ALTA NEWS  

 In Memoriam: 

December 6, 2011

The Pilates world is mourning the loss of the influential and inspirational Master Pilates Teacher and elder Ron Fletcher. I met Ron in 1999 and studied with him extensively for the years following.  

I feel a great sense of loss and grief at his passing. I had the opportunity to honor Ron at the Pilates Center of Boulder a few weeks ago. I was invited to present in the "5 Elders, One Legacy" workshop.  It was such a pleasure to give tribute to Ron's amazing contribution to  Pilates. I presented from 1 PM to 8 PM, and feel like I only scratched the surface of Ron's enormous body of work. 

Most of the worksop was experiential. This was in deference to Ron's teaching style. Ron taught by doing the work, not talking about it. Ron embodied a singular intuitive sense of the workings of the body and movement technique. He brought an original perspective to the Pilates Method combining  his innate talents and abilities with his study with Martha Graham and of course Joe and Clara Pilates.  

Ron is always with me, and I have the opportunity to share what I have learned from him every day in my practice of physical therapy and teaching Pilates. It was such a joy to bring my experiences of Ron's influence to other Pilates colleagues who were very receptive to all that Ron created.

Congratulations to John Tribbia for a podium finish of the Teva Winter Games Vail Uphill race. Even more impressive than the great finish in a competitive field is the fact that John was hobbling from a scooter crash just six weeks ago.  Read John's story.

We are revamping our website to a more user friendly format. Look for the changes - coming this Spring. 

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Greetings!

Pain - Is It All in My Head?

by Jane Milliff, MMSc, PT

When I decided to go to physical therapy school, how did I miss the fact that every day I would be discussing pain? I thought about helping people walk and move with ease, but pain never seemed like the biggest deal. Oh, how I have learned!

Physical therapists think about pain and its behavior for at least half their day. Yes, we are interested in FUNCTION - whether a person can tie their shoes, sit for long periods at work, or run a 10K, but most of the time, for our client, function is limited by THE PAIN that happens with positions or activities. So, the bottom line is this: clients usually come to us because they are experiencing pain.

Even though we're pretty good at helping people through painful episodes, pain can sometimes be mysterious. This video gives insight into pain and why it might be so COMPLEX. At ALTA, we get that. That's why we have so many different treatment approaches that look at the WHOLE you and make this journey with you so individualized. It's really about you - all of you.

Enjoy the video and please share it. 

Understanding Pain: What to do about it in less than five minutes?

Heel Pain Be Gone!                                                  

by Scott Swann, PT, OCS

Do you have pain at the bottom of your heel as you step out of bed in the morning? Is your running impeded by a nagging ache in your heel? If so, these are two very common symptoms of plantar fasciitis. Plantar fasciitis is the most common foot pain condition treated by health care providers.

What is it and how Can I fix it?

Plantar fasciitis is actually an inflammation and micro-tearing of the ligament that supports the arch in your foot-- the plantar fascia. When your foot hits the ground, the plantar fascia stretches to accommodate your body weight and the ground reaction forces generated by walking and running. During walking, up to 3 times your body weight is taken through your arch; when running, up to 9 times. If the condition develops, the person usually reports a sharp pain under their heel that may spread into the arch of the foot. The onset is typically not from an injury, but develops gradually and, if left untreated, gets worse over time. 

Many causes can contribute to plantar fasciitis:

• Standing on your feet all day with poor foot wear
• Increasing running intensity or distance too quickly
• Shoes inappropriate for your foot type or shoes that have excessive wear
• Poor foot mechanics (foot is too flexible or too stiff)
• Weakness in your core, hips, and lower leg
• Tight legs, especially calves
• Low back pathologies with nerve root irritation
• Poor running mechanics

What to do about it

There are numerous ways to treat plantar fasciitis and some you can easily initiate yourself. Try the following strategies:

• Ice massage: Rub an ice cube directly to the area of discomfort in a circular motion for 5-7 minutes.
• Stretch: Calf stretches against wall: straight and bent knee, plantar fascia stretch - see the following videos showing these 3 stretches:

Calf Stretches Plantar Fascia Stretch

Straight and Bent Knee

ALTA Physical Therapy & Pilates

2955 Baseline Road 

Boulder, CO  80303

303-444-8707

www.AltaTherapies.com