Body Gears_All About Foot and Ankle Pain

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NEWSLETTER The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body

ALL ABOUT THE FOOT&ANKLE

INSIDE: - Accelerating Healing after an Ankle Sprain - Did you know physical therapists treat plantar fasciitis? - Body Gears News - Exercise of The Month - Patient Success Spotlight It's easy to start taking steps towards healthier feet and ankles when you have the right knowledge and support. After waking up from a great night's sleep, no one wants foot pain on their first few steps out of bed ruining their morning. And who wants ankle pain stopping them from ice skating or wearing the heels that go perfectly with that party dress?

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NEWSLETTER The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body

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ACCELERATING HEALING AFTER AN ANKLE SPRAIN

Whether it's loosely tied ice skates, slipping on a sidewalk, or tripping over the dog, sprained ankles are common among people of all ages and especially among athletes. Most people know about RICE-ing after an ankle sprain (rest, ice, compression, elevation) but there's a whole lot more you could be doing that will help to While ice isniceforreducingabitof inflammation and temporarily numbing the area to pain, it can also leave you feeling stiff. The thing that really pumps away inflammation is movement.  An easy and gentle exercise you can do anywhere is to draw the alphabet in the air with your foot. Start by slowly making small letters within your pain tolerance and work up to bigger letters as you feel comfortable.  PRO TIP: Elevate your leg while you do this to help drain even more inflammation and imagine your "alphabet drawing pen" is at your heel rather than at your toes to start activating the muscles that often shut down after an ankle sprain.  2. Get it looked at The benefit of going straight to a physical therapist is they can rule out a fracture or determine whether you might need an x-ray, they can grade the severity of your ankle sprain (how many ligaments are involved and the extent of any damage), and they can get treatment started right away. While an ankle sprain will eventually get better on its own, the goal of physical therapy is to speed up the healing process, eliminate the potential for chronic pain or instability, restore efficient movement without compensation, minimize the risk of re-injury, and facilitate a quick return to sports and daily activities free of pain. PRO TIP: Find a manual physical therapist. The most common type of ankle sprain is called an inversion sprain and it's when the pinky toe side of your foot rolls under, potentially stretching accelerate your healing time. 1. Move more than you ice

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A basic (but not necessarily easy) exercise is to stand at your kitchen counter with your feet together. Start by lifting up your injured foot and take note of how much you have to shift your weight to stand on your good foot (hopefully not much at all). Place your foot back down and then lift up your good foot and see whether you need to shift a lot more weight to stand on just your injured foot. Keep alternating until you can achieve an even amount of minimal weight shift when switching to each foot. PRO TIP: Take some of your weight through your fingertips on the kitchen counter if your ankle is still painful. Try keeping your weight a little further back in your heel and activate your glutes, hamstrings, and calf muscles to help reduce how far you have to shift your weight. Progress within your tolerance to balancing on your injured foot for 10 seconds, then 30 seconds, then with eyes closed.  To request a FREE fracture and ankle sprain severity screen, email info@bodygears.com

or tearing three different ligaments. All three of those ligaments are attached to your fibula bone which means it too gets pulled down in the direction of the ankle roll. A manual physical therapist will mobilize your fibula back to its usual resting place so it's not blocking ankle movement and ensure it moves appropriately in synergy with your ankle to make rehabilitative exercises more effective and pain-free. 3. Balance before agility Something most people don't realize they've impaired with an ankle sprain is their awareness of where their ankle/foot is in space (a sense known as proprioception). This can present as a feeling thatyour foot ispointinga few (orseveral) degrees away from its actual orientation. This happens because the ligaments and muscles involved in the sprain send signals to your brain about how your ankle joint is oriented and those messages can become faulty or even absent. It's important to restore an accurate sense of proprioception so that with every step, you're placing your foot down in a way that allows it to accept the weight of your body and avoid another ankle roll. 

