Knee pain can occur at any age due to a sporting injury or a fall. But, as we age knee pain may begin to emerge for no apparent reason. We saw one statistic stating that 10 percent of 40 to 50-year-old people reported having knee pain. That number increased to 25 percent with 70-year-old (or older) people. The typical scenario we see is as follows. A 50, 60, or 70-year-old person begins having some knee pain. It is not going away. They see the doctor who orders some type of imaging test (X-rays, MRI, CAT scan). The test reveals they have significant degeneration or osteoarthritis in the knee. The patient now understands why they are having so much pain. So, they try medications, injections, and maybe even surgery to get rid of the hip pain. However, meanwhile no one has told them the truth. 1. The truth is that what they are seeing on the imaging tests may just be the result of normal aging and wear/tear. It may not be the cause of their pain. Their non-painful knee may look worse. Studies have shown time and time again that imaging studies may show significant deterioration and arthritis in a joint belonging to a person with absolutely no pain. So, what is causing your hip pain? More than likely, it is your daily habits and stresses on your knee. In addition, your knee may be tight and weak. Change your habits and stressors. Improve your hip motion and strength. Do both and your hip pain may dramatically improve. Either way what have you got to lose. The exercises and habits will be helpful to your hip even if you do require surgery. Some additional lies and myths we hear or see on a regular basis. 2. “My knee arthritis is going to continue to degenerate and my pain is going to get progressively worse”. Not necessarily true. We have seen several studies that demonstrate your pain may remain the same or even improve over a period of time - despite X-rays showing continued deterioration of the joint. Bob’s wife is a great example. She had a flareup of her knee joint to the extent that she required crutches. That was over three years ago. She is now back to running (at age 57). 3. “I wore out my knee due to years of doing (fill in the blank) – running, hiking, roofing, etc.” Not true, the active people tend to have better joints than the inactive or sedentary people. Sedentary people area also more likely to be overweight which places increased stress on their joints. 4. “I don’t want to make my arthritis worse, so I am going to rest my knee.” Resting the knee (beyond a day or two) can make your arthritis worse. Joints love movement. Most people are not active enough to gain the motion or maintain the strength they need in their knee. The exception to the need for movement of the knee is when the knee arthritis has advanced so far that the knee is nearly immobile. 5. “My mom had arthritis and she suffered with it for years. The same is going to happen to me.” Again, not necessarily. Some types of arthritis are inherent, but it is amazing how the body can adapt if you change your daily harmful knee habits and improve your knee strength and range of motion. 6. “I am going to eventually need a knee replacement so I might as well do it now.” This may be true IF your knee pain does not improve through exercises and improving daily habits. It may also be true IF you are concerned you will not be able to medically tolerate knee surgery in the future. However, if your pain does improve and you are healthy it is to your advantage to hold off on joint replacement surgery if your quality of life is not suffering. Speak to your doctor about trial of physical therapy before considering hip surgery. Check out the full Knee Pain Relief Program series of videos, along with downloadable guide sheets, here: https://www.bobandbrad.com/health-programs/knee-pain-relief-program

This article is a transcribed, edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in August 2024. For the original video, go to https://youtu.be/XysNNay_uX8 Brad: Have you ever spent time people watching and observing their posture? And you might see some people with that head-forward, hunched back posture, and you kind of feel bad for them. But the big question is, maybe you're one of those people. Mike: So in this video, we're going to show you how to self-assess if you have a hunched back posture and how to correct it. Brad: That's right. Let's get to it. Mike: Well, what are we talking about today, Brad? Brad: We're talking about neck hump and that slump posture. And I'm going to show you, as we mentioned, a way to self-assess all by yourself. It's very simple, all you need is yourself and a wall. So put yourself in your normal posture and simply walk, not too fast, but slowly, with good control, towards the wall. Now, if your head hits the wall first, you know you have at least a slight head forward posture, maybe more. Brad: Because if I go into the wall and I straighten myself up, good posture, watch what happens here. My chest hits the wall first. Then you know you have good posture. Brad: So if you hit your head first, you get a bump, you turn around immediately, put your butt to the wall, your shoulder blades to the wall, and this is going to assess if you can get good, perfect posture without stretching. So we're going to bring our butt to the wall, our shoulders to the wall, and the back of the head will touch with the chin tucked in. Brad: I can do it, but it might be, if you've been slouched for years, you might be all contracted, muscles tightened up, and you won't be able to get your head to touch the wall with your chin tucked in. You're going to have to go like that. Then you're going to work on the stretches. We're going to go through a complete set, and you can get back to good posture in just a matter of time. Mike: Before that, how many fingers am I holding? I feel like you're concussed now. Brad: Yeah, four. Mike: Oh, okay, perfect. Brad: Alright. Okay, now, one of the things that works well to make sure you have good posture is you can take a stick, we're using the Booyah Stik . It can be any stick that's five feet long or thereabouts. Mike, can you turn this way? Now we're going to pretend it's a wall. It's touching at the shoulders. Mike, grab above your head. Grab the stick there, grab below. Okay, now it's touching his shoulder. Now Mike's going to make this stick touch the back of his head and his