High Heel Rehab for Runners

We recently read Jenny Hadfield’s blog entry on Runners World which may be helpful to those of you that wear high heels during your 9 to 5 and suffer from pains in the feet, legs, hips and lower back.

Tension can be released in these key areas with simple SMR (self myofascial release) techniques to help keep you running when you kick off your heels. We were especially excited to see our products highlighted in the post!

Check out Coach Jenny’s blog entry below:

High Heels and Running: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

I love to wear high heels and do so for work and play. However, I’m experiencing a lot of pain in my feet and legs and wondering if my choice in fashion may be the cause.  What are you thoughts?  – Amy Gessup

Hi, Amy.  High heels can indeed cause major issues in your feet, legs, hips, and low back.  Although they can do wonders by adding length to your physique and greatly complement your look (“the Good”), they can wreak havoc on your running style.  This is because when you wear heels, all of your weight is pushed forward on your toes and the natural shape of your foot is constricted (“the Bad”).   Add to that the elevated position which means your calves are in a shortened position and you have a recipe for aches and pains (“the Ugly”).  But not all is lost! A little moderation can go a long way in being healthy and fashionable.  Here are a few tips to get started on your high-heeled makeover.

• Ask a doctor. Consult with a runner-friendly podiatrist to evaluate your aches and pains.  Once you know the cause, it can be easily resolved with a few steps.  Most running specialty stores work with a network of medical professionals that support the running lifestyle.  One session can make a significant difference in confirming not only what the pain is, but why it is happening (my money is on the cute shoes:).

• Commute ergonomically.  Cut back your high heel time by wearing supportive shoes while in transit to and from work.  This will reduce the impact of wearing heels while moving and give your feet and legs a break.  Wear the heels only when you really need to and avoid wearing them if you’re going to be standing for long periods of time.  Standing is one of the most fatiguing positions for the body and heels only add to it.  Create a collection of lower-heeled shoes and weave them into your new lifestyle.

• Release it. Use a foam roll, the Stick, or a ball to perform a deep-tissue massage on your hips,  lower legs (calves at all angles), and feet (golf ball) at least twice a day.  This is especially useful if you spend the day in heels and then go running.  The transition from a high-heel position to the impact of running on a lower heel is very traumatic and 5 to 10 minutes of myofascial release with foam or other massage gadgets can help release the tightness in your muscles and reduce the risk of aches, pains, and injury.

• Build a strong platform. Strengthen your feet by performing balance, core, and resistance exercises barefoot (be cautious if in a weight room).  Single leg standing, lunges, and squats will strengthen your feet   A little goes a long way, though, especially if you’re used to standing in a high heel position.  Start with one or two exercises and progress by adding one barefoot exercise per week.  When that gets easy, challenge yourself by balancing on an unstable object like a pillow, folded towel, balance disk, BOSU and pad while performing the exercises.

The key is to balance your love for high heels with your passion to run.  When you do, you’ll be fashionably fit.

Happy Trails,

Coach Jenny Hadfield

Co-Author, Marathoning for Mortals & Running for Mortals

The Pectoralis Muscles

The pectorlis muscles in the chest are a main area of focus in our Ultimate Six Kit and DVD.  The pecs are considered a major player for efficient biomechanics and movement in everyday life.  Tightness and adhesions in the pec muscles can cause the shoulders to roll forward.  In turn, dysfunction in the pecs may also lead to shoulder pain, neck pain, upper back pain, and even breathing and posture issues.

A strained pectoral muscle is commonly referred to as a pulled chest muscle. This is caused by long-term overuse or by a traumatic event, such as, a football player taking a hard blow to the upper body.  Symptoms of a pulled chest include severe pain in the chest area, swelling or bruising that may extend into the shoulder and upper arm, and a loss in muscular strength.

Trigger Point Performance Therapy can help reduce the risk of injury through a proper warm-up regimen and releasing scar tissue and adhesions on a daily basis. Using the TP Massage Ball on your pectoral muscles can help keep the muscle tissue pliable, helping to reduce the chance of a strain occurring.

