Hi, Mark and Ringo coming to you from Fitness4Life. What we’re going to talk about today is what I’ve been spending a lot of time focusing on lately – and that is feet. The reason being is because that’s the only contact a person has with the ground. So if your feet aren’t in a good position, if your feet aren’t stable, it can cause a lot of problems. So you’ve got to have a good foot-to-ground contact with any activity. Otherwise, any other area in your body can be prone to break down, because your body’s always trying to be stable.
Your body is going to try to find a way to keep you protected by trying to stabilize things. If you don’t have a good foot-to-ground contact, and your feet aren’t providing a good stable base to start from, nothing above your body is going to be able to find a very good stability point either. So we see a lot of people breaking down simply because of what their feet are doing.
Sometimes, unfortunately, this can mean they have pain or problems elsewhere. You cannot only look at where they’re having pain. Knee pain, for instance, is not necessarily a knee issue. A lot of times you have to look at the foot and/or the hip because the knee is just taking the brunt of it. It’s not because of the knee having the problem itself. It’s just where the symptoms are. So with that being said, when I’m looking at it with any patient for almost everything that they come in with is looking at their feet first; seeing how they’re walking, seeing how they’re standing, see if they’ve got mobility, see if they’ve got stability.
Hi, Mark at Fitness4Life PT. We have been talking about trigger points. Previously, we did upper body. I’d like to continue that discussion because now that people are starting to get out more and starting to do more, such as running and biking, we are seeing the common issues that coincide with this. People are getting calf pain and/or tightness, cramping in the middle of the night in their calves and so on. A lot of people deal with plantar fasciitis or pain on the bottom of their feet. Very common issues, especially when somebody goes back and start running again, and they haven’t been used to doing it.
We’ve all been locked up for awhile and then when you get back out doing what you did before, your body starts reacting to that, not always in the best way. You get pain. You get tightness. You have issues. If you try to just keep running through that, or working through that, chances are you will make yourself worse and then will get shut down simply because of the pain in your body.
So what I would like to remind you of what a trigger point is. It’s a tight muscle band in a group of muscles. It is typically around the size of a pea. You can’t always see it, but you’d notice it there because of the tenderness. What defines it as a true trigger point is when you press on it, it can send pain to another area. So treating the area where you felt the pain at doesn’t get you better. You have to treat where it came from. So what we’re going to do is we’re going to go over three different muscles that work the back of the leg, and can also cause pain on the bottom of the foot.
Trigger points are painful nodules in the muscle. The thing that makes them special is that they can cause pain elsewhere from where the tender spot is. So today, what I’d like to go over is an area of pain that a lot of people suffer from because they sit too long, or just doing daily activities. A lot of people complain of having pain all along the top of their shoulder, even up the back of their neck, and down around the top of their shoulder blade. This whole area is a common area that people are sore and painful. Headaches coming around the side of your head, up over the top of your head, and even behind your eye are also common. These can all be caused from a trigger point.
Let’s talk about trigger points. You’ve got muscles that are basically like these rubber bands. You’ve got hundreds of thousands of fibers that stretch and come back together when a muscle shortens and stretches. A trigger point is a small nodule like a knot in a rubber band. Everything around it can move but the area where the knot is.
Trigger points are typically about the size of the pea, so they’re a small area. Sometimes, because of that knot, you can have a little tight band that runs either way from it. This is when you feel like a little rope underneath the muscle. This is not be confused with a cramp. A cramp is when the whole muscle tightens and spasms up. A trigger point is just a very small nodule, and it’s always going to be painful when pressed upon.
The other thing that distinguishes it is that if you press on that knot, it can send pain somewhere else. And this is where people get confused because they try to treat where the pain is going when this actual pain is coming from a different location.
Hi. Mark and Ringo here at Fyzical. Ringo’s practicing good health here during this time. So, one thing I’ve been hearing from patients is we are going to come out of this with either having to go to Weight Watchers or Alcoholics Anonymous. The facts are if you don’t want to be the one having to go to Weight Watchers, you need to be doing exercises. Just because gyms are closed and where you might be exercising in the past you can’t get into now doesn’t give you a free pass. You’ve got all kinds of options you can do at home. You have to keep moving. This is not an excuse just to sit down and park yourself.
