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Neuromuscular Training and Getting Rid of Orthotics

yogiskier

Angel Diva
Who has heard of neuromuscular training and what do you think of it? I have suffered from chronic lower body injuries as an athlete who started as an adult (running, skiing), has a stressful job, and sits waaaay too much most of the time.

I ran most of last year on an injured hip and went to an orthopedist and PT. I continued to do youtube yoga several times/week and added significant stretching before and after running as prescribed. I felt that my body was too loose and the stretching was making my running worse - every time I went for even a brief, slow run, my hips and ITB would get tight. In the fall, I did a little strength training 1-2x/week because I thought I would shift to strength instead of stretching, which helped a little not a lot.

I went to a podiatrist 2 weeks ago for plantar fasciitis and tendonitis and he gave me rigid orthotic inserts (hot shots) and suggested calf stretches and going to PT. I didn't bother with PT. Around the same time, I started following this "functional movement specialist," Lauren Mayhew on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/groups/happyrunnersfeet

I have been doing her 12 Days of Movement Challenge and it has been a GAME CHANGER!!! I'm sure the orthotics are helping with my acute tendonitis, too, but my body has started to feel like it's working in a cohesive fashion again like it's supposed to. It's hard to articulate. Running feels AMAZING again. I should mention, I have not done very much yoga in this time and do not stretch before running, but have done a tiny bit of stretching after.

So, it seems to me that stretching for someone with my body and life context was making things worse. Is my Facebook treatment voodoo or should orthopedists/podiatrists/PTs incorporate neuromuscular training? I'd love to find a local provider who could help me get away from using these orthotics, or I might sign up for Lauren Mayhew's virtual services!
 

ilovepugs

Angel Diva
Very interesting but what is neuromuscular training? I can’t see the contents of that group without joining!
 

yogiskier

Angel Diva
My understanding is that it's movements that you do for around 5 minutes while deep breathing. The deep breathing cues your brain to relax and take in new information. This aids in retraining your muscles, bones, tendons, etc. to work better as a team again. The general philosophy seems to be, if you have a chronic injury in your foot, don't just focus on your foot.

For example, for Day 1 of the challenge, you lie on the floor on your back, arms by your sides, legs extended. Relax your body into the floor, relax your shoulders. Notice how your pelvis feels - is one side higher than the other? Tilted closer to your head than the other? Breathe. Raise your right leg at a 90 degree angle, clasping your hands behind your right thigh. Relax your right lower leg. Then as you inhale raise your left leg off the ground (straight, flexed foot) by a few inches, "hugging your muscles to the bone," then slowly lower as you exhale. With your left leg still straight, turn your left foot out slightly to the left at an angle, foot still flexed, then raise your left leg a few inches as you inhale, then exhale and slowly lower. Repeat on the left side. Remember to relax your shoulders and breathe. Finally, lie with your arms by your sides and both legs extended again and take stock of how your pelvis and legs feel.
 

Little Lightning

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Not sure about the neuromuscular part but I chose my Personal Trainer based on his knowledge and training of Movement https://www.functionalmovement.com/. This site lists Functional Movement Certified Trainers in your area.

I googled Lauren Mayhew. Her site does not mention her certifications. Before I'd commit to her I'd want to know what training she's had in the specific areas your interested in.

Initially I was introduced to FMS through Grey Cook's book, "Athletic Body in Balance". I was suffering from SI Joint issues. At the time I was using Orthotics. Then a snow boarder clipped the back of my ski resulting in a Peronous Tendonitis. Two rounds of PT did not cure the pain. I was getting pretty dysfunctional, skiing, bicycling, walking hurt. Out of desperation I gave up on trying to fix my pain myself and sought out an FMS trainer.

After working through the prescribed FMS corrections, I graduated to regular exercise, lifting, throwing, jumping, etc. My gym encouraged me to workout barefoot. At first it was painful on my injured leg but as it got stronger the pain went away. Today I am free of orthotics, only wear minimalist shoes and stronger than I have ever been.

Also, I'm not sure how online training works with the FMS system. There are specific tools the evaluator uses to determine an individuals needs which one would not have at home.
 

VickiK

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
My physical therapist diagnosed my SI joint pain as sacroiliitis--"pain and stiffness in the buttocks or lower back, and the pain might go down one or both legs. Standing or sitting for a long time or climbing stairs can make the pain worse."

PT treatment was hands on therapy and strength training. The goal of strength training was to build core stability and strength and to build hip stability, strength, and mobility.

So I think stretching is fine, but strength training can alleviate pain by developing the muscles around the area, and thus stabilizing the joint.
 

yogiskier

Angel Diva
@VickiK Yes, I agree that stretch and strength are valuable and go hand in hand. My issue is that my body had become "dysfunctional" (borrowing your term, @Little Lightning) from sitting for 8+ hours a day, so the stretching wasn't helping my weakened muscles and I feel like the strengthening was adding something on top that was an improvement but not getting at some foundational issues. @Little Lightning thanks for the resources and your empowering story! That's a great quote in your signature. I've been looking for a personal trainer, but hadn't found a good fit yet...going to check out the directory.
 

scandium

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I wonder if the yoga and stretching was too much passive stretching for your needs and not enough active (i.e. strengthening in your full range of motion) - the latter is something that I've become very aware of as an adult learner of pole and circus where that strength is essential to hold the flexy positions. Neuromuscular training as you describe it sounds like a reinvented wheel of improving proprioception and body awareness which I imagine also helps foster awareness of any imbalances....
 

yogiskier

Angel Diva
I wonder if the yoga and stretching was too much passive stretching for your needs and not enough active (i.e. strengthening in your full range of motion) - the latter is something that I've become very aware of as an adult learner of pole and circus where that strength is essential to hold the flexy positions. Neuromuscular training as you describe it sounds like a reinvented wheel of improving proprioception and body awareness which I imagine also helps foster awareness of any imbalances....
I can see that - especially the amount and type of yoga that I've been doing in the last 2 years from home following youtube have been gentler, shorter, and less weight-bearing than the full-length yoga classes I used to attend at a studio. I want to be clear that there's nothing inherently wrong with gentle yoga - I just need a different kind of movement to improve my strength and physiological integrity
 

Bookworm

Angel Diva
I just injured my Sartorius muscle running. I use muscle activation practitioner to help with healing and strengthening. It's helped me.
I have had orthotics for years. When I was trying a more minimalist running style and was attempting to wean myself orthotics, but doing that gave me a neuroma instead. I squirm at the orthodoxy of minimalist running. It's not best for everybody.
However, I'm always on the lookout for methods of bodywork to help with preventing and healing injuries. I will look into neuromuscular training.
 

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