Top Health Tips From 12 Years of SoleFit

As we celebrate 12 years of SoleFit this spring, we asked our Certified Pedorthists what influences them the most when it comes to assessing and treating clients. All of our Certified Pedorthists share 10+ years in the practice of evaluating, treating, and making recommendations for movement pathologies linked with pain and overuse. And as with any good medical clinic, it is important to continue to evolve the way in which we treat patients as new information emerges while at the same time making sure that we are not just buying into the latest new fad. The following are some key learnings/actions that have stood out over the years as being a few of the most influential on a patient’s successful treatment.

Education

Education, education, education (did we mention education?)! When a patient understands their treatment plan, they are so much more likely to follow the correct course of action to recovery.

Keep moving

Lack of daily movement slows progress and hampers performance. We continue to see that the lack of low intensity movement (i.e. walking, standing work stations, or active recovery like yoga) negatively influences everything from tissue strength, joint stability and range, to bone density and posture. Even in cases of acute pain we try to emphasize safe strategies of more low intensity, varied movements.

It's a great time to be a runner

For our running patients, things have certainly changed over the last 10 years and the 'experiment of one' certainly applies here as well! We believe most biomechanical experts will agree that the minimalist style of running is the best one for pure efficiency. However, how we approach this will vary drastically from one runner to the next. Never before have we had so many great options on how to keep a runner running longer!

It’s a great time to be a runner with all the information available, but also a very confusing time to be a runner for the very same reasons. It’s important to understand your own variables before committing to any specific technique work.

'Good' stress is still stress

Training type, volume, and intensity deserves to be scrutinized for every active client. Improper stress/rest can be the downfall of an otherwise sound treatment plan. Best intentions can sometimes work against overall health goals!

Experiment of One

There is no single correct treatment plan or timeline that can apply to everyone. Taking the time to get to know the patient, their injury, and their needs and goals is the best way to be successful. We are all an 'experiment of one'!

Keep limber

Range of Motion is so important. Restoring ideal movement to our ‘moving parts’ (through massage, mobility tools, stretches, and dynamic exercises etc) is almost always one of the first steps to correcting painful movement. Lack of range of motion is likely a factor in up to 90% of the injuries that we see.

Mobility tools like Yoga Tune Up Balls or Tiger Tails (or DYI’s like lacrosse balls and rolling pins) can make a huge difference towards getting us moving better. Long hold stretching (Yin Yoga, ROMWOD) can also create big changes in relatively small amounts of time.

Know how 'bandaids' fit in with the big picture 'fix'

It is very important to outline short term goals versus long term goals. In the short term, we will often use 'bandaids' like orthotics and bracing to help patients recover faster and have tools in place to help prevent injuries down the road when necessary. Long term goals are to ideally fix the underlying problems so that the patient becomes less reliant on the 'bandaids'. There is no singular solution and every patients needs will be different.

Get what you pay for

Custom made really should mean custom made! Small adjustments to orthotics, knee braces etc can make a huge difference in terms of comfort and performance. When paying custom made prices, patients should always be looking for the optimal fit!

There are some great off-the-shelf products available these days, so when buying custom you want to make sure it’s better than those! Small adjustments to knee braces and custom orthotics can be the difference between ‘okay’ and ‘perfect’.

As always, we’d love to hear from you if you have any questions/comments. To keep up with blog posts, health tips, and upcoming events be sure to sign up for our monthly newsletter!