What I am very big on, and if you followed anything that I’ve talked about, are lower body exercises, specifically glutes. Why? Because you have to get from point A to point B. If you can curl up to 2,000 pounds but you can’t walk across the floor, it’s not going to help you. You need to be doing lower body exercises. You could do them very easily at home and you no excuses for not doing them. I’m going to show you what you can do.
First thing, though, is if you’re spending more time sitting and being at computers, it’s important that you stand every 30 minutes, even if you only take five or 10 seconds, but get out of that seated position. It is important to refresh everything, stretch everything out, then sit back down. Too many people are finding themselves sitting there for hours and they look up at the clock and they realize it’s afternoon already and they haven’t moved. Try to make yourself get up every 30 minutes.
Follow my YouTube channel. I am going to give you some exercises you can do from home. You will not need equipment. Very good for total body work. If you have further questions, contact us today!
Follow my YouTube channel where we are going to be demonstrating some lower body exercises you can do from home!
Today we actually have a real live patient to go over some techniques with. She was kind enough to tear her ACL and her MCL in a skiing accident. Now according to HIPAA, we’re not supposed to reveal this person, but we don’t like rules anyway, so we have April!
So, she has been coming in here every day working on pre-habing her knee prior to getting surgery. We’re not sure how soon they’re going to do surgery. A lot of times they don’t want to do surgery immediately because there’s still swelling in there, and we’re trying to get the range of motion back. So, April has a full ACL tear, she’s got a torn MCL, medial collateral ligament, so a ligament on the inside of the knee that is side to side stability. Both of these are torn. So they’re going to go in, they’re going to repair that, and then she’s going to have a long rehab road ahead of her, but she’s going to come out good.
So what we’re going to do is talk about some of the strategies we’ve been using for her prior to getting this surgery. She’s actually training for this surgery just like you would an athletic event. She wants to go in there with her range of motion max and she wants to go in there with her muscles stronger. Research has shown you come through these surgeries a lot better when you have trained for them. So if you’re out there with an ACL injury, you may want to consider some of the things we’re going to go over prior to having your surgery. If you have further questions, contact us today!
Follow my YouTube channel where we are going to be demonstrating some exercises designed to help strengthen muscles and prepare a person who is about to have ACL surgery.
There is a diagnosis that I get a lot in our clinic from people, and I wanted to explain my take on it and what I think is going on, and that diagnosis is arthritis.
Many times I get people in here that wake up one day and all of a sudden they’ve got shoulder pain, or hip pain, or ankle pain, and they go to their doctor, they get x-rays, they get tests done, but their doctor can’t find anything, so then they’re given a diagnosis of arthritis. My thought on that is they didn’t just develop arthritis that day, they’ve had it for months or years. However, they must have done something to irritate it, because they’d been living that way for a long time without any problems. Typically what I have been finding in here is that the mechanics have broken down or they aren’t moving enough, and when they do move – their mechanics aren’t good, which causes the arthritis to get flared up.
A diagnosis of arthritis is not a death sentence. Most everybody has some form of arthritis as we age. Now it’s a matter of learning how to manage the pain, and how to move correctly so you don’t keep things irritated all the time. This will go a long way. This is what I tell people that are told they’ve got a degenerated joint. Let’s say you have 20% degeneration in that joint, what you’re working on now is the other 80%. You may not be able to reverse that degeneration, but we will look at what you can do to at least not progress any further, move comfortably, and be able to do everything you want without pain.
Don’t let just being told you have arthritis stop you from doing things, think that it’s a death sentence, or there’s nothing you can do for it. Follow my YouTube channel where we are going to be demonstrate some ways of movement to get range of motion and stability through the body that can help with some of these problems. If you get further questions, contact us a FyzicalofEdwardsville.com.
After 5 months of procrastinating over an injured elbow that seemed not to be healing it was recommended I call Mark Slaughter at Fitness4Life Physical Therapy. Mark did an excellent job of diagnosing the injury, developed a thorough plan that reduced... Read more ...
