A “wonky” shoulder, AKA a shoulder that doesn’t move right, feel right, or down-right hurts when you move it, can be caused by a myriad of reasons: arthritis, bone spurs (due to arthritis,) rotator cuff injury, an injury to the labrum (or deep cartilage in the shoulder) or an insidious little … [Read more...]
Back Pain: What’s at the core?
Back pain can be related to your core. There I said it. I am 100% sure you have heard of “deep core muscles” before. But do you really know what they are? Before you say yes, many people (including highly educated folks within my own industry and the medical community at large) don’t know what “deep … [Read more...]
How to Avoid “The Agony of The Feet”
A few weeks ago, my client Blake came in for his weekly session with a new complaint- his feet were “killing him!” (And his back wasn’t so great either.) I took a look at his shoes. They were a brand new pair of supped-up, stiff-as-a-board cross-trainers. And boy were they supportive! They even had … [Read more...]
Pain with Flat Feet? Try This Fix!
Recently, my middle daughter Katarina, age 7, has been waking up during the middle of the night complaining of leg pain. At first we thought the discomfort was due to growing pains, but after visiting with her pediatrician, we learned that the problem was coming from her overly pronated or flat … [Read more...]
5 Good Reasons Why THIS Is The Best Exercise
Last week, I had a new client who came in with chronic low back pain. He has a job that tends to keep him at his desk or in his car, and he feels he is not getting enough exercise with the home program he is doing for his back pain. So he asked about adding in some “cardio.” When I suggested … [Read more...]
Bye Bye, Tight Hamstrings!
My client Rob is a 6’3” former basketball player who consistently struggles with tight hamstrings. His full-time job as a realtor means that most days of the week, he drives people all over town to find their dream home. Because he spends so much time crammed in the car in a folded-up position, … [Read more...]
How Those Red Ropes Relieve Your Back Pain
I recently met a new client whom I will refer to as Barbara. When Barbara walked in my office for the first time, she saw exercise balls, bands and stretch tables -- pretty standard fare in any fitness setting. Then she stopped and stared, and pointed at the ceiling. A puzzled look came across her … [Read more...]
Beating Back Pain for Tennis
You know that Annie song, “You’re never fully dressed without a smile?” Well, sometimes it can be hard to smile when your body is in pain or discomfort. As you know, pain is very subjective and personal. It’s hard to define what your own pain feels like, but you know that it’s real, and if not … [Read more...]
50 Shades of Flexibility
Well, it may not be 50 actual shades, but there are many considerations that go into creating a good, comprehensive stretching program. Over the holidays, I was approached by an acquaintance who asked my opinion on stretching. He said he had been told by his doctor that he should “stretch more” to … [Read more...]
Mimi’s Minute: Hip Tips for Walking Taller
My 90-year young Grandmother is spunky and energetic. She goes to the Y every day for water aerobics, bakes batches and batches of cookies, cooks homemade Italian meals and manages to keep up with her 4 sons and all of her grandchildren! Whew! I’m tired just thinking about it. Although she still … [Read more...]