Musculoskeletal

Running

Could plantar fasciitis be related to a tight psoas or hip flexor?

Unraveling the Connection: Tight Hip Flexors & Plantar Fasciitis

Everyone Kate Edwards here and the question I'm answering is good. Plantar fasciitis, be related to a tight so has or hip flexor and yes, everything is connected. It would be an indirect relationship and it could be because you are not getting enough hip extension because the front of your hip is so tight that when you're walking or moving or running, your actually not getting through that entire pendulum and you're having to use your calf muscle, a little bit more. Or to push off, which would then pull on that plantar fascia. It also could be because your lumbar spine is impacted by the tightness, in your hips, and that could be driving some of the neuro Mobility, which can then impact the foot itself. Again, if you have a lot of tightness in the front of the hip that could change the way you're walking or loading your foot. So, there are a lot of different reasons. Why tightness in your hip flexors? Or so? As me, Impact, the way that you're landing on your foot when you're walking and moving.

Yes, plantar fasciitis can be related to tight hip flexors. Tightness in the hip flexors can affect the way you walk and move which in turn can put extra strain on your plantar fascia.

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Plantar fasciitis can indeed be related to a tight psoas or hip flexor. The body is interconnected, so there is an indirect relationship between these areas. When the front of your hip is tight, it can limit hip extension during movement, such as walking or running. This can result in increased reliance on the calf muscles for propulsion, which can pull on the plantar fascia and contribute to plantar fasciitis.

Additionally, tightness in the hips can impact the lumbar spine, affecting neuro-mobility and potentially impacting the foot. Changes in the way you walk or load your foot may occur due to tightness in the front of the hip.

In summary, there are various reasons why tightness in the hip flexors or psoas can impact the way you land on your foot and potentially contribute to plantar fasciitis. The interconnected nature of the body means that addressing hip tightness may be beneficial in managing and preventing plantar fasciitis.

How do environmental factors, such as air quality or lack of sunlight, impact mental and physical health, and how can physical therapists help runners optimize their environments for health and performance?

Environmental Factors & Runners: How Physical Therapists Optimize Health & Performance

Hey, everyone. Kate Edwards here. The question I'm answering is how to environmental factors such as air quality or lack of sunlight, impact, mental, and physical health, and how can physical therapists, help Runners optimize their environments or for health and performance. So, in terms of sunlight, if we get morning sunlight, it actually improves our ability to sleep. So I always think that back to sleep and we know that sleep is one of the biggest and best things we can do in terms of performance and overall health, we need at least seven to eight hours. Hours, but most athletes need a little bit more than that, in terms of air quality. It depends on where you live in the country and how much time you're spending outside. But if the air quality is not good, perhaps there's a lot of pollen or pollution, then that might be a day that you take it inside and run on the treadmill even though it kind of stinks. But just talking about those types of things for my athletes is really important. We go over a lot of this stuff on intake but it will be woven into treatment. The other things. And that we really have to note that in terms of mental and physical health are absolutely linked. You can't have it can't have good physical health. If your mental health is not good as well. And one of the sports psychologist, I always work with talks about how mental health is a Continuum. We all have mental health, it's just where are you on that? Continuum. And that's the thing that I like to tell my clients very often. So anyway, that discussions are at that level and if we We need to get deeper then I always will dive in with my client to as much as I can. But if I can't I'll find someone else that can help and I can refer to or they can have a conversation with my client about it.

Sunlight can help us sleep, which is important for good physical and mental health. Air quality can impact our performance, so it's important to be mindful of that. Mental and physical health are linked, so it's important to address both in order to optimize performance and overall health. Physical therapists can help by discussing these factors with their clients and referring them to other professionals if necessary.

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Environmental factors such as air quality and sunlight can have an impact on both mental and physical health. Sunlight, particularly in the morning, can improve sleep quality, which is crucial for overall health and performance. Adequate sleep, around seven to eight hours, is essential, with athletes often needing more.

When it comes to air quality, it depends on where you live and the time spent outdoors. If the air quality is poor due to factors like pollen or pollution, it may be advisable to opt for indoor activities, such as running on a treadmill.

As a physical therapist working with runners, I discuss these environmental considerations with my clients. We address them during intake and incorporate them into treatment plans. It's important to recognize the interconnectedness of mental and physical health. Good physical health is closely tied to mental well-being. Mental health exists on a continuum, and it's crucial to assess where individuals are on that continuum. If deeper discussions or support are needed, I can provide guidance or refer clients to appropriate professionals who can help.

