It has been a rough week.

I don’t remember the last time I was as sick as I was this week. It definitely throws you for a loop and gets you thinking. I will write more about it later.

Let me highlight a few of the things that have happened since getting sick on Sunday.

By the way, I am feeling a lot better. Thank you for everyone’s emails.

Still Helping People Overcome Injuries

“The Effective Plantar Fasciitis Exercise program looks AWESOME… exactly what I was looking for.

What exercises to do, how often, how to progress… I like having an action plan and this is going to help me for sure!!

Thanks so much Rick, you’ve given me hope that I might be running (at least part of it!) my Ironman in August instead of walking like I was starting to resign myself to!

BH

Very cool!

It is awesome to help people overcome their injury and get them back to doing what they want even when you are in bed sick.

That is More Than Other Companies

Hi Rick,

Thanks for the reply. That is more than I usually get from most forums, companies. Thank you.

I train for “life” since I currently sit behind a desk all day at work. It beats getting crippled by not moving. haha.

I train my oldest 17 y.o. son and one or two of his team mates for their high school varsity soccer team in the off season. They put on some muscle and got a LOT stronger in the seven months we trained last year. They made it to state, and had a good season. We will be starting to train again in a couple of weeks as I felt it would be good for them to just relax and be kids and do anything besides soccer or training for a month.

Thank you for the gift. I believe I will select the rotator cuff exercises program since I recently injured mine falling through the attic hole and catching myself in a bent elbow iron cross. Beat hitting the concrete floor. My PT has been working on it and it is doing OK. I still can’t do hand stand push ups, but I will get my party trick back with time. Patience.

Which program is it that you think will help my knee pain?

Your programs are good simple basic advice that will help the majority of people with their injuries.

I look forward to your response.

Best,

SR

SR,

I just sent you the rotator cuff program.

Great attitude on the “Training for Life”.

Very cool that you train your son. I hope I get that chance when my kids grow up.

When it comes to the knee program, I like what Bill Parravano talks about. I have an interview with him that I will put up soon.

Plus the article from Anthony Mychal on Cure Chronic Knee Pain has got a lot of good feedback.

Is this Good for Golfer’s Elbow?

Hi Rick,

The release of your new tennis elbow course is just in time for
me. However, my issue, which has come and gone and come again
over nearly four decades of lifting weights, is medial instead
of lateral epicondylitis. Will your new course help with that,
too? I’m hoping so! Otherwise, you need a golfer’s elbow course
now.

Best regards,
MT

I would have to say the Tennis Elbow Pain Solution would not help you with your medial epicondylitis or golfer’s elbow.

In the next few months, I will work on putting together an exercise program for golfer’s elbow.

As you know, this month’s Injury of the Month is shin splints.  The program will be coming out next week.  Then the next injury that I will focus in on will be frozen shoulder.

To Push or to Pull for Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome

Dear Rick Kaselj,

I am 32 years old from Israel (so sorry on my broken English). Anyway I’m
struggling/ suffering from patellofemoral pain syndrome more than 2 years..I tried almost everything although I had better times, so I am trying to get there again with a new rehabilitation program.

My question is about the squats on the study (*The effect of closed-kinetic chain exercises and open-kinetic chain exercise on the muscle activity of vastus medialis oblique and vastus lateralis. J Strength Cond Res. 2010 May;24(5):1256-62.)

On the study they perform a squat with a pillow between knees to work on the hip adduction too, but most of the programs include your Patellofemoral Syndrome Solution suggest to do the squats with band around the knees which mean the opposite ( hip lateral rotators group / obturator)

Can you tell me which one is better for patellofemoral pain syndrome?

Sincerely yours,

Best regards

SN

SN,

Thanks for emailing me.

Very cool that you have dug in the research to see what is best for yourself.

My suggestion would be to do the the tubing around the knees.

If you want more details, have a look at my articles:

• The Best Exercise for Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome
• What is New with Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS)
• Can Gait Training Help with Running Mechanics with those with PFPS?
• Runners Knee Exercise Program

About Your Gluteus Medius Exercise Article

Hi Rick,

Wondering if you might like to look back at your superb research post on best glute medius exercises for hip replacements and look to do a video post on each of the selected, effective exercises.

