healthy feet are happy feet
Keeping your feet flexible can combat many of the aches as well as postural problems. I was surprised when my chiropractor, Dr. Matt Crouse of Crouse Chiropractic, told me that my tilted pelvis and neck problems were a result of my over-pronated, flat feet. It makes sense; the feet are your body’s foundation. If something is amiss with them, it can affect the alignment of your whole body.
The foot is an amazing structure. Each foot has 26 bones (together the feet account for a quarter of all the bones in your body), 33 joints, and over a hundred muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Both strong and delicate, this complex structure takes an incredible amount of stress with each step we take.
If your feet are bound up in shoes all day, and you don’t counter the stress with exercise, the bones and muscles can degenerate and lose tone. Likewise, the joints and tendons can freeze up rather than gliding freely as they should.
So how do we care for our feet in the fall and winter months?
Practice foot exercises and stretches.
- A simple stretch is to sit in a chair or on the floor and thread your fingers through the toes. Press gently between each toe to relax and release the tension of the foot muscles. The gently pull on the end of the toe and wiggle it to stimulate chi. Finally, rub your fist down the foot from the ball to the heel to release the plantar fascia.
- Pick up a pencil or other objects with your toes.
- Raise your body up and down on your tiptoes.
- Fill a plastic bottle with water and freeze it. Place the frozen bottle on the floor, and roll your foot over the bottle. (You can also do this with a ball—a golf ball is particularly good.)
- Write the alphabet in the air with your toes.
- Using a scarf, towel, or resistance band under the ball of the foot, pull the foot back in a dorsiflexed position and hold 10 seconds.
Alternate shoes each day.
Changing shoes each day allows the shoe to dry out and extends their life. Your shoes absorb about a quarter cup of perspiration each day. You can wear the same brand shoe, but I’ve found that if I change styles each day, my flat feet are happier.
Invest in a good pair of athletic shoes for exercise.
Buy the right shoe for your exercise. If you play tennis, buy tennis shoes, not running shoes and vice-versa. Buy the right shoe for your gait. Feet that over-pronate need a different shoe than feet that over-supinate. (See article in our newsletter Warp & Weft ) Replace athletic shoes when they wear-out; athletic shoes lose their support over time.
Wear moisture-absorbing socks.
Foot moisture can lead to blisters, fungus, and foul odor. Socks and foot powder can help. If blister are an ongoing problem, try putting a thin layer of petroleum jelly on your foot as a preventative.
Have your gait and foot-strike analyzed. Buy custom orthotics if necessary to correct.
Postural analysis, shoe-wear analysis, digital foot/gait scanners, and bone density evaluations can give you a great deal of information about your feet. See your chiropractor, podiatrist or doctor. Some shoe stores now have digital foot/gait scanners, and if it has been a while since you had your foot measured for size, you should have that done again as well.
Keep your feet clean.
Moisture and dirt can cause fungal infections and gritty abrasions. Don’t forget to dry between the toes.
With proper care, you can avoid both foot problems and their attendant structural effects like low back and shoulder/neck pain. Take care of your feet this winter.
I had hoped to send this out with my newsletter, but time is wasting so I’m going to blog it until the newsletter is finished. Don’t miss these fun things to do in western NC during August and September.
Warp & Weft Newsletter article:
I had a positive reaction to my stay-cation column last month, so I decided to extend it into August and September.
I’ve added more cool things to do in our own neighborhood. Daytrips are fun for the whole family or just as a break for yourself.
I’ve only repeated events that occur in August or continue on additional dates. Check our archives for the older article in the July newsletter.
Ongoing
<Old Salem, Winston-Salem Old Salem was founded in 1766 by the Moravians. The settlers were respected for their architecture, and visitors enjoy seeing the attention to detail the Moravians gave to the buildings in the Old Town, where costumed tradespeople recreate the life of the 18th century community. The site also includes four unique museums and eleven period gardens. If you’ve only visited Old Salem with a school group, you’ll enjoy seeing it at a more leisurely pace. It’s open Tues. -Sun.
Pack Place Located in downtown Asheville, Pack Place is the home of the Asheville Art Museum, Colburn Earth Science Museum, Diana Wortham Theater, YMI Cultural Center, and The Health Adventure. They have a variety of exhibits and activities, the admission is reasonable, and although they are getting a facelift, they are open throughout the week in the summer.