Working through the pectoralis muscles:

• Stand, or sit, up straight with the TP massage ball in the palm of the hand on the same side as the pectoral you are working on.
• Place the Ball about an inch in from your’ under arm.
• Place your opposite hand on top of your hand holding the Massage Ball to apply more pressure.
• Lift your elbows as high as possible for best results and slowly massage a small area of your pectoral. Usually for about 1-2 minutes while taking slow controlled deep breathes.
• Move your arm through a range of motion post manipulation to allow greater blood flow to the region

Upon completing this manipulation, you will often be able to visually notice a difference in shoulder height, due to the release of the muscle tissue and its ability to resume a neutral state.

Trigger Point Performance Australia sponsors Australian Regional CrossFit Games

The games were held at the Randwick Race Course in Sydney and those few that qualified will go to the CrossFit Games in Carson, CA.

Trigger Point Performance Therapy Australia sponsored the event and had both an expo area and an athlete warm up area where competitors could do some muscle and movement prep prior to their event with both TPT Performance Tools and our revolutionary foam roller THE GRID under the Trigger Point Performance tents.



Learn more about CrossFit here.

Matthew’s Incredible Story

The entire Trigger Point team was extremely moved by one young boy’s story of incredible strength fighting a rare and aggressive form of bone cancer. We were all touched to hear how our product is empowering Matthew and his family to use self-message to aid in his recovery.

Here’s the letter from Matthew’s mother that really tugged at our heart strings:

He is a wonderful little spirit who is full of zest, zeal and determination. Before the cancer he was an avid swimmer, actor with our local theater group and a Best in Show winner for agricultural entries in the Placer Co. Fair where we live.

He had his first surgery on his right femur in January 2010. This was what lead to the diagnosis of Ewing’s Sarcoma which is a rare and extremely aggressive form of bone cancer. The tumor cells in the femur had begun to spread to the surrounding muscle tissue so quite a bit had to be removed. He was put on strict Physical Therapy orders restricting no more than tiptoe pressure on the floor while using the walker. The procedure and the furthered orders for restricted activity seemed to aggravate the issue. It got so bad he couldn’t straighten his leg completely.

My husband and I are distance runners and frequently shop at our nearby Fleet Feet. That is when I found the foot and lower leg kit so we bought it hoping it would help. Boy, did it ever! I picked it up on a Thursday night and by the following Monday when PT came by to evaluate, they were blown away. He regained 60% of his range of motion almost overnight. It was also very soothing and bonding for us to be able to massage him with the TP ball and not cause him pain.

On May 12th we took him for a limb salvage surgery which included an open excision of the affected right femur, replacement with cadaver bone, titanium rod, 3 screws and a spica body cast to hold it all in place. He requested the TP ball come with us and once again it amazed the PT crew and Surgeon too. He had such bad swelling in his right foot they thought they were going to have to clip the cast a bit. Not after we worked on it during our stay there.

Even though we use it in many more ways than the brochure shows, it continues to help us gain awesome results on a daily basis. Thank you so much for your product and your prayers.

The Trigger Point team wishes you all the best in your health and recovery Matthew!

The GRID, getting some much deserved attention

A recent post on AOL highlighted our Grid as the next thing in fitness. Check out what Los Angeles based exercise physiologist Nicole Dorsey Straff had to say about how effective the Grid can be at achieving a comprehensive core body workout here.

On another note, we also captured the Boston Celtics trainer post-game, carrying The Grid off the court. Looks like the pros are using it too!

We designed The Grid for athletes and people of all types – from long distance runners and endurance athletes to Crossfit competitors and major league sports players to soccer moms and yoga enthusiasts. It’s exciting to see the hard work and engineering behind our product take off like it has!

Sponsored athlete awarded Swedish Male Triathlete of 2009

Congrats to Clas Bjorling who was selected by the Swedish Triathlon Federation as Swedish Male Triathlete of 2009. Bjorling set the course record at the Swedish Ironman distance Championship last year ,taking home the gold and earning some serious credit.

“The first time I was honored with this award was after the 2006 season when I set the Swedish Ironman distance record, and this was just before I fell over the edge. Winning this award again in 2009 means even more to me now, after working so hard to recover and come back from those several years of adrenal burnout.”-  Clas Bjorling

After a long and hard recovery, Clas has earned his place back in the sport and is now gearing up for an international comeback at the Challenge Copenhagen race on Aug. 15th, 2010.

