Running and Knee Pain

There is a conversation taking place on facebook in a runner’s forum about “excruciating pain” in the knees. What you are about to read is the exchange I had with the author of the original post. Check it out below. And will you do something? If you know someone...

Understanding Pain

Have you been told by a medical professional that the pain you’re experiencing is all in your head? Yes, it’s true. But it’s also much more complicated than that. It does not mean you’re crazy. It’s possible that that particular professional is not fully suited to help you through the...

Another Thanksgiving holiday has come and gone. Brightly colored lights and fir trees are being hung with care. And yes, Christmas shopping season has officially begun.

If you’re anything like me, the availability of ridiculous amounts of fatty and sugary treats has you reaching to loosen the belt notch. You may...

Foam Roller Therapy: Why It’s Awesome

Anyone who knows me is aware that I am a huge advocate of foam roller therapy, and for a good reason: it works. In my personal and professional life I have found that foam roller therapy is an incredibly valuable practice. It is an absolutely vital component of a well...

Can You Be Barefoot in a Shoe? How About a Sandal?

Feet. Do we need them?

There are 26 bones in the human foot, 33 joints, more than 100 muscles, and roughly the same number of sensory nerves that you have on the palms of your hands. By the way, that’s the same amount of nerves as the inside of your...

Nutrition and The Mind: The Key to Reaching Our Highest Potential

This week, we have a very special guest post from Carly Pollack of Nutritional Wisdom. Carly’s mission is to educate clients so that they can become their own “nutritionist”. Through her clinical experience of over 800 clients, she has obtained the tools necessary to coach a wide spectrum of individuals.

By...

A couple of weeks ago I touched upon the subject of the need to train form, not conditioning in Injury: Recovery & The Grand Return. In today’s post, I want to dive a little deeper into the subject of Form.

What is Form?
When it comes to...

Have you ever suffered an injury because of bad advice?

It’s not your fault. There is so much misinformation out there on the internet that is dangerous. There’s no way around it.

It concerns me to read advice – albeit from genuinely well meaning people – that I know, because I’ve seen...

Last week I discussed, in Pushing Through The Pain, the meaning and role of “good” vs “bad” pain and the need to understand what pain is communicating with you. This week I would like to discuss some of the most important items to consider when returning from...

This past week, Jason Robillard of Barefoot Running University wrote an article that I think you should take a moment to read right now: When Running Hurts: Discriminating Between Good Pain and Bad Pain. He writes about the difference between good and bad pain for barefoot runners and...

Why I run barefoot

I have been a minimalist/barefoot runner for over four years. I started before the book “Born to Run” gave barefoot running widespread attention. Which, by the way, is a great, inspiring book, and not just because of the barefoot running aspect. It’s just a good read and I highly...

You Must Prioritize Yourself First

Last week, my partner Katy and my son JBird left Austin for Kentucky to spend some time with Katy’s mom. Katy will stay in Kentucky for a week and a half, and leaves to spend the summer semester in Turkey (You can follow Katy’s adventures in Turkey on her...

Hi Jesse,

I wanted to get your opinion about rolling out the IT band with a firm roller. My understanding is that you can certainly massage and gently stretch the IT band, but it is supposed to be taut because it helps to support the lateral leg muscles. People feel...

A Little Guidance on My Routine

Questions I get from regular people…

Hi there Jesse!

First off, thank you for the great resources that you have provided in your blog. It is almost exactly what I’ve been looking for. I have been wearing vibram five fingers as my daily shoe now for about 3 years. I prefer to...

Pain sucks. Like a leech. It literally sucks your energy. It will drain you. What were once simple and enjoyable tasks, become tedious and hard. Pain will leave you unfulfilled with life.

Pain is a wrecking ball. It wreaks havoc and leaves destruction in its wake. Pain will quickly, almost without...

I want to return to the discussion of minimalist or barefoot walking and running to stress a point about transitioning to minimalist or barefoot shoes and the process of changing one’s walking and running form.

There are many runners who transition way too quickly. They quickly pick up their mileage...

This post is a response to an email I received this past week.

Hi Jesse,

I found you on Facebook’s Barefoot Running group discussion about stress fractures and would like to seek your advice.

I am waiting for my appointment with a Sports Medical Doctor....

Some of the best inspiration that I get comes directly from my clients. Since I started writing this blog six months ago, the amount of back and forth with my readers – you – has grown. This communication has been incredibly useful and has helped me grow as a practitioner....

