Bolton Physiotherapy

18/03/2022

Is It Necessary To Stretch?

Stretching is the process of trying to maintain/improve lengthening in the muscle and soft tissue to increase flexibility so you can attain maximum reach.

Flexibility is the ability of the body to actively work through a range of motion to allow efficient movement without unnecessary stress and strain on the body.

The research on stretching demonstrates its ability to increase the range of motion within a hypertonic (tense) muscle, when muscles become tense they effectively give you a shorter available length. However, if you're functioning at the 100% maximum of range of motion (full reach) then you're not going to get any more out of a stretch routine, you just need to maintain it.

Stretching is not designed to increase muscle power or performance, it won’t make you run faster or lift heavier, it simply influences the range of motion, understand this action and apply it, use common sense, there are much better ways to improve muscle power performance.

Performance in any sport, including running is dependent on the programme you follow, such as distance, time, strength and conditioning of the muscles.

Does flexibility have a part to play?
With any sport it makes sense to have a full range of motion, we know it is important for any athlete or runner to have a full functional range of motion.

If functional range is vital for performance, having the flexibility to perform that action is also vital.
Running only requires that you can move your legs in the functional range for that activity, so if you can run comfortably and without injury, then realistically is there a need to stretch?

This is where a therapists and coach will part ideas…

Coaches and maybe you only consider a plan to achieve the desired results. A personal best for a 5k or run a marathon in 4 hours, each can be an excellent objective, however, therapeutically we have a wider objective.
Here’s where tunnel vision is at its strongest and the largest mis representation of research occurs on the internet with common sense left in the starting block.

Running is not the only thing you do!

Let’s repeat that… Running is not the only thing you do!

Not being able to touch your knees as a runner is ok, but try picking up the kids, laying a carpet, gardening, or even putting on your shoes and socks on in the morning, have you ever wondered why the older generation wear slip-on shoes? In the past we just crouched down, now we have to lift the foot onto a higher surface and to try and meet in the middle.

When we examine some of the common injuries for walkers and runners we see here at the clinic:
Achilles Tendinopathy
PFPS
Hip/Spine issues
Hamstring
Backpain

Not an exhaustive list of what we see, but some of the common ones..

Do you think we find any differences in:
Muscle tension.
Adaptive movement.
Compensation patterns.
Movement avoidance because of pain.

Absolutely, movement away from an optimum full range of motion, or altered patterns that can cause our body to place undue tension on joints and tissues?

As a therapist, we address these imbalances, the reduced ranges of motion, lack of flexibility and strength deficits with treatment and exercise protocols, whilst taking into consideration external factors.
Participating in any sports running included, is a lifestyle choice, and when we love to exercise it's fantastic it keeps us fit, it's great for our mental and emotional state, however most sports are not complete in what they do.

We shouldn’t look to take away aspects of training because a coach or a social media post says we do not need it, or maybe someone who has read a 3rd hand watered down post about a research paper.

Understand what you are trying to achieve….

As a coach myself I’ve always followed a common-sense approach to training which is:
-Warm up- get the body ready for the task at hand, our physiology likes it, and it does prevent injury.
-Exercise-participate with a smile, this is the bit we love!
-Cool down-bring about a more relaxed and restorative state.
-Breathing exercise along with Stretching- helps to identify points of pain, and tension and applies therapeutics actions.

Therapists need to consider a much more global approach to treatment and rehabilitation.
Even Mo Farah visits an Osteopath…

With exercise you need to consider:
What are the lifestyle demands being placed on the body, is the exercise plan complete enough to fulfil these?

Are you mobile and strong enough and conditioned to perform the required actions?

If I am enjoying my sports injury free and these aspects are covered then I don’t need to add to it, I don’t need to stretch or add more strength training…I have a complete exercise routine.

If you are looking to develop your sports, increase time then address the body as a whole.

Stretching is misunderstood and misrepresented so keep it simple, ask your self…
would it be beneficial to improve your range of movement, would it be useful to be able to touch your toes?
This is also true for any aspect of training, strength, endurance and even to technique.

Most of us are born with certain characteristics and physical attributes, and most of us enjoy certain sports or activities, with this in mind we need to be aware of what results our actions gives.

Hope that’s useful and you can answer the question, Do we need to stretch?.

25/02/2022

21/07/2021

https://www.bolton-osteopaths.co.uk/plantar-fasciitis-treatment-and-rehabilitation/

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07/07/2021

Plantar Fasciitis – How To Elimante Pain And Move Better

1 in 10 people suffer from plantar fasciitis in the world, it is most common in people between the ages of 40-60 years.