Fitness4Life Physical Therapy
2017-03-27T10:15:43-05:00
After 5 months of procrastinating over an injured elbow that seemed not to be healing it was recommended I call Mark Slaughter at Fitness4Life Physical Therapy. Mark did an excellent job of diagnosing the injury, developed a thorough plan that reduced pain, improved mobility, strengthened the muscles surrounding the elbow, and allowed the torn tendon to heal. I highly recommend Mark and his staff. Great Job and Thanks!
When I broke my wrist 2 years ago, I went to Mark Slaughter for rehab following surgical repair. Thanks to Mark and his staff, I have regained full use of my hand and wrist. I had both knees replaced in one surgery last... Read more ...
Fitness4Life Physical Therapy
2016-08-15T13:59:06-05:00
When I broke my wrist 2 years ago, I went to Mark Slaughter for rehab following surgical repair. Thanks to Mark and his staff, I have regained full use of my hand and wrist. I had both knees replaced in one surgery last September, and again went to Mark for successful rehab. I would think of going nowhere else. The atmosphere is professional and caring, but also casual and homey - the best of both worlds. This is the only place I will go and I recommend it highly!
Surgery is a frightening experience and the thought of physical therapy following surgery can be unsettling as well. I had both knees and a hip replaced within a five year period. I discovered Mark Slaughter for PT for my second... Read more ...
Fitness4Life Physical Therapy
2016-08-15T12:25:19-05:00
Surgery is a frightening experience and the thought of physical therapy following surgery can be unsettling as well. I had both knees and a hip replaced within a five year period. I discovered Mark Slaughter for PT for my second knee and hip replacement and couldn't have been more pleased. Mark and his professional staff at Fitness4Life Physical Therapy were encouraging and never pushed me beyond my physical limitations. As a result of an exceptional therapy experience, I have frequently recommend Mark to my friends.
Through my athletic career, Mark helped me overcome injuries quickly and become the strongest I have been. His caring demeanor and encouragement made me push harder to achieve more. He genuinely cares about the people he works with and makes... Read more ...
Fitness4Life Physical Therapy
2016-04-12T14:06:21-05:00
Through my athletic career, Mark helped me overcome injuries quickly and become the strongest I have been. His caring demeanor and encouragement made me push harder to achieve more. He genuinely cares about the people he works with and makes the experience very comfortable.
After spending almost 4 months on complete bedrest at Mercy Hospital for complications associated with my triplet pregnancy, I needed extensive therapy. At the time, I could not walk up stairs without sitting on each step and using my arms... Read more ...
Fitness4Life Physical Therapy
2016-08-15T14:07:47-05:00
After spending almost 4 months on complete bedrest at Mercy Hospital for complications associated with my triplet pregnancy, I needed extensive therapy. At the time, I could not walk up stairs without sitting on each step and using my arms to assist me. My doctor recomended Mark Slaughter. She as well as other doctor friends, use him for their personal p.t. I went in for my initial visit and immeditely knew I was in great hands. They worked with me and my busy schedule of raising preemie triplets. Mark was one on one with me each visit using the latest techniques to ensure my full recovery. He makes it fun with his awesome personality and jokes. He always asked for updates on my triplets. Mark pours his heart into his patients to make sure they are at their best. He loves his job and helping others and it TRULY shows! The clinic is a fun atmosphere where you always feel welcome. I have referred my own family and friends to him numerous times. As for me, I now have the strength to enjoy normal activities thanks to Mark!
As a repeat patient, I can say I would never go anywhere else for my therapy. Mark is a great PT. He’s always got an alternative plan or a different set of exercises if you are not getting results from... Read more ...
Fitness4Life Physical Therapy
2016-08-15T12:30:12-05:00
As a repeat patient, I can say I would never go anywhere else for my therapy. Mark is a great PT. He’s always got an alternative plan or a different set of exercises if you are not getting results from the originally prescribed plan. He’s always got a smile and a wise crack to keep the mood light. Whatever your ache or pain – Mark at Fitness4Life Physical Therapy can help you out.