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Did you know physical therapists treat plantar fasciitis?

your arch have weakened from disuse in your heelsand it'scontributing toyourbarefootpain.  Even for those who don't usually wear high heels, you might find some increased comfort from wearing shoes with a higher heel if you have an issue with reduced strength of your intrinsic arch muscles. However, this is not a long-term solution since these types of shoes also place increased forces through your heel and forefoot bones that could end up exacerbating the problem.  Are Platelet-Rich Plasma injections effective?  The short answer is that yes, some people do experience great results with PRP injections and they don't have the same concerns as corticosteroid injections. The real question is whether those results are due to the contents of the injection or placebo.  A recent study compared platelet-rich and platelet-poor injections for chronic plantar fasciitis and found statistically significant improvements inbothgroupswithnosignificant difference between them. 1 Basically, if you're willing to shell out the money for something

That dreaded heel pain that's worse in the morning or after you've been sitting for a while but seems to get better as you walk and move around. Because plantar fasciitis is a pain you get when you're bearing your body's weight through your foot, it's potentially a symptom rather than a culpable pathology. Especially in the case of chronic plantar fasciitis, it might be time to look up the chain and see whether a knee, hip, or even back issue is contributing to the weight bearing problem along with other issues you might have going on in the small joints and muscles of the foot. With so many potential contributing factors, we'll leave your individual assessment and treatment up to your physical therapist but here are answers to two common questions related to plantar fasciitis. Should I stop/start wearing shoes with high heels? If you're a longtime high heel lover, you'll likely find that the pain is worse when you're barefoot and eased with wearing your beloved heels. If that's the case, it's best to keep wearing your heels until your first physical therapy appointment. Likely the muscles that support

® that might be a placebo but could still give you positive results with minimal risk, then go for it. On the other hand, if you find them cost-prohibitive, then alternatives like physical therapy can be just the same if not more effective and improve areas of your body beyond the injection site. For some people, a combination of both might even be best! 1.Malahias,Michael-Alexander, et al. "Similar effect of ultrasound-guided platelet-rich plasmaversusplatelet-poorplasma injections forchronicplantar fasciitis."TheFoot (2018).

www.bodygears.com Exercise of theMonth Try this movement to improve your intrinsic foot muscles

To consult with a physical therapist to find out what's causing your plantar fasciitis, email info@bodygears.com or request an appointment on our website.

Staff Spotlight

Bojan ‘Bo’ Bozic, PTA, Physical Therapist Assistant

Bo earned his Associate degree in Health Sciences from the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, IL where he graduated with honors as a Physical Therapist Assistant. He also received his certification as a Massage Therapist from the University of Health Sciences in Lombard, and is a Certified Fitness and Dance Instructor. Certifications and Training: • Physical Therapist Assistant • Licensed Physical Therapist Assistant by the State of Illinois • ISSA Certified Fitness Instructor • Certified American Style Ballroom Professional Education: College of DuPage Associate in Health Sciences, 2018 International Sports and Science Academy Certified Fitness Instructor, 2016 University of Health Sciences Certified Massage Therapist, 2002 Find Bo at our Oak Park clinic

Toe Yoga

Alternating Toe Extension: With your feet on the floor, attempt to raise the big toe of one foot while keeping the rest of your toes on the floor. Attempt this for 30s-1min then switch to keeping your big toe down and raising the rest of your toes. Often people will struggle with one of these motions and sometimes both. Keep practicing the one you struggle with most first. Once you've mastered the movement, attempt to keep the toes that are in contact with the floor relaxed and not curled or trying to grip the floor. Also, ensure that your foot is not rocking side to side. You should feel the muscles in the arch of your foot working during this exercise. 

