Dear Lorcan
Sorry for not replying sooner.
I began looking at the foot/ankle for biomechanical problems after learing
some techniques in the early 90's. I was lucky enough to go to a class taught
by Dr. Loren Rex from Washington State USA. He is an osteopath and a great
teacher.
The changes I made to peoples feet led the 'whiplash group of patients' to
start saying things like, 'I don't know what you did to my feet but my
headaches have become less and my neck moves better'. Eventually the light
went on after many such comments.
I began to measure posture using a plum bob and a tape measure.
I found the average Aussie stands about 2 inches at the ear in front of
vertical (I also measure scapula pole distances. These distances change
dramatically after foot/ankle corrections. I use these as an indication on how
my patient is responding to treatment. My aim is to make the patient vertical
and thus they stand on their bones, not their muscles.).
The worst posture I have seen was a lady attedning my Workshop in Tasmania.
Here the class estimated that at the ear she was 9 inches in front of
vertical. After mobilisation of her feet, she stood vertical and had full ROM
to the cervical spine.
She had documented some 3400 yes 3400 treatments over the previous 19 years
since her motor vehicle accident. I found this hard to believe until she came
back the next day with all the documentation!
The most profound thing happened several weeks ago. Luckily I videoed the
patient.
This 58 year old had an unusual stroke 21 years ago. He recovered only to
suffer from vertigo. This had become so bad that it was impossible for him to
stand still for more than a few seconds. It was absoultely impossible for him
to stand still with his eyes closed, even for a second.
He suffered vertigo lying down as well. Great life. He told me that on many
occassions he had thought that life was not worth it.
I roughtly estimated that he was 5 inches at the ear in fromt of vertical.
After mobilisation of the foot and ankle he stood erect, feet together and NO
vertigo. He can stand still, feet together and eyes closed. This has lasted
for 8 weeks and I have no doubt that this will stay forever.
Although this sounds and is dramatic, the role of the talus et. al. is grossly
underestimated in the ABSOLUTE control it has over all the motions of the body.
Today in the clinic I saw a lady who is very lucky to be alive. She had
massive injuries in a motor vehicle accident in 2002. Amongst all her
problems, one of them was a swollen left leg with shining skin. There had been
a posterior cruciate knee reconstruction performed to the left knee as well.
She has had several Doppler blood flow investigations for this. Of course they
are all negative.
What one was seeing is the visceral (sympathetic/parasympathetic) response to
a somatic injury. Passive dorsiflexion using 5KG pressure was 20 degrees
plantar flexed.
After mobilisation of her foot/ankle, passive dorsiflexion increased to 15
degrees dorsiflexion. Within 45 minutes the oedema had gone as so had the
shining skin. She now had soft muscles, 1.5 inches less circumference and
floppy skin and no discomfort.
These dramatic changes can be produced simply. There were many other changes,
especially to her cervical motion (was 5 degrees to the left, this increased
to 55) and abduction of her shoulder left, went from 35 to 110 degrees without
pain.
This lady has had treatment three times + a week since March 2002!
I would expect to see these types of results.
Getting back to your question on how often I perform feet/ankle mobilisation,
I perform it on EVERY PATIENT, each time they come (basically I check the
motion) most people when their feet are corrected the first time, the ROM
stays.
Very rarely I manipulate, I just mobilise each joint specifically using almost
no effort. That is the art.
Hopefully I have wet your appetite.
Regards,
Paul Conneely.
PS I have mobilised over 80,000 feet and have yet to see anyone who had
headaches and/or neck pain and/or back aches and/or tight hammies/gastrocs
have normal passive dorsiflexion. I think there is something in there.
<div style='background-color:'><DIV class=RTE>
<P>G'day Paul,</P>
<P>I am a Podiatrist and freshly graduated Pod from Melbourne. Interesting
what you had to say re foot motion and Cervical problems /Headaches. I would
not have routinely managed headaches in this manner, focusing more on the
spine until I found that the problems were recurrent, when I would then
further examine the arms and legs for motion problems in any of the
extremities. So with every new patient with these problems you would examine
essentially from head to foot as a matter of course? Then finding problems in
feet you remedy this with manipulation? - can you be more specific about this.
Where do you stand as far as orthoses are concerned in these types of
patients? Incidentally where are you in practice? Look forward to hearing more
about your approach!</P>
<P>Lorcan Heneghan </P>
<P>B. App. Sci (Chiro), B. Clin. Sci, B. Pod.<BR><BR></P></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>>From: Paul Conneely <[log in to unmask]>
<DIV></DIV>>Reply-To: A group for the academic discussion of current issues in
podiatry <[log in to unmask]>
<DIV></DIV>>To: [log in to unmask]
<DIV></DIV>>Subject: Re: Podiatrist in Ireland
<DIV></DIV>>Date: Fri, 6 Aug 2004 23:41:17 GMT
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>Dear Brendan
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>I am more that happy to demonstrate what I am saying anywhere. Are
you going
<DIV></DIV>>to the RXlabs conference? If so I will look out for you so as to
talk and
<DIV></DIV>>demonstrate the way the talus (et al) changes posture and thus
motion.
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>If not, what type of readers digest version do you want?
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>Most patients wonder why I look at their feet when they hyave neck
pain, but
<DIV></DIV>>soon change their minds after their feet are mobilised.
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>Most athletes have short hamstrings until one changes teh motion
of the Talus.
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>One has to remember that the role of a muscle is to protect the
joint that it
<DIV></DIV>>looks after and thus if a joint has limited motion the muscles
will follow
<DIV></DIV>>suit.
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>As the biceps femoris is the evertor of the calcaneus it is easy
to show that
<DIV></DIV>>if the calaneo-cuboid joint is non mobile, the hamstrings will be
loose.
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>I have yet to see (I have examined over 80000 feet) anyone who had
headaches
<DIV></DIV>>or low back pain to have normal foot mechanics.
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>Regards,
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>Paul Conneely.
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>> > Welcome Paul
<DIV></DIV>> >
<DIV></DIV>> > In a message dated 05/08/2004 08:51:04 Atlantic Standard Time,
<DIV></DIV>> > [log in to unmask] writes:
<DIV></DIV>> > The talus (especially) controls motions of the hip, hamstring
length and all
<DIV></DIV>> > the way up to cervical motion
<DIV></DIV>> > Is it possible for you illustrate the above statement with a
readers digest
<DIV></DIV>> > version ?
<DIV></DIV>> >
<DIV></DIV>> > Brendan Bennett
<DIV></DIV>> >
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