Instead of traveling an hour one way to work out with my club volleyball team my senior year, I chose to work with Mark. Marks main focus was body control and correct form. I worked a lot with body weight... Read more ...
Fitness4Life Physical Therapy
2016-04-11T16:59:04-05:00
Instead of traveling an hour one way to work out with my club volleyball team my senior year, I chose to work with Mark. Marks main focus was body control and correct form. I worked a lot with body weight exercise and the kettle bells. Currently I work out with my college team at McKendree University and I've found that the work I did with Mark prepared me excellently for what lifts and exercises we do here.
When my back flares up, I know I can depend on Mark to get me back to 100% or close! Everyone you meet there always greets you with a smile, very family oriented place. If you are hurting, go there, you will... Read more ...
Fitness4Life Physical Therapy
2016-04-12T14:12:27-05:00
When my back flares up, I know I can depend on Mark to get me back to 100% or close! Everyone you meet there always greets you with a smile, very family oriented place. If you are hurting, go there, you will be glad you did.
For months I had been having pain in my left knee when bending it or climbing stairs, then gradually growing into constant pain, so I decided to have Mark Slaughter at Fitness4Life Physical Therapy check out the issue. I chose Mark after... Read more ...
Fitness4Life Physical Therapy
2017-01-24T12:13:26-06:00
For months I had been having pain in my left knee when bending it or climbing stairs, then gradually growing into constant pain, so I decided to have Mark Slaughter at Fitness4Life Physical Therapy check out the issue. I chose Mark after hearing different friends recommend him from experiences they had after therapy from their injuries and knee replacement surgeries. They were pleased with his knowledge, compassion and concern to get them back to a better quality of life. Mark evaluated my range of motion and pain level and suggested I see an orthopedist. I followed his advice, had arthroscopic surgery a few weeks later to correct the problem and was told I would need about 6 weeks of therapy at the therapist of my choice. Of course, I returned to Fitness4Life Physical Therapy. Not only was I able to be pain free but I am also able to keep up with my 4 young grandchildren, running, jumping on the trampoline with them and roller skating. Through Mark and his staff I also learned better posture and proper movements to ease the stress on joints. And they made it FUN too!!!!
If anyone ever needs physical therapy, I’m sure there are many places to go. However, I have had therapy at this place twice for surgery after a torn meniscus ad a broken wrist. I’m speaking from my experience and would... Read more ...
Fitness4Life Physical Therapy
2018-01-09T10:16:49-06:00
If anyone ever needs physical therapy, I’m sure there are many places to go. However, I have had therapy at this place twice for surgery after a torn meniscus ad a broken wrist. I’m speaking from my experience and would like to express my gratitude to Mark, Sharon and Pat for making me feel as though my recovery was top priority. They are all professional, caring, friendly team workers and will get you back where you feel great. I think they are so good I now work out at this facility 3 times a week and feel younger than my age. What better place to work out where you have a physical therapist and PTA watching you to ensure you are exercising properly so you don’t injure yourself. They are awesome! Highly recommend Fitness4Life Physical Therapy!
I had a unique issue that was causing problems with my breathing. Initially, I was referred out to many different physicians (PCP, Neurosurgeon, Chiropractor, Pulmonologist, Cardiologist, Internist, and Orthopedic Physician). I also underwent a plethora of tests and bloodwork. As... Read more ...
Fitness4Life Physical Therapy
2020-01-28T16:19:38-06:00
I had a unique issue that was causing problems with my breathing. Initially, I was referred out to many different physicians (PCP, Neurosurgeon, Chiropractor, Pulmonologist, Cardiologist, Internist, and Orthopedic Physician). I also underwent a plethora of tests and bloodwork. As a heath care professional myself, I was beyond frustrated that no one could find an answer. I was told over and over again that "everything was fine". After about a year, I began seeing an orthopedic physician who also specialized in acupuncture. He tirelessly worked with me to discover that it was an issue with my abdominal muscles, which in turn were being affected by the position of my shoulder, my neck, and my posture. All of this was affecting my ability to get an adequate breath. While I was finishing up with acupuncture, my physician also recommended that I begin physical therapy to work on getting everything realigned and under control. This is where Fyzical of Edwardsville came into my life. I had been to other physical therapy places in the past, with no success, but several friends had recommended that I go see Mark and his staff at Fyzical. I am so very thankful that I made my first appointment with them. Mark, Lisa, and Sharon were all amazing! And it was great to see interns there as well, learning from their expertise. On my initial assessment, Mark took the time to REALLY listen to what I had been going through over the past year. There was no doubting; he took all of that information and worked on a specialized plan to get me on my way to a healthier and happier me! My breathing issue dramatically improved! I worked with Lisa, Sharon, and Mark over a period of 6 months. If something wasn’t progressing or something wasn’t...