Introduction To Plantar Fasciitis
The heel and front of your foot are joined through a thick, web-like ligament known as the plantar fascia.
It helps you walk by supporting the arch of your foot and acts as a shock absorber. One of the most common orthopedic complaints is plantar fasciitis. In plantar fasciitis, you experience severe pain in the bottom of your heel or the bottom of your foot.
The ligaments of the plantar fascia are used a lot in your daily life causing them to wear and tear. The amount of pressure you put on your feet should be in moderate amounts as too much pressure can tear the ligaments.
The inflammation of the plantar fascia causes an immense amount of pain and stiffness in your heel. While it may feel like inflammation, it is associated with degenerative problems involving the tissue that connects your toes to your heel bone.

Plantar Fasciitis tends to encompass a variety of the pain sensations felt in the foot.

Who is at risk of plantar fasciitis?
Some of the population at high risk of getting plantar fasciitis are:
1. Runners
2. People who have foot conditions
3. High arches
4. Overweight
5. People who are on their feet a lot

It can take about 6-12 months for your feet to heal completely from Plantar Fasciitis.

What is Plantar Fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis is described as pain at the bottom of your heel it can affect both feet but usually it just affects one foot.

A study was done in 2003 that reported degeneration is more likely to be the cause of plantar fasciitis discomfort rather than inflammation. They suggested a new name plantar fasciosis.

It takes time for plantar fasciitis to develop. Plantar fasciitis causes varying types of pain for some people it is dull and for some it is sharp. Many feel it as a burning or ache that extends towards the heel of their foot.

You will experience intense pain while performing some routine activities for example:
1. Climbing the stairs
2. Taking the first few steps after waking up
3. Taking the first few steps after lying down

After being on your feet for too long the plantar fasciitis can become inflamed or irritated causing pain. The pain goes undetected in the middle of activities but emerges after you have stopped.

What Influences Plantar Fasciitis

1. Age
1 in 10 people suffer from plantar fasciitis. Men and women are both at a very high risk of developing plantar fasciitis if they are active and between the ages of 40-70. It is more common in women than in men.

2. Pregnancy
Pregnant women may experience plantar fasciitis in the last months of their pregnancy as weight is gained it can put extra stress on your feet, especially your arches.

3. Overweight
Plantar fasciitis is also caused by increased pressure on the ligaments of your foot so if you are overweight or you have recently gained a lot of weight you are putting unnecessary pressure on your ligaments and are at a high risk of developing plantar fasciitis.

4. Non-supportive Footwear and Foot Mechanics
High arches or flat feet are structural problems that leave you at high risk of developing plantar fasciitis. The tightness of the Achilles’ tendons also spreads the pain up to your calf muscles and puts you at risk of developing plantar fasciitis.

Wearing footwear that is soft and has a poor arch is a major cause of plantar fasciitis too, or wearing high heels all day and then switching into flat running shoes may also cause the issue.

5. Certain Exercises
Exercises that involve putting pressure on your foot like running or jumping can aggravate your chances of getting plantar fasciitis.

Often experienced with a change in load and frequency such as training for a marathon, where
a sudden increase in training mileage or beginning speed training, wearing worn running shoes, running on hard surfaces like asphalt or concrete can also lead to plantar fasciitis.

6. Certain Occupations
Any occupation that requires you to be upon your feet all the time leaves you vulnerable to developing plantar fasciitis as it causes the ligaments to wear and tear.

Some examples of occupations like this are

1. Restaurant/service industry
2. Factory/warehouse work
3. Long-distance runners

Complications of Untreated Plantar Fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis if ignored can become a major health problem down the road. It can cause chronic heel pain which will make it difficult for you to complete your daily activities. A change in your walking pattern may cause hip, foot, knee, and back problems. It will be beneficial to seek effective treatment methods as soon as you notice the first symptom.

How To Resolve Plantar Fasciitis?
For a resolution to Plantar Fasciitis, you need to understand not just what it is, but why it is occurring this will assist in treatment and rehabilitation.

The key points to consider for recovery are:

Self Help
Function
Contact
Foot Wear
Injuries & niggles
Training plan
Rehabilitation

Firstly implement self-help options such as massage, foam rolling, ice and mobility exercises.