Last week I posted a six week program to help you slowly transition towards minimalist/barefoot walking and, ultimately, running. This weeks post is a 12 week program to slowly transition you into minimalist/barefoot running in a way that minimizes pain and injury, not just in the short term, but for...

I got a phone call from a friend last week asking me about minimalist running. This is what she said:

“I want to run. I feel great when I run. But every time I try to start back up with running, after a few weeks,...

Looking Back and Looking Forward to the New Year - By Maria

This week’s post is from a very special client of mine. Maria epitomizes everything I love about the work I do. Over the past six months, I have witnessed her move forward through severe, debilitating pain. Each step of the way she felt better and moved better. Now when she comes...

Get Through the Season

It’s when times are the toughest that everything seems to fly out the door – your priorities, your health, your wellness, and your waistline. Well, the Holiday Season is now in full swing. Between the shopping, parties, family, travel, and food, Food, FOOD!, the holidays are probably the most difficult...

Another Thanksgiving holiday has come and gone and what was once a beautifully roasted turkey has become the base for this week’s sandwiches. And yes, Christmas shopping season has officially begun.

If you’re anything like me, the availability of ridiculous amounts of sugary treats has been the reason to let your...

It is time to change my story. It is not easy for me to admit this, but I have weaknesses. Quite a few of them. Maybe you haven’t noticed, since I do a pretty good job upholding an image of “Strength.” But it is only a facade. I...

Over the past few years I have been living a story. It’s one that I tell myself daily. It is a simple story, filled with the excuses of why “I can’t.” In this story I continually place my family and work responsibilities at the top of the priority list while...

How to Treat and Prevent Injury

This week, I wrote a guest blog for ToeSalad.com, a website dedicated towards minimalist running.

Extreme pain and debilitating injury
Every single week I have several new clients come in to see me because they are in a great deal of pain. A handful have been dealing with it for a...

How To Instructions For Pain Relief Using A Foam Roller

This week is a video blog with how to instructions for temporary relief from common running/walking pains.

For the best results with this quick do it yourself-massage therapy, spend 3-5 minutes massaging the areas described.

It is important to follow up with full body foam rolling techniques as outlined in my...

The Human Body is a mechanical work of art. By design it is capable of a ridiculous amount of movement patterns, all at different degrees of intensity, from slow and steady to explosive and short. The ability to crawl, walk, run, jump, and climb each require an amazingly sophisticated...

When I started this blog, my goal was to share knowledge and self-care tips on the treatment of chronic pain and injury. Until now I have focused my discussions on deep tissue massage therapy, self-massage using foam roller therapy, corrective exercises and barefoot walking and...

This is the final installment of my series on Posture. A few weeks ago, I described posture as the absolute need for stability.

“It is from stability that all healthy movement is derived.”

I keyed in on the feet as the foundation and the hips as the...

Last week I demonstrated that the foot is the foundation of your posture (see: Injury Prevention Begins at your Foot). In the article I discussed the role of the feet in providing stability and mobility for the...

Over the past couple of weeks, I talked about What is Posture - the fundamental need for stabilization to provide healthy movement; and You Cannot Control Your Posture - postural control does not come from conscious thought. This brings up...

Last week I defined posture, not as an ideal position, but as the necessary stabilty from which all healthy movement is derived. Today I am talking about the first step in re-engaging postural control.

How did we get here?
The human body is awe-inspiring. It is capable of...

When I think about posture, the first thing that comes to mind are the words I’ve heard, and still hear, in childhood and adulthood: “stand up straight and pull your shoulders back.” Or I get an image of the skeletal and muscular anatomy posters in a doctor’s office with...

“The heel cushions and arch supports within modern shoes have made our feet weaker, the foot has so much support in...

As a deep tissue massage therapist, fitness coach, and barefoot running coach, I have treated a number of very common running injuries, such as plantar fasciitis, shin splints, and IT band pain. Over the...

As a deep tissue massage therapist and movement coach, I do not solely treat the local area of a client’s complaint; I address the structure of the whole body. I look for dysfunctional fascial tissue and assess the underlying postural movement patterns that cause them. By addressing the...

Natick Massage | Wayland Massage | Turtle Dance Bodywork

View original post here.

In these difficult financial times, when stress levels are high and every dollar counts, massage is more necessary than ever. I am frequently asked if I can bill insurance for the services I provide....

Q: In the transition to minimalist footwear, am I going to get hurt? And how long does this transition take?

Jay Dicharry responds:

There has been a lot of interest lately in the transition to minimal footwear. Am I going to get hurt? How long does this...