Overall, optimizing the environment for health and performance involves considering factors like sunlight exposure, air quality, and the mental well-being of individuals.

How do stress and anxiety manifest in the body, and how can physical therapy techniques be used to alleviate these mental health issues?

Physical Therapy Techniques: Alleviating Stress & Anxiety

Hey everyone, Kate Edwards here and the question I'm answering is how does stress and anxiety manifest in the body? And how can physical therapy techniques be used to alleviate the mental health issues? So, stress manifests in the body all of the time in many different ways. So a lot of times you'll see it as flare-ups in back pain or neck pain. It really can be any part of the body. So, stress can cause overuse injuries because the body doesn't know and cannot differentiate between types of stress whether they're mental, physical, or emotional. And so first, you know, obviously education is the biggest thing. But then in physical therapy, we talk about overtraining and we look at our schedules and we modify what those running schedules look like. We might modify some of the strength training. We may change the dates that our key races are based on what's going on in their life in terms of athletes. And then also we can do some down regulation of the nervous system. So there are a lot of breathing exercises that we can do to help tap into that parasympathetic nervous system. And then we can also do some exercises in, say, like Red Pool or just laying on the table and working through some manual techniques to help down regulate the nervous system. So there are a lot of different ways, but really stress management is a big part of physical therapy and any injury recovery.

In physical therapy, we can help manage stress by educating about overtraining, modifying running/strength training schedules, doing breathing exercises to tap into the parasympathetic nervous system, and using manual techniques or relaxation exercises to help down-regulate the nervous system.

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The question at hand is how stress and anxiety manifest in the body and how physical therapy techniques can help alleviate these mental health issues. Stress can manifest in various ways throughout the body, often leading to flare-ups of pain in areas like the back or neck. The body doesn't differentiate between different types of stress, whether they are mental, physical, or emotional, which can result in overuse injuries.

In physical therapy, education plays a significant role. It's important to understand the impact of stress on the body. Physical therapists work on modifying training schedules, adjusting strength training routines, and adapting key race dates based on the individual's life circumstances, particularly for athletes.

Additionally, physical therapy can involve techniques to downregulate the nervous system. Breathing exercises are effective in tapping into the parasympathetic nervous system, promoting relaxation. Manual techniques, such as those performed in a pool or on a treatment table, can also help calm the nervous system.

Overall, stress management is a crucial aspect of physical therapy and injury recovery. By addressing the physical manifestations of stress and anxiety, physical therapists can provide relief and support mental well-being.

How can physical therapists help runners manage their mental and emotional well-being, particularly during high-stress training periods or competitions?

Boosting Runners' Mental Game: Tips from Physical Therapists

Hey everyone, Kate Edwards here and the question that I'm answering is how can physical therapists help runners manage their mental and emotional well-being, particularly during high stress training periods or competitions? And the one thing I would say is this is where finding out what you love outside your sport is really important and also learning mental skills like visualization, self-talk, meditation, mindfulness, all those things are going to really help decrease any kind of stress situation when you are getting ready to compete. The other thing is going ahead and having a plan. So like I said, visualization is really important, but planning out what your pre-race routine is going to be like, what your recovery is going to be like, and talk to yourself about how the race is going to go and get yourself in that mindset of what is going to happen every step of the way and what your strategy is. So those are really good ways to decrease anxiety. So we can't control everything and that's really hard for us to accept a lot of times, but we can control what we can control. So plan, plan, plan, and do some deep breathing and meditation and that will really help.

Physical therapists can help runners manage their mental and emotional well-being, particularly during high stress training periods or competitions, by helping them find activities they enjoy outside of running, teaching them mental skills such as visualization, self-talk and meditation, and helping them to create a plan for pre-race, during race, and post-race strategies.

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Physical therapists can play a significant role in helping runners manage their mental and emotional well-being, especially during high-stress training periods or competitions. One important aspect is encouraging runners to explore activities and hobbies outside of their sport that they genuinely enjoy. This helps create a balance and provides a source of relaxation and stress relief.

Additionally, physical therapists can teach runners various mental skills such as visualization, self-talk, meditation, and mindfulness. These techniques can effectively reduce stress and anxiety levels before competitions. Visualization allows runners to mentally rehearse their race, envisioning each step and strategizing their approach. Developing a pre-race routine and recovery plan can also help runners feel more prepared and in control.