As you know there are lots of ways to execute each of these individual exercises and we also sometimes call different exercises different names.

I think a lot of your readers would find this most useful and helpful in order to make sure that we are giving the correct exercise and that the exercise is done in the manor that the research shows was most effective.

I am still away on sabbatical touring North America and enjoying it immensely…will look forward to touching base with you in the spring when I am near Vancouver or in the summer when I return home, as I would like to purchase a few of your products. All the best to you…out for a dessert hike with the dogs…we are in southern Texas on the Mexico border…very desolate countryside, but beautiful. Thanks for considering my glute medius request.

CN

CN, great to hear from you.

Thanks for taking the time to contact me and give me some feedback.

A few people have mentioned this to me.  I will work on getting this done.

I looked over the gluteus medius exercise post and a few videos would have helped a lot.

(CN, rough life girl.)

Do You Have any Pre-Surgery Stuff?

Rick,

I have seen your website and saw your Spinal Fusion Exercise Program.
I am waiting to be called for spinal fusion surgery.
I have been on a specialist’s list for just over a year now, and I waited 14 months to get in to see him!

I see you have a lot of exercises for post surgery.
Do you have some specific exercises for pre-surgery?

I would appreciate hearing from you

thank you

M

Excellent point, M. At this time, I do not have any specific to pre-surgery.

A lot of what is covered the the post-surgery is what I would give someone for pre-surgery.

I would suggest you take a look at the Spinal Fusion Exercise Program.

The fitter you can have yourself enter the surgery, the faster your recovery will be.  That is one of the reasons why professional athletes have such fast recovery times compared the the regular population.

All the best M.

Rick Kaselj, MS

.

Stretching Exercises for Plantar Fasciitis

An excellent exercise regimen for plantar fasciitis includes gentle, prolonged, and pain-free stretching exercises of the Achilles tendon complex (the tendon that is attached to the heel and calf), plantar fascia, and gastrocnemius-soleus complex (Two muscles in the calf area of the lower leg.). Among all conservative measures, it is believed that stretching exercises have the highest success rates for pain relief.

Rick Kaselj, MS

How Common, and what are the Risk Factors, for Plantar Fasciitis?

Plantar fasciitis is the most common cause of heel pain. Around 2 million Americans are treated for plantar fasciitis on an annual basis. This figure accounts for 11 to 15% of all foot symptoms that require professional or medical treatment each year (Singh, Silverberg & Milne, 2009).  Plantar fasciitis is among the top five causes of foot injuries in professional athletes. Athletes, who constantly perform activities in which the weight is taken on the ball of the foot, such as running, jumping, and landing, are at greater risk for plantar fasciitis. Cross-country and track runners, tennis players, basketball players, volleyball players, and sprinters are also at risk.

Signs and Symptoms of Plantar Fasciitis

Repeated trauma or chronic pressure placed on the plantar fascia can constantly irritate the nerves that carry pain signals, resulting in severe, intense, or burning heel pain. The pain is commonly felt in the arch area or on the underside of the heel bone and may extend to the toes. The pain is most severe with the first steps after a long period of non-weight bearing rest. Painful walking after a night’s sleep is a chief complaint of patients with plantar fasciitis. The pain may be severe enough to cause intolerable barefoot walking.

 
Rick Kaselj, MS
 

Here are some other plantar fasciitis blog posts that may interest you:

What isPlantar fasciitis?

Introduction

Plantar fasciitis is an overuse injury involving the plantar fascia, a tough, fibrous band of tissue that supports the longitudinal arch of the foot.  Also known as jogger’s heel, tennis heel or Policeman’s heel, plantar fasciitis is one of the most common injuries affecting athletes and individuals who are constantly on their feet for a long period of time. Severe heel pain, usually is described as knife-like especially during the first few steps in the morning.

According to the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine, heel pain is the most common presenting symptom of patients who seek treatment from podiatric practitioners. It is estimated that each year, 10% of foot injuries associated with running are attributable to plantar fasciitis (Buchbinder, 2004).

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