007%. Yes, it might take some time in learning how to get the most out of foam rolling when performing it, but still it is not rocket science. With this blog, I want to address an easy concept to help you incorporate foam rolling into your daily routine, while also dispelling a couple myths.
This past Saturday, Drs. Rachel and Keith attended a tech expo for gamers at WSU. Led by Wichita eSports, several hundred individuals attended to participate in tournaments involving games such as League of Legends and Super Smash Bros projected up on the big screens for all to watch. Also, there were computers grouped together in the corners of the room for other tournaments such as NHL 17. All of this is proof of the presence and support the gaming community possesses here in Wichita, Kansas. For those of you that think gaming is only a pastime, well-known individuals, such as Mark Cuban, are starting to financially invest in leagues so we are guessing that it is here to stay. Gaming involves strategy, brings a team of individuals together, and its potential for the future is looking bright. Teams from major universities, such as Kansas State, attended to participate and observe the active push to grow Wichita’s gaming community. Not to mention, Shocker Startup held a pitch competition during the event too!
Hip extension is an important component for creating a tall and healthy physique. When the hip flexors become tight, due to overuse or lack of use, they prevent healthy hip extension. Healthy hip extension enables the body to generate more forward or upward momentum by driving the foot and leg into the ground, or backwards. Keeping the hip flexors supple is vital for musculoskeletal health in the lower back, hip, and knee regions.
Improper hip motion is oftentimes a culprit to low back pain and knee pain. Interestingly, the area where we experience pain is regularly not the source of pain. When the glute medius and glute minimus become problematic they can refer pain down the leg (mimicking a disc herniation), and to the SI joint. These muscles become dysfunctional due to lack of use. Stating this, you would think working on activating these muscles alone would be sufficient, but recent research indicates that combining soft tissue therapy with rehab/exercise training, adds greater benefit then either alone.¹
I call this one the Chiro-killa! Now I say this jokingly, but foaming the Thoracic spine, commonly referred to as the Tsp, is a great way to help mobilize the mid back. With many occupations becoming desk bound the Tsp becomes excessively rounded. Foam rolling this area can help “straighten” the spine out adding to improved health in many areas throughout the body.
In the medical world, the inner thigh is referred to as the adductor muscles. This group of muscles “add”uct or bring the legs back toward the midline of the body. When it comes to lower body dysfunctions and pain, this group of muscles can reign king in stirring up problems.
Stop whatever you’re doing right now and take a second to feel your calves. Sit in a chair and cross one leg over the other. To do this correctly your calf muscles have to be on slack. Take your fingers and roll across your calf toward your shin. I can almost guarantee every single one of you will feel tension in the inside or outside of the calf, if performed correctly. If you throw your leg on a foam roller and try to foam roll your calf with the shin facing the ceiling, you will feel almost nothing and dismiss the idea that foam rolling your calves can be beneficial for you. You need to foam roll where the tension is present. If you skip this step I politely, and with all my love and sincerity, tell you that you're most likely missing out on huge benefits. End rant. Yes, I know that was a pointless rant but I do feel better getting it off my chest.
Think of the knee as Cinderella. She was a victim of unfortunate circumstances and left to bear the burden put on her by her stepmother and step sisters. Cinderella does not deserve the grunt work, but as she has no other option, she miserably trudges on. Similarly, the knee is stuck between the hip, ankle and foot; picking up slack where they have left off. Think of this as the fairy godmother blog to save you from present or future knee dysfunction and pain.
With this blog we will be covering foam rolling the Latissimus Dorsi (a.k.a. Lat). I know, as if that wasn’t obvious by the title. Foam rolling the lats can definitely be a game changer in improving your physical health when performed correctly. Key word here is correctly. It's not enough just to lay on the foam roller and then pat yourself on the back for laying on the foam roller. Would you pat yourself on the back for thinking about putting money in your 401K then go blow it all at Best Buy? I don’t think so.
Heel pain is a common occurrence for everyday individuals to elite long distance runners. There are many reasons for this, such as: landing positions, foot strike patterns, shoe types, or lack of strength/mobility/endurance. The list of associated causes for heel pain is broad. This blog will cover some import factors and shopping tips that you can take advantage of the next time you experience heel pain.
As you can see below, if you suffer from seasonal allergies and live in the Wichita, KS area, you probably aren’t feeling 100%. Unfortunately, this area can be a hot zone for all different types of allergens and if that wasn’t bad enough, they can reappear more than once a year. Seasonal allergies, also known as hay fever or allergic rhinitis, affects all age groups. (Fun fact: rhinitis is irritation of the nose and rhinoceros means “nose horn;” in case you were curious!) Anyway, common symptoms include sneezing, congestion, itchy/watery eyes, and coughing. Typical treatment includes antihistamines, decongestants, and steroids.
It was an incredible morning this past Sunday. Wichita Running Company partnered with the Midian Shriners Charity to host the Old Town 10K, here in the heart of Kansas. The morning was perfect! If you’re a runner, you know what I’m talking about. This time of year feels incredible to rise out of bed, throw the sneakers on, and hit the pavement. It hasn’t been one of the hottest summers on record, but the changes in temperature are happening; it makes this time of year fun. Every morning is a new morning; you're not quite sure what it's going to feel like until you step out the door.
Plantar Fasciitis is a common foot complaint we see here at ICT Muscle & Joint Clinic in Wichita, Kansas. The classical symptom associated with plantar fasciitis is pain that occurs with walking, after prolonged periods of non-weight bearing. If this describes you, than you very likely have a true case of plantar fasciitis.
One of my favorite rehabilitation approaches to practice and learn more about is DNS, or Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization. Pavel Kolar of the Prague School, organized the DNS clinical protocols and has also recently published a book, Clinical Rehabilitation. I swear, every time I open this book my mind is exposed to something new, or a correlation is drawn between two things I never placed together. There is a chapter specifically dedicated to treatment rehab in the fields of obstetrics and gynecology, from which this blog is sourced. Get ready for a crash course in all things childbirth!
School is back in session! All the youngsters in Wichita and surrounding areas have made the trek back into the classroom, with their school supplies in hand. The start of the school year also signifies the start of fall sports: basketball, cross country, baseball, football, and many others. Often, increased sport activity leads to increased sports-related injury rates, but this does not have to be the case!
This weekend we had the privilege of teaching our 5 most important foam rolling areas to GoTime Training family. It was a gorgeous morning with their huge, glass-style garage doors (seen below) opened overlooking the Stryker Soccer Complex. The weather was perfect and so was the class engagement! GoTime training is over 10,000 square feet, offering bootcamp classes, semi-private classes, and nutritional consultations.
