I have put together a video compilation of some of my favorite mobility and strengthening exercises for the foot. The target of most of these will be for the intrinsic soft tissues of the feet but you can't fully target just one area or muscle of the body with an exercise. I didn't think of all of these ideas and I tried to give credit to those that I learned them from where I could!
These would be good for anyone with a history of ankle, lower leg or foot injuries. It doesn't matter if you wear Hoka One Ones or nothing on your feet because all of us should have strong and mobile feet. Your feet do a ton of work for you and are your main contact point with the ground. Take care of them!
Here comes another rant or a pet peeve that I have related to recent warm weather and people exercising in it. Just like this photo displays I hate that people think safely exercising in warm weather is all about preventing dehydration, and drinking copious amounts of fluids. Some athletes and coaches think that they can work vigorously and non-stop in extreme conditions as long as there is an adequate water supply. It doesn't matter how much you drink, it won't prevent your core body temperature from rising. The real danger is exercising in a way that allows the core temperature to reach unsafe levels where heat stroke can occur.
Concussions are still a hot topic and will continue to be for the foreseeable future. The media loves to discuss them, coaches loathe them, parents fear them, and the research is still within its infancy. It isn't time for anyone to jump to conclusions or panic but it is definitely a good time to stay informed and properly educated on the topic. This blog post came as a result of the latest edition of the Journal of Athletic Training, which had several concussion related articles. To begin the issue there was a special editorial written by concussion research expert, Kevin Guskiewicz, PhD, ATC, FNATA, FACSM. He is also the chair of the Department of Exercise and Sport Science at the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Guskiewicz recommends that sports medicine professionals stay informed on upcoming concussion research to be published within the next 6 months. This includes the ‘‘Consensus statement on concussion in sport: the 4th International Conference on
Concussion in Sport, Zurich, November 2012’’ that was published in this edition of the Journal of Athletic Training and originally published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine in March, 2013. He advises that these documents "will
define the standard of care for athletic trainers and team
physicians for at least the next 4 to 5 years. These
documents are very well prepared and will make significant
contributions to the sports medicine community." He also had these three major closing points:
Read these documents,
Develop and implement a sound concussion-management program and policy
Check the boxes each time you manage a patient with a concussion.
Dr. Guskiewicz had one last closing piece of advice that is very important for concussion management but is applicable to everything we do as clinicians and arguable important for any person to learn. I know football season for me is fast approaching so I know I need to make sure I get caught up on my concussion literature. I will leave you with his advice in quotes and a link to the latest journal issue!
"But just as important, be sure you go the extra mile to educate yourself and your athletes and to ensure that both
you and your athletes are protected. "
Therapeutic modalities had an entire course devoted to it in my educational curriculum and there is more and more research being done on the topic. There is plenty to learn about the theory and application of each individual type of modality from ultrasound to electrical stimulation and plain old ice.
I definitely learned a lot and the use of modalities has been definitely beneficial for me as a clinician, especially for acute injuries. However, I have found myself and others at fault for relying upon modalities too much. There are too many clinicians relying upon the "powers" of modalities instead of using the power of movement and rehabilitative exercises. I'm not saying that they don't have their place because they definitely do but they often are too heavily relied upon.
Eat Yesterday, Chris Kresser announced that his book now available for pre-sale. If you haven't checked out his website, ChrisKresser.com, then you are missing out on some quality articles related to health and nutrition. His book will be titled Your Personal Paleo Code and will be released on Christmas Eve. Run Coach Caleb of Team BonkProof wrote a short article about dealing with the heat and humidity during these dog days of summer. I like this article and feel his advice is on target with the science related to how we should go about hydrating and exercising in the heat. Great training tips, Coach! Dr. Nick Campitelli, DPM is featuring a story on his blog of a runner that has overcome chronic knee pain by successfully and safely transitioning to minimalist running. This find technically belongs in both the Run and Rehabilitate section...Love it when that happens ;). Rehabilitate Erson Religioso of TheManualTherapist posted a blog and video about using his EDGE Mobility bands as an alternative approach to using a mobilization belt for increasing Hip Internal Rotation. I haven't personally attempted this because I don't have any EDGE bands yet, but this seems much more time and user friendly than the bulky mobilization belts. I don't own any of those either actually... Here is an interesting editorial by Richard Demont, PhD, CAT(C), ATC in the latest edition of Athletic Training & Sports Health Care about athletic trainers needing to promote our profession through quality research initiatives. This is an article that rings true for me considering I am working on my first research study for my master's thesis and I want it to be a quality and credible piece of work in the end.
I was recently asked by the guys over at ATCHacks if I was willing to answer some questions for their "In The ATR" series. I have been following @ATCHacks on twitter for awhile now and I love what they have been doing, what they are about and how they are doing good things for the profession of Athletic Training. Their "In The ATR" series features athletic trainers and asks them questions about their history, methods, tips and med-kits. I was not only honored to have them ask me to be part of In The ATR, but they have also asked me on to regularly guest blog for them about my experiences as a graduate assistant athletic trainer. This next year is going to be an exciting and fast paced time for me! Head on over ATC Hacks to see their feature on me and don't be afraid to register at their site to get full access to their information for free. They have some insightful articles for athletic trainers and aspiring athletic training students.
Well it is summer time and that means people are spending a lot more things like reading and running. Runners like myself probably like to combine the two activities by reading about running or listening to audio books during long runs. This has inspired me to make a list of the books related to running or running nutrition that have inspired me. I have listed my top 5 in no particular order and have also listed 5 honorable mentions! Here they are...
It is about time I finally got off my bum and made a Facebook Page for the blog! This will be one more way to keep in touch, share ideas, and stay up to date if you wish. That's enough blabbering for now because I need some coffee! Happy Independence Day to my fellow Americans. Celebrate safely.
I am quickly reaching my one year anniversary since finishing my undergraduate education and becoming a certified athletic trainer. A lot has happened since then including starting work on my master's degree, my master's thesis and working with many different athletes and teams via my graduate assistant position. I have learned a lot and it would be impossible to list everything but I figured it would be a good idea to reflect back on a few major themes.
Hey Readers, today's post is directed at the clinicians and people interested in manual therapy! What better way to have a post about manual therapy than to feature a new interview of TheManualTherapist.com by SportsRehabExpert.com!
It is kind of lengthy but is a great conversation between Joe Heiler and Erson Religioso. I recommend taking the time to watch or listen to it! I've learned a lot from both of these guys and their websites.
Disclaimer: Please note that some of the links on this blog are affiliate links and I will earn a commission if you purchase through those links. I have used all of these products listed and recommend them because they are helpful and are products from companies that I trust, not because of the commissions that I may earn from you using these products.
Caution
All content on this blog is meant as instructional and educational. The author and guest authors of this blog are not responsible for any harm or injury that may result. Always consult a physician or another proper medical professional for medical advice.
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