very tight calves and been having graston technique done

[Haselsmasher]

I'll preface all of the

I'll preface all of the comments below with: I'm not a doctor or a medical professional. I've battled PF for a long time and I seem to be over it - in my opinion thanks to minimalist and barefoot concepts and activities. PF has become more than an obsession for me as I've tried to figure out what was going on in my body.

Your first question involves a concept I think is just totally fascinating: Reciprocal Inhibition. When one muscle is contracted the muscle on the opposite side must be told by the brain to relax. So from what I know - yes - working the muscles on the front of the shin should aid in helping the calves relax.

To your second question: In my opinion BFR can be a component of the cause of injury and it also can be a component of the cure of the injury. The difference between the two is the state of many other aspects of the body and the person’s approach to BFR and having the right form. BFR taxes the body in many different ways than running with traditional running shoes does. Therefore, if BFR is pursued aggressively when the rest of the mind and body isn’t ready then it can cause damage. However, if the other parts of the body and mind are basically healthy and approach BFR in a way or rate commensurate with one’s capabilities BFR can stress the body in a good way and make it stronger and healthier. In my mind I use the analogy of having an arm in a sling for a long time then removing it and doing more with the arm. Weight lifting can have a rehabilitative effect when done at a level commensurate with the arm’s capabilities, but it can have a damaging effect if it is pursued too aggressively for the arm’s capabilities.

Jim

 

[Dr. Andrew Klein]

Haselsmasher wrote:Your

Your first question involves a concept I think is just totally fascinating: Reciprocal Inhibition. When one muscle is contracted the muscle on the opposite side must be told by the brain to relax. So from what I know - yes - working the muscles on the front of the shin should aid in helping the calves relax.

Reciprocal inhibition is an extremely useful tool in treatment. It's the spicy mustard for your pretzel. It's the ghost pepper sauce on your burrito. It is the utmost in reflexogenic systems. However, the effects are not static. You can't strengthen a muscle to the point that it will always inhibit another muscle without causing an adaptive lesion in the system. It can also be that the muscle you are trying to relax is being fired so hard that reciprocal inhibition decreases the firing rate but not even enough to make you notice or even cause a change.

Reciprocal inhibition can be used to help reset the tone on a muscle and is a great way to increase your effectiveness even if you can't observe a change. For instance, as you are rolling out a calf with a foam roller or rolling pin, you could contract the opposite calf thereby cause a propensity to inhibit the calf you are working on. This neurology stuff is what I spend a lot of time on, and the thing that can really explain how a chiropractor gets the results they do. In neurology things are never just on or off. There is frequency of firing and that is what determines output. It blows your mind.

Haselsmasher gets +10 cool points in my book for bringing up reciprocal inhibition!

 

[SaraLord]

I agree with you Jim - I've

I agree with you Jim - I've been BF for over a year and a half; the past 12 months consumed with PF, no end in sight - even though I'm spending lots of time with my foam roller and golf ball. BF running in my humble opinion, brings out the best and worst in a runner. Had I any idea this is what I was in for, I would certainly have approached running without shoes differently and would advise newbs the same, although most of us have to learn the old fashioned hard way (unfortunately).

It's been tough to find good advice out in the world. As soon as I see the word orthotics, I shake my head and look elsewhere.

It seems to me that the bad rap BF running gets is really due to our pre-existing condition(s). TMTS is a catch-all that doesn't really capture the issues.

 

[Haselsmasher]

What worked for me was

What worked for me was wearing flexible orthotics temporarily. My podiatrist trys to use an orthotic like a splint: Provide support that is flexible so the foot can move somewhat. The support hopefully enables the immediate damage to heal. Then, when the acute issues settle down, slowly wean off of the orthotic and introduce greater range of motion. This needs to be coupled, IMHO, with things like hip strengthening. If the hips aren't strong and working well it can throw off the whole dynamic chain. And I think to leverage off of Dr. Klein's point: "Working well" means strength and neuromuscular control. So doing things like one-legged balancing was another component of getting rid of my PF.

I do have to say what really threw the foot strengthening into overdrive was doing real barefoot stuff. I think that nerve stimulation was a major key.

Jim

 

[mmoore5553_web]

Curious what was the hip

Curious what was the hip exercises.

 

[Abide]

My two favorite are deadlifts

My two favorite are deadlifts and ass to grass squats I have no idea if they help pf but it probably wouldn't hurt.

 

[Haselsmasher]

Generally, if my PT

Generally, if my PT determines someone is having trouble even talking to the muscle (he'll often say "finding it on the grid" or "not getting any cell phone reception") he has me do primarily two things. One is simple butt squeezes - think cracking walnuts. Second is, lying face down on the floor and having your leg be straight, try to lift the leg off the floor using only glute max. It's really easy to have the hamstring get recruited and try to help. Really focus on trying to lift that leg primarily, if not exclusively, with glute max, and trying to keep the hamstring very calm.

After doing those for a week or so he progresses to other stuff. One is getting up out of a chair using just one leg. Depending on the strength (or lack thereof) you may have to start on a stool as opposed to a chair. But as that strength and control develops you can do it from lower starting points. Put the leg that is not on support out in front of you, so you'll have one foot on the floor. Then lift yourself up to a standing position. He's also had me take a small leap (jump) forward and land on one foot - focusing on "sticking" the landing. I think the standard squats are excellent as well.

One-legged balancing is also great.

As stated earlier you're not only increasing strength but also the brain's ability to get feedback from as well as control the muscle.

Jim

 

[jldeleon]

I love the TENS unti -it's

I love the TENS unti -it's the closest you can get to having your own personal massage therapist. They are SUPER cheap now and you can buy them on Amazon. They used to cost hundreds of dollars and you could only get them with a prescription. They rock!