Skip to main content

Got Pain? It could be coming from the way you walk


Anyone who deals with clients in pain has heard the following story :

“I don’t remember doing anything. I was just walking around the mall and when I got home I couldn’t get off the couch. I was in so much pain.”

                So what is the problem? How does someone go from strolling the mall and feeling great, to not being able to move?

Here is an idea! Did anyone ever teach you how to walk?  That’s right; your pain may be coming from the way you walk. Many trainers are missing this part of their assessment.  You can tell a lot about a person by the way they walk. Pain, dysfunction, bad mechanics, mood, aura, etc ,  can all be seen in someone’s gait. So how many trainers out there are doing gait analysis?  I can assure you the answer is, not many.  The next question should be, WHY?

                Here is my answer to the WHY question. Not many trainers want to put in the time and effort into understanding how the foot can effect the entire body. A good friend of mine, Dr. Emily, is an expert in gait analysis and gives lectures around the world on how important the foot is to our movement. ( For more info on her information go to www.evidencebasedfitnessacademy.com ) I feel it is something worth learning more about. You will be amazed at how the slightest change in your foot position can change the entire kinetic chain.

But how?  How can the foot effect the shoulder? How can the foot effect the knee? How can the foot effect the lower back? Glad you ask. Here is one example

Let’s say your client has a collapsing arch. This will cause the knees to bow inward while walking. If the knees bow in, it can cause lower back to arch inward to find a stable position for your body. The arching of the lower back can cause your shoulders to round forward to keep your body in a stable upright position.  This client may complain of medial knee pain, lower back pain and shoulder pain. If we correct the collapsing arch do you think everything will correct itself?

In many cases, YES! But obviously with years of poor gait, it will take awhile to correct all the problems, but if you never address the foot, the rest of the problems will most likely never go away.  

So does this mean all trainers must go out and get certified to assess gait? No, all you need to do is find a person who can do the assessment for you. Also, the point of this blog is to increase your awareness about problems with the foot. Most people never look there and wonder why all their corrective work is not holding for long periods of time.  So next time someone is complaining of a pain that came out of nowhere, look at the way they walk, it’s probably telling you all you need to know.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Taking the NEXT STEP

Taking the NEXT STEP!! Im sure we have all reached a  point in our lives where we know its time to take that next step, next level, begin the next chapter in our life. It is by far  one of the scariest times for all of us. The point where we realize everything we have ever done has led us to THIS! This is our moment to shine and like Eminem says, " You only get one shot, do not miss your chance blow. Opportunity comes once in a life.".  The one scary thing is, you know after THIS moment, nothing will ever be the same.  Once you cross THIS line, you can not go back.  THIS is it and the pressure is on. They say, "Pressure bust pipes, but It can also make diamonds.", only you can decide what it does to you.  We all get to THIS moment, but few rise to the occasion. Few feel the fear and keep walking forward.  You can either step into greatness or step back into comfort.  Many will choose to step down and let THIS moment pass them by. Once they do that, the rest of t
6 comments
Read more

Positive Attracts Positive

Ever hang around some negative people or in a negative environment? How did you feel during and after you had left? Did you feel drained of energy and just not happy about the situation you were currently in? Guess what.. your attitude, drive and passion effects others around you. If you create that positive energy and always surround yourself with positive, upbeat, driven people, you can only find more success in life. Being surrounded by my Flo Family along with everyone else such as Patrick Lerouge (www.revivetm.com) or Paul Newell (www.balancedwellness.org), I started to see my true potential and what I am truly capable of. They bring out the best in me because of their positive energy. They believe I can do it and push me to my limits. Even when I feel so uncomfortable with doing something, such as speaking in front of a group... they pushed me knowing that I could do it. I would have never seen myself get this far into my career without the Flo Family. I have learned so much, m
5 comments
Read more

Are you brave enough for a COLD SHOWER?

Why I Take Cold Showers And You Should Too For the past three years I’ve taken a cold shower almost every single day. You might think I’m crazy and at first; trust me, at first I thought I was too. But hold your judgment, hear me out, give it a try and then you can thank me. What are the benefits of cold showers? 1.     Improve Mood A 2007 study looked at how cold showers affected people with depression. Here is what the authors of the study hypothesized: “Exposure to cold is known to activate the sympathetic nervous system and increase the blood level of beta-endorphin and noradrenaline and to increase synaptic release of noradrenaline in the brain as well. Additionally, due to the high density of cold receptors in the skin, a cold shower is expected to send an overwhelming amount of electrical impulses from peripheral nerve endings to the brain, which could result in an anti-depressive effect.” The study ended up finding that cold showers of 2-3 minutes helpe
3 comments
Read more