I have been going to Fitness4Life Physical Therapy for as long as I can remember. With each visit I am more and more confident that Mark Slaughter knows what he is talking about. When I leave Fitness4Life Physical Therapy after... Read more ...
Fitness4Life Physical Therapy
2016-04-12T14:08:55-05:00
I have been going to Fitness4Life Physical Therapy for as long as I can remember. With each visit I am more and more confident that Mark Slaughter knows what he is talking about. When I leave Fitness4Life Physical Therapy after a session with Mark I am reassured that I am attending the best physical therapy center around.
This is the perfect place to come to if you are in pain and then to continue coming to to stay on track. It is a small, friendly place to work out. The atmosphere is always positive and encouraging. Mark... Read more ...
Fitness4Life Physical Therapy
2016-04-12T14:03:23-05:00
This is the perfect place to come to if you are in pain and then to continue coming to to stay on track. It is a small, friendly place to work out. The atmosphere is always positive and encouraging. Mark keeps an eye on everyone so we do our exercises right. He is always right - but don't tell him I said that!
I was diagnosed with scoliosis (abnormal curvature of the spine) when I was in middle school and have suffered from mild to severe back pain ever since. After seeing several doctors and a couple of specialists without much good news, it... Read more ...
Fitness4Life Physical Therapy
2019-09-11T09:56:35-05:00
I was diagnosed with scoliosis (abnormal curvature of the spine) when I was in middle school and have suffered from mild to severe back pain ever since. After seeing several doctors and a couple of specialists without much good news, it seemed I may have to suffer for the rest of my adolescent as well as adult life. That’s when I started seeing Mark. He helped in ways that even the specialists didn’t know to do and it’s changed my lease on life, how I do things, and has even allowed me to do more than I thought I could! I recently just saw him again due to back pain but this time is different, I’m happy to say I’m 5 months pregnant but was not happy about the back pain. Mark gave me tips on posture; everything from standing to bending over. He also gave me simple exercises to do at home as well as at school while I have a break from teaching. With his help, I am again pain free and back to enjoying my pregnancy! Need a new lease on life or just a different way of doing things so you’re pain free? He’s your guy and always has your best interest in mind!
After a devastating injury when I was 21 which left me managing paralysis and pain in my right leg, I chose then not to “fit the mold” of having a disability. About 5 years ago when I turned 40, I... Read more ...
Fitness4Life Physical Therapy
2017-03-27T10:17:06-05:00
After a devastating injury when I was 21 which left me managing paralysis and pain in my right leg, I chose then not to “fit the mold” of having a disability. About 5 years ago when I turned 40, I started to feel the effects of the injury on my overall health. I found it difficult to go up and down stairs as well as started taking medication to manage the pain. It was then that I realized I needed to do something different and joined a specialized gym. I saw incredible improvement in my strength and overall health. I am currently a member at Iron Orchid in Maryville where I enjoy working out with amazing coaches and members 3-5 days per week. The Gym has helped me to gain the strength to stay active. My husband Chad and I love hiking and have made it our goal to book a trip each year to see different parts of the country. Our most recent trip was in October to Tennessee where we hiked 26 miles in 5 days! Recently I felt something pop and tear in my “good” leg while working out. I panicked over what this meant for my ability to stay active, as I rely on this leg to make up the difference for what my right leg cannot do. With the diagnosis of a torn calf muscle, a set of crutches (kind of a joke hopping on a “bad/now good” leg you can’t feel), significant pain, and the possibility of surgery I was devastated. Chad quickly made call to Pat for an appointment and we got in with Mark Slaughter at Fitness4Life Physical Therapy the same day to get a second opinion and therapy started. At my first appointment with Mark, I was so thankful that he...