Patient Success Spotlight

Body Gears News

Remember, your insurance benefits will reset in the new year and many of you will likely have new policies as several insurance carriers are discontinuing some existing plans. If applicable, please send us your new insurance information so we can provide you with a complimentary quote of benefits. Please email the following information to: benefits@bodygears.com 

Full Name Insurance Carrier Group # ID # Customer Service Phone # Primary Holder's Name (if not listed above) & DOB

"Body Gears did an amazing job. I had plantar fasciitis on my right foot and could hardly walk in the mornings it hurt so bad. I went to other PTs, doctors, even had cortisone shots but nothing helped. I was told I would have it forever and would need to alter my entire running program to include icing, stretching, etc. Well, that's just not true. After about 6 visits at Body Gears, the pain completely went away. I can run and ski pain-free and I don't have to wear those silly socks at night.   The therapist worked with me one on one every visit, addressing my foot, knee, gait, and posture. They explained why I had persistent back pain and helped heal not only my foot but I was able to overcome all sorts of other nagging aches and pains. Body Gears is a group of wonderful, extremely talented PTs." - Sam H. (Body Gears Graduate) "I can run and ski pain-free"

If you're new to the gym, then tune in to our podcast

® Partner, Nutrition Coach & Women's Health Enthusiast as she discusses how to start exercising when you've never exercised before. Find us on SoundCloud @BodyGearsPT One of the most common New Year's resolutions people make is to exercise more or even to start exercising. If you're new to the gym, then tune in to our podcast featuring Megan Mitchell, a Paramount Personal Training

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Request AComplimentary Screening

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Schedule Your FreeDiscovery Session www.BodyGears.com | 877-709-1090 VISITOURWEBSITEORGIVEUS ACALL: Whether you’re recovering from an injury, training for a competition, or you’re striving for better health, wellness and freedom of movement, Body Gears can help you achieve your optimum self. This 20-minute appointment will allow you to meet a physical therapist, share your story, and complete a mini-assessment. The purpose of this screening is to answer two questions: 1. Which techniques will help you change your story? 2. How can Body Gears help you achieve your functional goals? Our physical therapists will be able to quickly provide you the information you need to take the next step. We hope it's with us! ®

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Trail Mix Fun Facts: Trail mix is a type of snack mix, specifically a combination of dried fruit, nuts, and sometimes chocolate, developed as a food to be taken along on hikes. • Trail mix has been eaten by Native Americans for thousands of years, and originally included buffalo meat. • August 31 is National Trail Mix Day. • The combination of nuts, raisins and chocolate as a trail snack dates at least to the 1910s, when outdoorsman Horace Kephart recommended it in his popular camping guide. • Some believe that trail mix was first invented in 1968 by two California surfers who blended peanuts and raisins together for an energy snack. • In Australia and New Zealand they call trail mix Scroggin. • Trail mix is also called GORP (Good Old Raisins and Peanuts or Granola, Oats, Raisins, and Peanuts) • According to the Oxford English Dictionary , the verb gorp, means “to eat greedily”. • Trail mix is featured in Jack Kerouac’s iconic 1958 novel The Dharma Bums.

TRAIL MIX RECIPE

INGREDIENTS • 1 cup raw almonds • 3/4 cup raw cashews

• 2 tbsp unsweetened dried cranberries, chopped • 2 tbsp vegan dark chocolate chips • sea salt for taste

• 2/3 cup raw pumpkin seeds • 1/3 cup raw sunflower seeds

DIRECTIONS Chop any large ingredients if necessary to make everything about the same size. Give the dried fruit a light sprinkle of sea salt before you mix it in (it sticks better), or sprinkle the whole mix with salt if you prefer. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and enjoy! Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

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Whether it’s traveling to an exo3c beach to escape the snow, or cooking those holiday meals for the en3re family, or even ge>ng down on the ground to play with the grandkids, make sure to give your loved ones the GiA of Healing this year so they can do the things they love without pain.

Whether it’s traveling to an exotic beach to escape the snow, or cooking those holiday meals for the entire family, or even getting down on the ground to play with the grandkids, make sure to give your loved ones the Gift of Healing this year so they can do the things they love without pain.

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Visit https://bodygears.com/product/packs/ to purchase today!

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