Activating Children - Part II

Kids playing in a lake at a church camp (Photo credit: Wikipedia)Hope you all caught Part I, and if you’re back for Part II, let’s take a moment and thank you for making a sound and important decision in the development and well-being of your children.  Their futures are very much in your hands and they need strong and steady guidance. What better way than to lead by example.

So you’ve made the decision to kick it in gear and you want to take off on a little run. Let’s make sure you have the things you might need. These items can fit in a child’s back pack, and yes, the child can carry it.

• Small first aid kit (be prepared)

• Cell phone

• Bottled water (everyone carries their own) or have a route planned where you know water is available

• Submit a plan by letting someone know where you are going and when you will be returning

Check everyone’s shoes. Make sure there is adequate arch support and cushioning and the fit is appropriate. These are two things that can lead to foot and ankle pain and now that you are in motion, you don’t want to slow down. You have your destination in mind now, but one more important preliminary:

Never start out running without first doing some warm up activities like stretching. You just can’t take the muscles from cold to hot without first advising the muscles what to expect. That’s what the warm up is all about. Allow yourselves a good five minutes to stretch and warm up by doing the following:

    •    Start with feet and point toes/point heels
    •    Rotate ankles both directions
    •    Stretch out legs
    •    Flex calf muscles
    •    Stretch out upper leg muscles
    •    Gently twist torso side to side
    •    Bend over and touch toes (do not bounce)
    •    A few arm rotations in small circles and giant circles
    •    Head circles and side to sides

On your mark, get set, go! But not too fast, remember, you are working into this slowly. When you’re done running, stretch again to cool down and walk it off. Now wasn’t that exhilarating?

Dr. Teichman has expert advice for you about your feet and ankles. You can have healthy feet for the rest of your life. If you have any unexplained foot or ankle pain, call (610)432-9593, or visit us at http://eastpennfoot.com/.  See you on the jog path!

Related articles

• Children's Feet Require Your Special Attention (yourfeet.co.nz)
• Fit kids part II (johnlewis.com)
• A parent's guide to foot health for athletic kids (yourfeet.co.nz)

Hey, I could really use a Little Support

Podiatrist treating foot (Photo credit: Wikipedia)Do you suffer pain in the arch of your foot? Knee pain? Lower back pain? Have you raced off to the pharmacy to purchase the latest in arch supports from the foot department, only to come up short in the desired results department? What is real arch support and how does it help us?

Arch supports are inserts (off the shelf) or orthotics (prescribed by your podiatrist) that fit the arch of your foot to lend it support and prevent the stretching and small tears in the plantar fascia.  The plantar fascia is the ligament that runs the length of the foot. When stressed, this area becomes painful and inflamed. The most discomfort is apparent in the morning after a night’s rest. The ligament has contracted, and the first few steps in the morning can be painful as the ligament eases.

You are most apt to experience pain if you:

    •    Are overweight

    •    Spend long periods of time running walking or standing on hard surfaces

    •    If your feet roll inward

    •    Your calf muscles and tendons are too tight

How can you regain some comfort without breaking the bank? Consider a few things you can do at home to ease the pain.

    •    Ice the area for 20 minutes in the morning. If you have one of these neat rolling pins that allows you to put ice water in it. Put that under the arch of your foot and roll it back and forth. If not, do an application of cold first, then do the same type of rolling exercise using a rubber ball or tennis ball.

    •    Rise up on toes as far as possible, hold for 5 seconds, and lower. Repeat 10 times on each foot.

    •    Place the ball of your foot on wall at hip height. Lean forward until you feel the stretch in your foot, but do not cause added pain. Hold stretch for 5 seconds, release and repeat 10 times on each foot.

You can try arch supports from your pharmacy, but they may not always be reliable. The combination of the exercises and arch support may be enough to give you relief, but if not, call Dr. Teichman for an appointment. Get the kind of support you really need.

References:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/335195-exercises-for-sore-feet/
http://www.footminders.com/arch-pain-treatment-foot-arch-pain-with-orthotic-insoles.html

Related articles

• Heel Pain by Foot Health Facts (footandankleclinicsofamerica.wordpress.com)
• Orthotics, here I come! (blogs.vancouversun.com)
• Is heel pain stopping you from training? (abysmalfitness.com)