Mark has helped me so much when it comes to learning about the body and how to properly use it. Whether it be with sports or just feeling good throughout the day, the knowledge he has shared with me is... Read more ...
Fitness4Life Physical Therapy
2018-01-09T10:19:33-06:00
Mark has helped me so much when it comes to learning about the body and how to properly use it. Whether it be with sports or just feeling good throughout the day, the knowledge he has shared with me is constantly in use throughout my day. I came to Mark when I injured my elbow and was diagnosed with tendinitis. The rehab I was doing wasn't working like I expected, so Mark offered to help me out. Thank God. After beginning workouts with Mark, my elbow began to heal properly, and my overall athleticism got much better. Without Mark, I honestly don't think I would have been able to come back 100% healthy for my senior year. So for that, I'm forever thankful! My only regret is that I didn't find out about Mark earlier. Throughout college, I've learned a lot about training. Almost all of the things I've found beneficial to becoming a better athlete somehow relate back to the principles I've learned from Mark. How to properly use your body shouldn't be a secret anymore. People of all ages in Edwardsville and the surrounding area really need to check Fitness4Life Physical Therapy out. You won't regret it!
What a GREAT place to rehab! Mark Slaughter, PT is both professional and personal and he always puts his patients best interest as his number one priority by going over and beyond to assure progress. It's clear how much he cares... Read more ...
Fitness4Life Physical Therapy
2016-08-15T13:49:03-05:00
What a GREAT place to rehab! Mark Slaughter, PT is both professional and personal and he always puts his patients best interest as his number one priority by going over and beyond to assure progress. It's clear how much he cares about his patients. Sharon is terrific too!! As a massage therapist and recipient I am very particular in choosing a therapist. In my opinion, Mark Slaughter and his staff are the best in the area.
I spent years living with low back pain, yet trying to continue with my active lifestyle. My back would hurt as I helped on our farm, continued with yard work and even as I picked up my children. I felt... Read more ...
Fitness4Life Physical Therapy
2017-03-27T10:13:06-05:00
I spent years living with low back pain, yet trying to continue with my active lifestyle. My back would hurt as I helped on our farm, continued with yard work and even as I picked up my children. I felt very defeated. Yet despite the pain, I still tried to pursue my passion with fitness as a priority. For years I consistently spend 5 early mornings a week at the gym before my house wakes up and am a long distance runner. It seemed the back strengthening exercises recommended and common stretches experts would show me to incorporate into my routine, would only provide temporary relief. Some weeks, the pain was tolerable at best, and I would "push through" the aches and pains. Other weeks, the pain would be more of a stab and make it extremely tough to sit, stand, walk or carry on with my daily tasks, (most of which are not optional.) This vicious cycle had become my normal because I didn't think there was much more anyone could do to help me. I didn't have the time or patience for long office visits anywhere as they tried more trial and error attempts to fix me. (As much as I appreciated their efforts.) I would always leave feeling as if it was a "bandaid" fix but never cured the problem. Then one day I came across a friend online recommending Mark Slaughter. I'm so thankful I decided to call. He was so thorough at our initial consultation, and continues to be at each session I'm there! I immediately felt a new sense of hope and confidence after he spent time explaining the root of my injury and our plan of action to fix it. I have a huge respect for Mark's extensive knowledge-base. He is on fire...
Mark helped me through several injuries, but most importantly is whence helped me get a proper diagnosis and recover from a fractured spine. I left with my injuries healed and stronger than I was before. It was always fun coming... Read more ...
Fitness4Life Physical Therapy
2016-08-15T14:05:51-05:00
Mark helped me through several injuries, but most importantly is whence helped me get a proper diagnosis and recover from a fractured spine. I left with my injuries healed and stronger than I was before. It was always fun coming into the gym and listening to the Beatles on the radio. Thanks for everything Mark. Wouldn't be where I am today without your help.
