Having received a huge positive response to our recent Juicemail..

<i>‘Ever Heard of Plantar Fasciitis?’</i>

..it seems many of you have experienced it, or at least know someone who has. So we wanted to continue this theme with a more in depth explanation of how WE as exercise professionals and manual therapists can help AND what WE should consider if our client presents with this condition, even while another professional is treating them.

The Integrated System

Firstly, there are often many ways of saying the same thing and this, in my opinion, is often what creates much of the controversy in our industry, combined with assumption.

The integrated system as we describe it, is also known as intrinsic biomechanics, bio-tensegrity, the kinetic chain and so on. Either way what is being suggested, in my understanding, is that each to these descriptions explains how all of the body’s ‘sub-systems’ (muscles, joints/bones, nerves) and they influence each other.

For example; We are taught at level 3 that the pec minor muscle attaches to the coracoid process and 3-5th ribs and that it contributes to protraction and depression of the scapular. Now IF your pec minor loses its ‘capacity’ for efficient movement due to lifestyle for example, we may find its range becomes limited, therefore ‘fixing’ the scapular forward on the rib cage into a round shouldered posture we commonly see, right?

Now imagine this ‘fixed’ posture may now contribute to limited capacity for thoracic extension since the scapulae have now lost some of their movement capacity for REtraction.

Next imagine if your clients thoracic spine doesn’t have the capacity to extend  due to this loss of scapula retraction, then think about how this may influence their capacity to squat.

In fact try it now…

Stand up, fix your shoulders in a protracted position as if dysfunctional, and then try to squat while maintaining an upright posture or imagine this a bar across your back or even to simply try brush your hair with protected scapular!

Can you now feel how the shoulder/spine limitations are influencing what is possible at your pelvis?

In fact this forward scapular position may only present in one of the shoulders, thus creating a ‘twist’ at the spine. This in turn can place unnatural forces through the pelvis, which can result in a dysfunctional pelvis, meaning you could ‘functionally’ present with a leg length discrepancy or LLD.

The body will naturally try and compensate for this and part of this compensation may be internal rotation of the femur which results in a valgus/internally rotated knee in an attempt to try and shorten the leg.

These forces from above can create excessive or over pronation (or maybe late supination) on that foot which can in turn abnormally load the plantar fascia on that side. So imagine this stress on the plantar fascia combined with a common issue like tight calf muscles

One of the skills of a Biomechanics Coach™ is the ability to identify which areas of the body do not have their full capacity for function or efficiency. This as you can see from the example above, maybe areas of the body that are asymptomatic. They then apply a tried and tested system of exercise prescription to improve the movement in the areas of the body that have lost their full capacity. They can do this for the pelvis for example while their client is being treated by another professional for the foot like a podiatrist in this example. The communication between these 2 professionals is vital in delivering the best duty of care for the client.

So stay open minded when you see a Biomechanics Coach™ or if a professional doesn't do what you expect. Ask questions until you understand clearly WHY they are doing something like manual therapy or prescribing exercises for a different area of the body, away from the symptoms, that maybe you don't fully understand.

As Karel Lewitt once said..

<i>“He who chases the site of pain is lost”  </i>

Wanna Join Us Now?

Wanna Learn About The Integrated System?

<a href="https://www.biomechanicseducation.com/biomechanics-coach/">REGISTER YOUR INTEREST HERE!</a>