insane timing. i've been dealing with weird plantar fasciitis/metatarsal pain recently, and have found that the "little stretch" helps a lot, but doing that mid-gait isn't sustainable. certain shoes are entirely off limits.
barefoots are helpful, but come with other drawbacks. any suggestions?
the pain is so strange btw. its there intensely for moments, and then gone the next. signals ...
It's tricky. If I recall, you have a tendency to lean forward a bit (due to that all important head neck back relationship). This will load extra weight into the ball of the foot and cause a variety of problems.
The barefoot shoe is the way to go but it will demand that you walk slowly and not pound the heel into the ground. I typically teach this as learning to do a Monty Python funny walk.... Not as a way of walking correctly but to get the idea that the head neck and back can balance upright and the legs have a great degree of freedom... Just to break your habitual gait.
When in doubt with the barefoot shoe, stick to a wide sneaker that doesn't have a ton of cushion and mix up your footwear. If you're in pain walk very slowly. Gentle massage (if you know what you're doing) plus heat might feel good for temporary relief.
Yes, I have some forward head posture issues that I believe are tied into a tight neck and back. Using screens a lot has me squinting and leaning in too. My relationship with the balls of my feet are misaligned as well. I tend to load weight in other places rather than that ball/pad area. I'm working on that with to stretches/spalys etc.
Good to know that barefoot is the route. I'm going to continue with that, but walk slow. That seems to be the key -- go slow, and listen to the body's feedback. Where can I see an example of that Monty Python walk? I remember when we worked together, I was asking about "how" to walk. That's something I still struggle with.
You're right, heat and massage works and seems to loosen the fascia (albeit after a long time). Thanks for the suggestions.
Reading through the exercise list you've linked...
I would proceed with so much caution with these that I wouldn't really bother doing them until I've built enough kinesthetic sense to feel how the top of the spine curves backwards while the balance of the head remains forward. If you don't feel that sensation, then things like resistance bands and chin tucks are absolutely a NO! I personally believe that the folks who suggest these exercises just haven't figured out that you can train the deep lying flexors and extensors by simply sitting quietly and letting them "do their thing" in a more correct manner.
In this sense, sitting, standing, walking, and lying down are nearly the only things you need to do to rebalance and tone your self.
I wrote some posts on that back in 2024. This week's article will cover this topic in more detail, but in general I think PT, PRI, and movement therapy in general leaves some fundamental concepts out and can do more harm than good in the wrong hands.
I struggle massively with the term "forward head posture".
I struggle with this because it is purely an assessment of the shape or posture of the individual and really will give the person the idea that they need to pull their head backward in space to be "good". This becomes disastrous because the deep lying muscles of the neck (the ones deeper than SCM) lock. It's THESE deep lying neck extensors and flexors that get lost in the mix. I've done dumb drawings of these guys in the past but I haven't done the posts that reveal how the release of the neck is related to the balance action of the skull being "forward and up". Notice that the head maintaining a forward balancing action relative to the neck is a GOOD thing; it's how we're all built.
I'll write much more on this in 2026 when my dumb drawings are done!
insane timing. i've been dealing with weird plantar fasciitis/metatarsal pain recently, and have found that the "little stretch" helps a lot, but doing that mid-gait isn't sustainable. certain shoes are entirely off limits.
barefoots are helpful, but come with other drawbacks. any suggestions?
the pain is so strange btw. its there intensely for moments, and then gone the next. signals ...
It's tricky. If I recall, you have a tendency to lean forward a bit (due to that all important head neck back relationship). This will load extra weight into the ball of the foot and cause a variety of problems.
The barefoot shoe is the way to go but it will demand that you walk slowly and not pound the heel into the ground. I typically teach this as learning to do a Monty Python funny walk.... Not as a way of walking correctly but to get the idea that the head neck and back can balance upright and the legs have a great degree of freedom... Just to break your habitual gait.
When in doubt with the barefoot shoe, stick to a wide sneaker that doesn't have a ton of cushion and mix up your footwear. If you're in pain walk very slowly. Gentle massage (if you know what you're doing) plus heat might feel good for temporary relief.
Yes, I have some forward head posture issues that I believe are tied into a tight neck and back. Using screens a lot has me squinting and leaning in too. My relationship with the balls of my feet are misaligned as well. I tend to load weight in other places rather than that ball/pad area. I'm working on that with to stretches/spalys etc.
Good to know that barefoot is the route. I'm going to continue with that, but walk slow. That seems to be the key -- go slow, and listen to the body's feedback. Where can I see an example of that Monty Python walk? I remember when we worked together, I was asking about "how" to walk. That's something I still struggle with.
You're right, heat and massage works and seems to loosen the fascia (albeit after a long time). Thanks for the suggestions.
P.S. I've been reading about the SCM and its relationship with other systems. Thought of you when reading this one:https://vitallymelanie.substack.com/p/neck-guide-release-tension-remodel?utm_source=%2Fsearch%2Fscm&utm_medium=reader2
Fascinating how the focus of your work is often the head, and the SCM is part of that crucial "joystick" for the head's "helicopter".
Reading through the exercise list you've linked...
I would proceed with so much caution with these that I wouldn't really bother doing them until I've built enough kinesthetic sense to feel how the top of the spine curves backwards while the balance of the head remains forward. If you don't feel that sensation, then things like resistance bands and chin tucks are absolutely a NO! I personally believe that the folks who suggest these exercises just haven't figured out that you can train the deep lying flexors and extensors by simply sitting quietly and letting them "do their thing" in a more correct manner.
In this sense, sitting, standing, walking, and lying down are nearly the only things you need to do to rebalance and tone your self.
neck training is getting pretty big. extensions and all that. what are your general thoughts?
I wrote some posts on that back in 2024. This week's article will cover this topic in more detail, but in general I think PT, PRI, and movement therapy in general leaves some fundamental concepts out and can do more harm than good in the wrong hands.
The lie downs are important...
I struggle massively with the term "forward head posture".
I struggle with this because it is purely an assessment of the shape or posture of the individual and really will give the person the idea that they need to pull their head backward in space to be "good". This becomes disastrous because the deep lying muscles of the neck (the ones deeper than SCM) lock. It's THESE deep lying neck extensors and flexors that get lost in the mix. I've done dumb drawings of these guys in the past but I haven't done the posts that reveal how the release of the neck is related to the balance action of the skull being "forward and up". Notice that the head maintaining a forward balancing action relative to the neck is a GOOD thing; it's how we're all built.
I'll write much more on this in 2026 when my dumb drawings are done!