Correct function of the feet, knees, hips and spine all influence ground contact. A complex relationship involving the whole body, particularly in sports.
If you have pulled your back it can change how you move, pick things up, sit down and even your running.
Resolving injuries and little niggles will allow you to move more efficiently which minimises adaptive stresses and pain.
Good movement requires efficient action for the task at hand, this means mobility, flexibility, stenght and resilience.

Footwear is probably the most difficult area to resolve, purely because shoes are made for a general Populus with similar sizes, and though some trainers are more support than others with the addition of arche supports etc., without real time data on your movement they are guess work, combined your foot has over 100 muscles, bones and ligaments. Even your left and right foot move differently, with variances in size and actual ground contact during the gait cycle. Ideally a specific shoe for your activity custom made for you, this is not realistic however custom orthotics can go a long way to address this.

Training plans are often pulled from the internet or followed via online with an App, these can be useful, but note they will NEVER be better than having a coach face to face who is experienced. A coach can look at your movement in greater detail to address imbalances and movement patterns, they can then implement a plan specific to you…

Rehabilitation and recovery are vital to get back training and active again. Being pain free is just the start, all too often people can become pain free then start back where they left of, at home work and training only to experience a return of injuries.

Pain free does not mean you are fit again; it means you are able to train the body for the tasks at hand, whether this is to carry out home activities, work, or sports.

Our Solution to Plantar Fasciitis is to get you pain free at work, home, in the garden, out running, at the gym and back to loving the things you love to do, a straightforward approach that takes out the guess work and considers you, no guess work or simply looking at the feet.

How do we do this

- We assess, identify, and diagnose the injury.

- Provide treatment based on clinical experience and scientific evidence.

- Assess Full body bio-mechanical movement to understand how you move, noting any limitations or adaptive patterns than can alter your movement creating stress on other parts of the body, quite often responsible for injuries experienced.

- Carry out a Dynamic Gait Analysis, using the latest technology with an 8000, yep that’s right eight thousand pressure sensors on a 1 metre foot mat that gives the precise information, no guess work or looking at how you move and trying to measure by interpreting what we see.
Our scan unit provides exact details and analysis on ground contact and how you really move, showing force and direction, we combine this with expert clinical knowledge and experience to give our patients the best possible outcome.

This is the very same technology used to help treat, rehabilitate and optimise performance for team GB athletes Lily Partridge and Ben Connor, with world record holder Paula Ratcliffe contributing her recovery and success to the very same technology we use here in the clinic.

- Provide Custom orthotics based on how you move specific to your feet, to optimise ground contact, offering support with stability to enhance recovery and performance.

Conclusion
Plantar fasciitis has many treatment options available like medication, custom orthotics, exercises, home remedies, and essential oils, etc. What you need to understand is that it will take 6 to 18 months for the pain to be completely gone without treatment, though this may mean modifications in activity and exercises.
With 6 months of consistent, nonoperative treatment, people with plantar fasciitis will recover 97 percent of the time in significantly less time.
Thus, it requires patience and effort on your side, however your health will benefit from a more inclusive approach to resolving Plantar Fasciitis.

If you are interested in our Plantar Fasciitis Rehab Solution head over to our website and book a Gait Analysis with assessment.

06/05/2021

Deansgate Osteopathic Clinic is a specialist Gait & Motion clinic providing Footscan Dynamic Gait analysis and Phits 3D Printed Custom Orthotics. We utilise this advanced technology as part of our integrated solution to injury recovery, rehabilitation and prevention..

The link below is an article from latest "Athletics Weekly" discussing some of the benefits whilst highlighting how our GB athletes have benefited from a Gait Analysis and Phits Custom Orthotics..

https://athleticsweekly.com/performance/gait-and-motion-clinics-the-choice-of-champions-1039944601/

Natasha Cockram, the 2020 British marathon champion, adds: “After struggling with an ongoing injury it was nice to finally get answers and pinpoint weaknesses that I can focus on to ensure the injury not only improves but is also prevented moving forwards!”

Any question please get in touch or book online if you are looking for Treatment, a Gait Analysis or Custom Orthotics..

Enjoy your day..
Keep Active, Keep Well, Stay Safe
Francis


https://bolton-osteopaths.co.uk/gait-and-motion-clinic-bolton/

04/12/2020

So important...

What is Diagrammatic Breathing ?

Have you ever considered how well you Breathe?
Breathing is something most of us don’t really pay attention to, unless you take part in certain exercises where it is discussed as in yoga, Pilates, martial arts and meditation.