Feet are the foundation of posture. A strong foot creates the base support structure for a strong healthy body. A weak foot creates an unstable foundation affecting the posture from head to toe. You cannot build a strong stable structure over an unstable foundation. It would be like attempting to...

The main cause of shoulder pain - Roman Paradigm

Do Your Shoulders Burn With Pain After Working at the Computer All Day?

Do you think about your posture while working on the computer? The chances are that you don’t and if I was to take a picture of you at the end of the day would your neck be hidden...

The Emotional Effects Of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Can Be More Harmful!

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a condition caused by compression of a key nerve in the wrist. It is an especially painful condition that affects approximately three percent of all adults in the United States.

People who work with their hands...

Dr. Mark Cucuzzella’s Reply to Jeff Galloway’s Views on Minimalist Running Shoes and Injuries: Thoughts From a Minimalist Shoe Store Owner

With all his books, coaching experience, training methods, racing achievements, and Ironman-like durability with just over a half-century of miles on his legs, Jeff Galloway is a respected fixture in the running community. And along with many other runners, I’m a subscriber to his email newsletter.

But his take on minimalist...

Plantar Fasciitis

By Dr. Mark Cucuzzella

www.trtreads.org

Plantar Fasciitis is the common term for what should be more accurately termed Plantar Fasciosis. itits is an acute inflammation caused by a trauma or infection. osis is chronic degenerative condition.

No evidence exists for an ideal treatment of this condition without identifying and treating...

Over the past week, I have seen a “mini-epidemic” — two new clients and email correspondence with a third — of a common but painful foot injury, plantal fasciitis. Living in Austin, with such an active outdoors culture, plantar fasciitis is one of the more common issues I treat....

http://www.davidtensen.com/is-barefoot-best-for-kids/

Me and my 6 year old and 3 year old kids. On a Barefoot Walk

Is barefoot best for kids? 6 months ago I would have said No. Now I encourage my family to go barefoot as much as possible.

5 months ago I happened across a series...

Massage therapy can help with poor movement patterns and pain

“Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.”

Pain is part of the evaluation process when you are presented with it in your daily life and activities. Your movements will be complicated, dysfunctional and any sustainable activity that requires strength, endurance or flexibility will not be possible. Pain changes motor...

Fascia the endless web of connective tissue that binds everything

Did you wake up this morning with a stiff back? If so, the “Fuzz” could be the reason why.

Fascia a.k.a. “The Fuzz” is a tough connective tissue that spreads throughout the entire body in a three-dimensional web from head to foot without interruption. The...

It is estimated that over 116 million Americans suffer from debilitating chronic pain each year, of which low back pain is the most common. According to The American Academy of Pain Medicine, “Back pain is the leading cause of disability in Americans under 45 years old. More than 26...

As a licensed massage therapist, I specialize in chronic pain and injury management using deep tissue massage therapy. Most of my clients come in with a common complaint: pain in the low back, hips (primarily on one side), and/or shooting pain or numbness down the...

According to a new report by the Institute of Medicine, “Chronic pain affects an estimated 116 million American adults—more than the total affected by heart disease, cancer, and diabetes combined.” Chronic pain is defined as “severe pain...

Deep tissue massage therapy modalities, such as myofascial release, improve flexibility, function, and performance; speed up the recovery process; and reduce chronic pain and injury risk. Regular deep tissue massage breaks down adhesions and scar tissue that form in the...

There are usually multiple factors that lead to pain:

• how much you move

• the way you move

• how you manage stress

• what kind of shoes you wear

• your history of injuries

Each of these things play a role in how you feel.

What is...

Are you suffering from chronic pain in your back, neck, shoulders, or knees? Deep tissue massage therapy can help. Deep tissue massage utilizes a variety of techniques designed to alleviate symptoms of chronic pain, increase functional range of motion, and improve posture.

The goal of

Pain is not a bad thing. It is not a good thing either. Pain is a form of communication our bodies have with us to tell us something is going on. Sometimes it is from pushing ourselves to the extreme, the burn in our lungs and legs with a hard...

Read More »

Fascia and its relationship with pain

What is Fascia?

Fascia is a continuous web of connective tissue that exists throughout your body. Your muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones, and organs are connected through this web, binding these structures together and creating a three-dimensional matrix that connects you from the top of...
Read More »

By...

Q: In the transition to minimalist footwear, am I going to get hurt? And how long does this transition take?

Do Your Shoulders Burn With Pain After Working at the Computer All Day?

The Emotional Effects Of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Can Be More Harmful!

“Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.”

Did you wake up this morning with a stiff back? If so, the “Fuzz” could be the reason why.

What is Fascia?

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