Muscle Cramps

A muscle cramp is an involuntary and forceful contraction of the muscle tissue and can last anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes.  It is most commonly triggered by hyperactive response in the nerves serving the muscle tissue.  A muscle cramp can affect one single muscle, a portion of a muscle, or several muscles that work synergystically.  Muscle cramps can cause a great deal of discomfort and often will not cease until the muscle is stretched.

Common causes of muscle cramps include:  extreme muscle fatigue, dehydration, poor circulation, diuretics and other medications, and vitamin deficiencies.  Muscle cramps can occur anywhere in the body, but are most commonly associated with the lower extremities, particularly the calf muscles.

You can proactively attempt to prevent muscle cramps by properly taking care of and providing for the body.  Vitamin supplementation, proper hydration, rest, and stretching will aid in this process.  Trigger Point Performance Therapy can help to offer an adequate warm-up and cool-down method that will help keep the muscle tissue free of adhesions and scar tissue that often trigger muscle cramps.  In turn, it will help to keep the muscle tissue lengthened, or stretched, and can reduce the possibility for cramping to occur.

If you are having problems with cramping in the the calf muscles, for example, you will want to make sure that you are providing specific attention to this area.

The gastrocnemius, the calf muscle where cramps commonly occur, should be addressed with the TP Massage Ball.  To perform this manipulation, you will want to sit on the ground with the body in an upright position.  With the Baller Block in front of you place the TP Ball in the middle of the block.  You will want to spend approximately 60-90 seconds on this manipulation.

• Relax gastrocnemius muscle and rest it on the TP Ball
• Apply pressure, as tolerated, to the calf muscle
• Additional pressure can be added through the hands or by placing the opposing leg on top
• Take slow, deep breaths, allowing the ball to penetrate the muscle
• Rotate the foot in a circle 4 times while maintaining pressure

You will want to make sure you get up and walk around to promote circulation before moving to another region of the body.  You can also address lower-leg issues through a double ball massage as discussed here.

Use SMRT-Core Exercises in your workout!

Taking TP Therapy to IMG Academy

As the Education Coordinator with Trigger Point Performance Therapy I am able to pursue many amazing opportunities – whether it be attending the historic Boston Marathon, participating in the world-renowned IHRSA fitness convention, or most recently, sharing Trigger Point Performance Therapy with CrossFit athletes and strength and conditioning staff at IMG Academy in Bradenton, FL.

Last week as I joined some of the top CrossFit Games competitors for an Under Armour 360 Combine to put our athletic skills to the test in a world-class facility.  Having implemented Trigger Point Performance Therapy products and methodologies into my training over the last several months, I had the privilege of sharing their benefit with others, including IMG strength coach, Jeff Dillman, and 2009 CrossFit Games Champion, Tanya Wagner, as she was suffering some pain in her right arm.

As the athletes and I prepared for our various fitness assessments, we took full advantage of the TPPT products in an effort to prep our muscles for the tasks they were about to endure.  All in all, it was an awesome experience and I look forward to moving forward and developing well established relationships with IMG Academy, Under Armour, and the many CrossFit affiliates that were represented at this event!

In the image above, Strong Man Contender and 2009 CrossFit Games competitor, Rob Orlando, uses The Grid on his lower back.  The image on the left shows  2008 CrossFit Games Champion and former WNBA basketball player, Caity Matter Henninger, as she works through a tight calf muscle with the help of the Quadballer and TP Massage Ball.  Best of luck to you both as you prepare for the 2010 CrossFit Games!

A Pain in the Piriformis

The piriformis is a small muscle that sits within the gluteal region.  It originates on the sacrum and inserts on the femur.  It is responsible for flexion and rotation of the thigh, but it is most commonly associated with the sciatic nerve.  The sciatic nerve is the longest and widest single nerve in the human body and is in direct contact with the piriformis muscle.  Scar tissue and adhesions in the the piriformis can result in a condition known as sciatica, which causes pain and disruption in the neurological feed to the lower extremities to occur.

At Trigger Point Performance Therapy we address issues within the piriformis muscle through three simple steps:

• Place TP Massage Ball in “back pocket” area
• Shift hips toward TP Ball
• Slowly rotate hip and leg through partial range of motion, targeting adhesion

Join one of our upcoming U6 Courses to learn more about Trigger Point Performance Therapy’s products and methodology.