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...]
Go “Head First” to Improve Posture: 3 Exercises
“Sit up straight!” was a mantra I heard throughout my young life. As a young equestrienne, I had riding instructors as well as both my parents reinforcing this message on a daily basis. As annoying as it was then, there are many days I wish I still had those daily reminders. Modern life is full of … [Read more...]
5 Plank Pitfalls –Are you doing them correctly?
The plank. We have felled trees to make them, built fences and houses out of them, grilled salmon on them, and some unlucky men have even had to walk them. But now, in the name of fitness and core strength, we are trying to emulate them. What is it that makes this seemingly simple exercise so … [Read more...]
Mimi’s Minute: Shoulder Impingement
Recently, I had a client complain of mild, achy shoulder pain when washing her hair. Since she said she had “done nothing” to hurt her shoulder, she was frustrated with the pain, and concerned about having a major shoulder injury brewing. Since she had full range of motion, but experienced pain when … [Read more...]
Mimi’s Minute: Why does my knee make that noise?
Many of us notice a little noise in the knees when going up or down stairs, or when bending to pick up something we’ve dropped. If there is no pain associated with the noise, it’s probably just a harmless condition the medical community calls “crepitus.” It could signal a little wear and tear on the … [Read more...]