Western NC Nature Center Also in Asheville off I-40 exit 53B, the WNC Nature Center has a main exhibit area, a predator habitat, an otter habitat, nocturnal hall, petting area, nature trail, and educational farm. It offers many programs for children and adults. It provides a home for injured, orphaned or imprinted animals that could not survive on their own; this facility is also one of 28 in the country participating in the red wolf re-introduction program.
Emerald Village, Little Switzerland My ancestors are from Little Switzerland, so I am partial to the place. Emerald Village is a gem mine where you can dig for your own gems, watch artisans shape the gems into jewelry, or tour the exhibit of gems and minerals native to the area. There’s an indoor and outdoor area, and they guarantee you’ll find a gem. The cost is reasonable, and it’s a different sort of outing for the family.
Special Events
47th Art in the Park, Blowing Rock, Aug. 15, Sept. 12, Oct. 3 Blowing Rock is fun anytime, and the temperature is usually about 10 degrees cooler than it is in Hickory. The little village has shops, antique stores, restaurants, and an outlet park on the main highway. Art in the Park, which happens once a month in the spring and summer, is a special treat with about 100 juried artists and craftspeople exhibiting jewelry, pottery, woodworking, painting, photography, fiber and glass. The times are 10am -5pm in downtown Blowing Rock. Make a day of it.
120th Soldiers’ Reunion, Newton, Aug. 13-23 The Soldiers Reunion in Newton features different events each day. The most well-known is on Thurs., Aug. 20, when all-day activities on the square around the Old Courhouse culminate in a Parade at 5 pm. Other popular events include the Crusin’ Car Show on Aug. 16, Beach Music on Aug. 18, and a street dance on Aug. 19. For a full schedule, click the link above.
Note: Julie and I will be doing chair massage on Aug. 20 all day until the parade. Come and check out our booth.
Mile High Kite Festival, Beech Mountain, Sept. 6 Beech Mountain is the highest city in the eastern US, so it’s cool in the summer. The Kite Festival is an annual event during the Labor Day weekend that offers kite enthusiasts the rare chance to fly a kite at a mile above sea level. Richmond Air Force, Wings Across Carolina Kiting and Okra Society Kiting Clubs will be exhibiting. and kite building and decorating clinics will be offered, so be sure to bring your supplies.
The best stones for hot stones massage are basalt.
Last month I went to two continuing ed classes in one week. I attended a hot stones class taught by Darinda Davis at the Privai Academy in Asheville, and then I was a teaching assistant at the Craniosacral Therapy I class in Raleigh taught by Tad Wanveer of the Upledger Institute. Both were amazing.
I wanted to go to the hot stones class because I wanted to learn the safety protocol. I’ve had hot stones massage and watched videos. I felt reasonably confident that I could give the massage (although my gracefulness in applying the stones needs more practice), but I wanted to be sure that I understood about temperatures and cleaning so that I would not only give a good hot stones massage, but a safe one.
Darinda Davis was a wonderful teacher. She covered all the things I wanted to learn and more. I learned to heat the stones with both wet heat in a roaster and dry heat with a griddle. I learned to season my stones with oil, much like one might season an iron frying pan, and to place them in the roaster according to their intended use. I learned how to set and gauge the temperature of the roaster and stones for safe application and how to clean the stones during and after the massage.
Most importantly, I learned to apply the hot stones to my client in a manner that minimizes discomfort and injury and maximizes pleasure and health benefits.
Since the class, I’ve given five hot stones massages to my most regular clients who graciously consented to be my practice guinea pigs. All of them enjoyed the way the heat of the stones penetrated to the bone. One said that the massage made her feel more energized than my normal Swedish massage. Another left the office, talked about the massage at her next stop, and made a referral for me.
I’m still working on a graceful application, but I am confident of understanding the safety issues. I’ve really enjoyed doing these massages– even in the hot weeks of August. In fact, I plan to take Darinda’s Advanced Hot Stones Massage class in the fall and Janet Blevins’ Advanced Native American Hot Stones Massage and her Facial Massage with Gemstones in November at the Southern Spa and Salon Conference.
I love learning new things. Learning the safe way to do a hot stones massage has been great fun, and giving the massages expands my expertise and lets me offer my clients more relaxation and a greater health benefit through a different modality
.