While it's impossible to control every aspect of a race or training period, focusing on what can be controlled is crucial. Planning and preparation are key. Deep breathing exercises and meditation can help runners stay grounded and calm in high-pressure situations.

By incorporating these strategies, physical therapists can support runners in managing their mental and emotional well-being, enabling them to perform at their best during challenging training periods and competitions.

How can physical therapists help runners build mental and emotional resilience, and develop strategies for dealing with setbacks and challenges in their training and competitions?

Physical Therapists Empower Runners to Overcome Setbacks & Build Resilience

Hey everyone, Kate Edwards here and the question that I'm answering is how can physical therapists help runners build mental and emotional resilience and develop strategies for dealing with setbacks and challenges in their training and competition? And so I think for this one, one thing is I like to say to my athletes is make sure you have something else in your toolbox other than your sport. So a lot of athletes have a very strong athletic identity and they have a difficult time when they can no longer train when they're injured because they don't know what to do outside of their sport. So the very first thing I like to ask my athletes is hey what do you do outside of your sport? If you don't do something let's find something so that might be reading or cooking or drawing or photography or some kind of art or history. It could be anything really but as long as it is something that is outside of their sport. So that's the first thing is build up your toolbox and then the second thing is setting goals along the way and setting realistic goals as well as maybe some more challenging goals and when you're a physical therapist setting goals with your client makes a really big difference. So that way as things are improving or they're having setbacks they can look back to those goals and see hey okay maybe I'm not doing as poorly as I thought.

A physical therapist can help runners build mental and emotional resilience by encouraging them to have activities outside of running, setting realistic goals, and providing support.

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Physical therapists can play a significant role in helping runners build mental and emotional resilience while developing strategies to navigate setbacks and challenges in their training and competitions.

Firstly, it's important for athletes to have a well-rounded identity beyond their sport. Physical therapists can encourage runners to explore and engage in activities outside of running. This could include hobbies like reading, cooking, drawing, photography, or any other form of art or interest. By diversifying their interests, athletes can have a sense of fulfillment and purpose beyond their sport, which can help them cope better when they are unable to train due to injury or other setbacks.

Secondly, setting goals is crucial. Physical therapists can work with their clients to establish both realistic and challenging goals. These goals serve as milestones along the way, providing motivation and a sense of progress. When runners face setbacks, they can refer back to these goals to remind themselves of the progress they have made and the potential for future achievements.

By incorporating these strategies, physical therapists can support runners in building mental and emotional resilience. They can help athletes develop a broader sense of self and purpose, as well as provide them with a framework for measuring progress and overcoming challenges.

As a PT, are you a user of the IASTM instrument?

Kate Edwards: Utilizing IASTM Instrument as a PT

Hi, everyone. This is Kate Edwards here. And the question, my answer in is as a PT, are you user of the iast, EM instrument, which is the instrument, assisted soft tissue mobilization, treatment, or tool. And the answer is sometimes I do. Sometimes I don't have a lot of different Tools in my toolbox and some athletes that I treat will require this tool and other athletes. Won't I do a lot of term Point dry needling, I do a lot of cupping and Blood Flow, Restriction Training, And a ton of just Hands-On manual stuff. So for me I don't use it all the time but I do sometimes.

Sometimes I use the Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization (IASTM) tool in my practice as a physical therapist, but I also use other tools like trigger point dry needling, cupping, and blood flow restriction training.

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As a PT, I occasionally use the IASTM instrument, which stands for instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization. I have a variety of tools in my toolbox, and some athletes I treat may benefit from this specific tool, while others may not. In addition to IASTM, I also perform techniques such as trigger point dry needling, cupping, blood flow restriction training, and various hands-on manual therapies. So, while I don't use the IASTM instrument all the time, it is a tool that I incorporate into my practice on occasion.

Kate Edwards, PT, DPT, OCS answers your Musculoskeletal questions. See all the advice Kate Edwards, PT, DPT, OCS has and get answers to your own Musculoskeletal questions.

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Kate Edwards is a physical therapist, author, speaker & educator helping to widen the lens on treating and caring for endurance athletes. Endurance athletes and those who care for them often believe that the definition of success depends on the physical performance of their bodies and how well they do at a race. Through 12+ years of successfully treating thousands of frustrated athletes while navigating her own injuries and health struggles, Kate knows and believes that an athlete's success is so much more than their body or their sport. She also knows that connecting with the whole athlete requires the tools, knowledge, clarity, and confidence to grasp the complexities and depth of what these people need to perform and be well within and outside of their sports.

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