It is running season, how about a little foot pain??

It's every runner's nightmare:  waking up one morning and feeling a stabbing pain on the bottom of the foot near the heel. Plantar fasciitis affects around 2 million Americans a year, and it's not just limited to runners. Anyone who is bearing extra weight on their feet, who has body-structure problems, is over-training, is pregnant, or has compounding injuries could be at risk. 

If you search the internet you will find loads of boots  and strange supportive gear that help you deal with plantar fasciitis after it appears. Doctors might prescribe pain killers, anti-inflammatories or cortisone injections to help you deal with the pain.  All these things are geared strictly to managing the problem. They are a mere band aid in for something that many people find literally debilitating.  

The plantar fascia is located on the bottom of the foot. It stretches from the heel to the ball of the foot, supporting the muscular arch above as well as interlocking bones. Technically, plantar fasciitis is billed as an inflammatory condition, however it's not that the body is randomly creating inflammation---rather, the inflammation is being created at the heel in order to try and repair the micro tearing that is occurring there, In truth, the problem is actually over-stress or tearing of the delicate foot fascia. and the inflammation is just a symptom. 

So here is the skinny. Understanding this problem for your body is key. The tissue on the bottom of the foot is very delicate when you compare it to the things it's being asked to do. The plantar fascia is not an isolated tissue, it is one small part of a long chain of tissue that runs from the top of the back of your body, down to the tip of your toes.  Picture this tissue as something like how, when you tie a rope around a box, it helps stabilize the box wrapping the whole way around If for some reason the rope were to get shorter, things would become uncomfortable for the box....there would be less and less space until finally the tension would be so great that most likely the rope would begin to fray at one of the corners (just like your heel) in order to create more length. That is exactly what is happening to your foot. The rope is tearing at its weakest point. When you have injuries that thicken the tissue and make it less contractile, or add extra stress to the "rope",  it is at risk for damage. 

By the same token, slackening the 'rope' can take pressure off the weaker tissues. Adding length to your

visual of the 'rope'

hamstrings and calves takes pressure off the bottom of the foot. Treating plantar fascia issues is a two-fold process. You must examine what caused the flair in the first place. Is it too much tension? A structural defect? Training?  Extra weight? Or is it another muscle pulling it tight?  The second step is to create less pressure on that plantar fascia by lengthening the tissue on the posterior chain, which will decrease the inflammatory reaction from the micro tearing. Professionals in sports medicine, physical therapy, massage and orthopedics can help you with the various parts of this painful problem to get you back on track, but I have also seen a good number of people help themselves once they truly understand the problem. A good foam roller and a trigger point ball are always a good investment for preventative care if you know you are prone to this malady. Once this is done and the cycle is broken, it is essential you give it time to heal...after all time heals all wounds.  If you are experiencing problems that are diagnosed or that do not resolve, it is very important to visit your primary care physician. 
For more info visit http://www.bodymechanicsnyc.com/
or see our sports massage program in NYC
By Beret Kirkeby

The key to less injuries is prevention. Information for athletes and Sports Masssage

 We all know the primary work of the circulatory system is to push your blood around your body.   But the other job of the circulatory system is to deliver essential nutrients to your body tissues and to work in conjunction with your lymph system to remove waste products.  So how does that all work?  Your blood is pumped by your heart;  it moves through your body, and when your heart rate goes up due to stress, activity, or receiving a massage, it moves at an even faster rate, with more pressure.  Your lymph system, on the other hand, is completely independent of your heart and works on muscle pumping  to move fluid and broken cells through the tiny collection vessels in your body.  When you move your body more, and your body is warmer, the rate of movement and collection goes up.  But that is in a perfect world.  What happens when you are trying to push blood through the blood vessels and lymph through the collection vessels when you have been in heavy training?  When you are tight and sore?  Essentially you have a bottle neck--there are too many cars on the highway, and not enough space to get through.  No matter how hard you push, which nutrients you eat,  how hard you train, or  how much you move--unless there is enough space within the tissue to get that stuff there, you will  be more prone to injury and fatigue. To compound matters, when you are injured, it is going to take longer to heal.

Tissue often changes by means of inflammation.  In some cases this is not a problem, but too much inflammation is bad.  Inflammation is a generalized first response to injury, and signals the body to lay down non-functional layers of tissue in order to support the body structure. Your body’s response to any kind of unknown stress is to stabilize. It is very important to understand that  your body sees training as a form of stress and your body’s response to that stress is to lay down thicker tracts of tissue through  an inflammatory process.  Those tracts are less functional than the original ones and will thicken along the fascia trains already in existence, reducing fluid flow, which robs your body of the things it needs to make you a top performer.  Thicker trains means more compression, more inflammation, and  less movement of fluid, and that means more injury, slower healing and less performance. 

By icing any areas  where unusual heat or soreness are present (thus limiting the amount of inflammation you endure while exercising), you can help your body defend against excessive inflammatory processes.  Some people are also more prone to inflammation than others and might also benefit from a low inflammation diet, which is a way of eating that limits or reduces your reaction to inflammation.  Compression socks, and KT/or Rock tape can also be helpful by limiting swelling and/or encouraging lymph flow in order to minimize damage in an event.  Any area that is prone to shock, friction, load bearing or overuse is at risk. Take steps to give yourself the best chance to heal by learning to stretch and realign these areas appropriately prior to exercising. The best medicine is prevention. It is far easier and far cheaper to limit inflammation than to require extensive treatment to correct a problem in full flair…and perhaps even risk missing the big event entirely.

For More information  on Sports Massage and how you can prevent your own injury's you can visit me at www.bodymechnaicsnyc.com or book a treatment. If you are interested in learning more on the topic of how your body works, how to prevent injury, increase your recovery times and get relief for FREE,  I am speaking at Jack Rabbit sports this month at Self-Massage Clinic here is the info:

Jack rabbit sports 14th st. Sept. 18, 2013 -7pm  Curious how to expedite recovery, increase performance, and decrease risk of injury? Body Mechanics NYC joins us to host a self-massage clinic at Jack Rabbit Sports 42 west 14th st. (between 5th and 6th). You'll learn which recovery tools work best for certain aggravations and how to use each properly. And by addressing discomfort immediately and effectively, you'll increase your chances of crossing the finish line injury-free.
 for more info on sports massage in NYC please check out our website