I recently joined an Internet social network that asked what modalities I used in my massage and bodywork practice.
The question caught me a little off-guard. I use everything I know with every massage.
By that, I mean that every modality that I’ve learned (and The Whole You, where I attended massage school, taught us a wide range of techniques and modalities) helps me analyze and determine what tools I have for giving the best massage for the client’s
Individualized massage
individual needs.
For example, if someone comes in complaining of lower back pain, I ask questions to determine the cause (if known), the level and quality of the pain, the duration of the pain, when and where it hurts, what level of pressure the client prefers, and what outcome he/she is hoping to achieve. I also observe posture and range of motion before the client ever comes to the table.
Depending on those answers, I might decide that Neuromuscular Therapy is needed to release trigger points, or I might decide that Craniosacral Therapy is more likely to release fascia and energy cysts without causing the client additional pain and discomfort. While I am working, I may use Reiki or Polarity to balance the energy and Touch for Health techniques to test the treatment and further balance the body and emotions.
It is my experience that nothing we learn is really useless. Every time I read an article in a massage journal or get a massage myself, I learn something valuable about the way the human body responds to informed touch. I make it a point to learn and practice something new every week so that my abilities grow and my clients benefit.
I never give the same massage twice. It’s what keeps this work exciting.
At our office at Hickory Massage Therapy, Julie and I gave a 4-handed massage today. That’s when both she and I work on a client together, so that the client gets a 60 minute massage in 30 minutes.
4-handed massage
This client had some low back pain as a result of an old injury. After we did the client interview, we consulted with each other and decided that she would work on the upper body and I the lower body.
We had to be aware of each other’s position so we wouldn’t get in each other’s way. I found it interesting to watch how she does things a little differently from the way I do them and to actually see things that I’ve felt when she works on me.
I was also aware that with both of us working, the client wasn’t as focused on his pain. Pleasure receptors override pain receptors.
At the end of the massge, we changed positions. She worked the client’s gluteal muscles, and I worked the head and neck.
When we finished, the client said he felt much better and his pain level had dropped significantly. That is its own reward.
I look forward to our next 4-handed massage.
The past week has been slow in terms of new clients. Repeat business is okay, but I found myself with time on my hands. I spent the extra time on marketing myself to a new audience.
Cranial vault holds are used to assess the symmetry, quality, amplitude, and rhythm of the craniosacral fluid.
One of the beauties of CranioSacral Therapy (CST) is its effectiveness for such problems as migraines and temporo-mandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction. So when I found myself with a day without clients, I used it to compose a letter to area dentists explaining my TMJ dysfunction protocol.
I combine CST with neuromuscular massage, Reiki/Polarity, acupressure and post-isometric relaxation techniques. The result is a very effective protocol for TMJ dysfunction, but I realized that just waiting for a client with this problem to show up is not the best way to let the community know how really effective massage and bodywork can be for this malady.
That’s what made me decide to write the letters. I used the mail merge function on MSWord, and now all I need to do is stuff the envelopes and buy the stamps. I have an article from the Upledger Institute that I’m going to send as well.
As a postscript, I also used the CST mouthwork on myself. My allergies have been bad this last week. I suppose I slept with my mouth open because I woke up one morning with my TMJ hurting. By the next day, I had a headache that was fast turning into a migraine.
I used tennis balls under the occiput to induce a stillpoint, and then did the cranial vault holds as best I could on myself. Then I went to the mouthwork. This morning I can breathe and my headache is just a memory.
Touch for Health
I incorporated Touch for Health into a Swedish massage today. It is the second time I’ve done so for this client. It is so easy to balance muscles with Touch for Health, and for the second time the muscle testing affirmed what I was feeling and intuiting about which muscles needed specific work.
My client is from out west and tells me that many therapists, chiropractors and alternative/complementary health providers out there use muscle testing. Not so here in the South.
I am gratified that this client called me and asked about TFH. I offered to incorporate TFH into her massage sessions free so that I could practice working with anatomical order rather than meridian order and also could practice with a client on the table rather than standing. I’m am more convinced than ever to use TFH on my clients who have chronic pain issues.
I am fortuante to have so many regular clients who don’t mind letting me try new techniques or different ways of solving their issues. I invite comments from anyone else who uses muscle testing with their clients on the table.