Have you ever considered why they discuss breathing?
Diaphragmatic breathing is a type of a breathing exercise that helps strengthen your diaphragm, an important muscle that helps you breathe and forms an integral part of your core stability.

You can probably recall holding your breathe or breathing out when moving something heavy? This creates additional core stability when exerting a force, and a strong core is essential for the body to function, if the core is weak it’s like firing a cannon from a canoe.

So, what does the research tell us?
Being part of the core structure it;
improves your core stability.
improves your body’s ability to tolerate intense exercise.
It reduced the risk of injury to the spine.

Things you might not know:
It helps you relax, lowering the harmful effects of the stress hormone cortisol on your body.
It lowers your heart rate
It helps lower your blood pressure

Here’s a brief description on one exercise to breathe with the diaphragm.

1. Lie on your back on a flat surface (or in bed), use a pillow for your head, and if you have pain or any stiffness in the spine or its uncomfortable lie with your knees bent using a cushion to support them.
2. Place one hand on your upper chest and the other on your belly, just below your rib cage.
3. Breathe in slowly through your nose, letting the air in deeply, towards your lower belly. The hand on your chest should remain still, while the one on your belly should rise.
4. Tighten your abdominal muscles and let them fall inward as you exhale through pursed lips. The hand on your belly should move down to its original position.
You can also practice this sitting in a chair, with your knees bent and your shoulders, head, and neck relaxed. Practice for five to 10 minutes, several times a day if possible.

Refs: (The Impact of Resonance Frequency Breathing on Measures of Heart Rate Variability, Blood Pressure, and Mood, Patrick R.Steffen., et al 2017) (A randomized controlled trial on effects of the Transcendental Meditation program on blood pressure, psychological distress, and coping in young adultsNidich SI., et al 2009)

25/11/2020

If Planus foot morphology (Flat Foot) is associated with frequent knee pain and medial knee cartilage damage in older adults.
And…
it has been noted Moderate and severe pes planus was associated with nearly double the rate of anterior knee pain and intermittent low back pain in a study of 97,279 military recruits. (ref:below)

How do you know you have it?

Have a Dynamic Gait? utilising a FootScan pressure plate with analytical software to map out exactly how your feet interacts with the floor, demonstrating the weight and contact distribution from initial heel impact to toe off on propulsion, its amazing what 4000 pressure sensors can tell you!..

What do you need to do if you have it?
Sometimes nothing if minor, however if you take part in high impact sports such as football or run you need to address the issues, this will reduce the risk of injury whilst correcting foot motion will improve performance.

Having a Gait Analysis will give you information to take the right action. This may be rehabilitation exercises to strengthen the intrinsic foot muscles whilst addressing any imbalances and adaptations in the knees, hips and spine. The Gait Analysis provides data to produce a custom orthotic designed precisely to your feet to provide support and stability. This combination will provide corrective and preventative actions for a positive outcome to keep you running and loving the sports you do.

If you have any questions, please LIKE the page comment below
Keep Well, Keep Active
Francis

ps: Would you like to have all the above interventions?
There is still time to to enter the Deansgate Osteopathic Clinic's big 👏GIVEAWAY👏 FREE prize..

To enter and win 🥇🥇 this ⛹️‍♂️🚴🏋️‍♂️🏂Performance Bundle worth £419.00...
👍 LIKE OUR PAGE
💬COMMENT & ⤴️ SHARE
The winner will receive:
A Footscan Gait Analysis 👣 here at the Deansgate Osteopathic Clinic, the very same analysis used by:
Sir Mo Farah
Paula Radcliffe
Vivian Cheruiyot
Lily Partridge
You will also receive:
A pair of PHITS 3D Custom Orthotics 👣- used by GB athletes above for maximum performance and injury reduction.
And it doesn’t stop there!
You will also get a FREE one on one Injury Assessment with Master’s Rehabilitation Therapist Melissa Taylor here at Deansgate Osteopathic Clinic.
And it gets even better!
You will also receive an exercise plan designed specific to your injury!
We can’t turn you into a world class athlete, but we can give world class treatment and support…
Competition closes at 10am on Thursday 2nd December 2020.
👏👏Good Luck 👏👏
Giveaway Details and Standard T&Cs
https://bolton-osteopaths.co.uk/performance-bundle-giveaway/
🥇🥇



ref:Kosashvili Y, Fridman T, Backstein D, Safir O, Ziv YB. The Correlation between Pes Planus and Anterior Knee or Intermittent Low Back Pain. Foot & Ankle International. 2008;29(9):910-913.