Category Archives: Lower Body

Treating Hip Labrum Abnormality and Tears: What You Need To Know

Navigating Hip Labrum Abnormalities and Tears What is a Hip Labrum and Why Does It Matter? You might have heard about a hip labrum in the context of your recent MRI results. If you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed or confused, you’re not alone. Let’s break it down in simple terms. What is a Hip Labrum? […]

A Sticky Solution to Plantar Fasciitis Pain

It seems almost too good to be true: Could something as simple as taping up your foot relieve the pain and discomfort of plantar fasciitis? The good news is that the answer is a definitive—and scientifically proven—yes. However, there are some caveats, and it is important to understand how taping works so you can utilize […]

Recovering from MCL Tear: What You Need To Know

Understanding A Torn Medial Collateral Ligamen (MCL) While no one ever hopes for a knee injury, a torn medial collateral ligament (MCL) is probably the easiest knee injury to treat. If you’re dealing with an MCL tear, you’re in luck— MCLs will often heal on their own—meaning no surgery and a full return to activities, […]

Your Feet Can Cause Knee Pain

Although the feet are essential for proper running form and good biomechanics, runners often neglect them. A runner with an incorrectly aligned foot can experience pain in the lower body, most often in the knee. How the foot causes such discomfort revolves around pronation, the inward roll of the foot and the flattening of the […]

Is Piriformis Syndrome Getting on Your (Sciatic) Nerve?

Characterized by tingling, numbness and pain deep in the buttock, piriformis syndrome describes what happens when the piriformis muscle, a muscle located in the buttocks near the top of the hip that stabilizes the hip joint and enables us to walk, shift our weight from one foot to another and maintain balance, compresses the sciatic […]

Kicking the Pain of Plantar Fasciitis

Your foot pain has been diagnosed as plantar fasciitis, and you have been told that stretching will help relieve it. What kinds of stretches should you do? We have a good knowledge of how to successfully treat plantar fasciitis because it is so common—about 2 million Americans are treated for it every year. Plantar fasciitis […]

Meniscus Tears and Physical Therapy

A 2013 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that physical therapy can be just as successful as surgery in treating tears of the meniscus, a rubbery C-shaped disc that cushions your knee. Each knee has two of these discs—one at the outer edge of the knee and one at the inner […]

Lengthening Pain Relief for Short-leg Syndrome

Do you ever feel unbalanced when you walk or run? Have you ever noticed that you look “tilted” to one side in photos? You may have short-leg syndrome, a common condition in which one leg is shorter than the other. Short-leg syndrome can result from either anatomical or functional causes. Anatomical short-leg syndrome can be […]

Restoring Arches in Adult-acquired Flatfoot

Women older than 40 years of age often experience a condition called “adult-acquired flatfoot” that results in a fallen arch with the foot pointed outward. Symptoms include leg fatigue, pain and swelling that worsens with activity, and body aches. Causes include injury to the nerves of the foot, obesity, bone fracture, diabetes, high blood pressure, […]

The Naked Truth About Barefoot Running

Barefoot running, also known as minimalism or natural running, is simply running without shoes or in thin-soled shoes. Proponents say our bodies and feet evolved to run with forefoot or midfoot striking. Running in shoes results in our heels’ striking first. Barefoot running is therefore a more “natural” experience, with barefoot running advocates arguing that […]