butt. And you can see his back, and everything is in line. It's straight. Now, from this, you can actually do squats to make sure you maintain while you're moving. You don't have to do squats, but you can actually walk around like this and get a feel for what good posture feels like. Mike: Is this where the saying, 'I got a stick up my butt,' came from? Brad: Ah, that's not a family show. Now, if you want to take it to the extreme and have this throughout today, you simply take some tape, duct tape it around the head and the waist that's touching. Go ahead and walk around. Mike, go ahead and tell them how it feels. Mike: I feel like a mummy. I can't really walk much, but at least my spine is straight. Brad: Yeah, exactly. Obviously, I am joking about this. I don't expect anybody to do this, but I think it proves the point on what you can do with this stick and how your body feels really awkward when it's in good posture after being slumped for so long. Let's go on to the next. The next exercise we're actually going to show you. It's the same thing. You can do it on the wall or the floor. Mike will be doing it down there. Simply get you that posture we talked about earlier. And then hands up against the wall. You'll find your elbows and hands may not get there yet, but work on them. Bring your hands up and down. Tuck the chin in. If your chin does not go in far without your head touching, you can do overpressure. Get that first and then work the arms. Look down at what Mike is doing. It actually works better down there because he's using gravity. So work either way or both. Go ahead, Mike. Mike: If you're a beginner, I would say you may want to start with just your arms straight at your side. It's a little easier. This feels a little more advanced. And you can just kind of do snow angels to begin with. Do what you can comfortably. Again, when you have your back on the floor, gravity is just holding you there. So I find it easier than the wall. Brad: Yeah, and you may progress to the wall. We've got another easy one you can do every time you walk through a door. I really like this and do it myself at home. Mike: Here's our stairway to nowhere. So just go here. You're going to do a "W" again, but use the frame of the door. I'm making a "W," and then I lean forward into it to get a nice stretch. This is going to work on your back extension up top. And it's also going to stretch your pec muscles, because oftentimes with forward posture, your pecs get tight, so we need to stretch those as well. So just go through a doorway, you can hold this for 15 to 30 seconds. Brad: That's right. Now, the biggest thing to think about with this is your head. Go ahead, lean forward, and don't let your head go forward, and then you're actually making the problem worse. Make sure your head is back, and you're going to think about having that Booyah Stik back there. Maybe you could try it with the Booyah Stik taped to you like I did earlier. You know, I bet you some people would do it, actually, Mike. Mike: Yeah, I just did. Brad: And you liked it, he really did. The next one, we all sit in chairs. Some of us sit in chairs for long periods of time. While you're sitting there, we're going to do another form of the "W" stretch. Simply, don't do this in a soft chair, a firm chair, like a desk when you're at the computer or your workstation, at the supper table, back like this. Chin goes in, stretches back there, and Bob's famous, what's that again? Mike: Hallelujah. Brad: Hallelujah stretch. Hallelujah, stretch it up and back. Now Mike did something; he invented something with this. Mike: Yes, I invented the kickball. Brad: Show them, Mike. It's actually the use of a ball like this that works well. Do it, Mike. Mike: So just take a ball, place it wherever you feel like you need, maybe wherever your back is starting to round forward, so you can place it higher up, in this case. And you're gonna do the same exact thing, except for using the ball as a fulcrum. If your shoulders have problems, you don't have to lift them up, but you get a bit more stretch when your shoulders are involved as well. You can do the "W" shape, you can do straight arm shape, whatever is ever comfortable. Just find that region and do some repetitions using the ball as a fulcrum. If you say you bend lower, just move the ball down lower and focus on that area. Brad: Yeah. Now, Mike, you started this with real-life patients about 15 years ago, wasn't it? Mike: Well, I've only been working for 12 years, so it's been more like 12 years ago. Brad: Oh, well. Mike: But sure. Brad: Yeah, he's a natural. Alright, now we have one more thing that's actually invented specifically for that posture and eliminating that hunchback. Mike: I think you failed to mention the Booyah Stik stretch here. Brad: Oh, yes. Mike: In the back. He got so excited, he forgot one. Brad: Yep. Mike: So again, you're just gonna take a stick of sorts. You could use a broom handle, whatever you've got at your house, put it behind you. If you have shoulder issues, wider out will be easier for you. If you don't have shoulder issues, you can grab a little closer. And again, you're going to work on doing chin tucks, go backwards. This is going to work as your counter force. Kind of similar, when we had a chair, and you're just going to go back like this, and Brad's going to do it with his walking stick. Brad: Yeah, this is one I do at least three days a week. And I really like the stretch on my shoulders in the front. I can tell I'm a little tight there. Now, can we get going with the. Mike: The posture pad? Brad: Yeah, the Posture Pad , again, specifically designed for this, we're going to show you how to use it on the floor. It has tennis balls that stick in there. We're going to pull those out. That's for the advanced version. We'll show you the beginner version. Actually, I think Bob really came up with the idea, and then I helped with the development of it. But if you look at it, this is going to give your back a chance to arch back where that hunch is and unhunch the back, if you will. There's a radius on there, so it can be specific to the location and comfortable. Oh, should I look over here? No, no, oh yeah. Mike: Me. Stay in your camera. Brad: Okay, now look. Can we see right there? I'm going to go just below the neck, so I'm getting on T2. There we go. If you're not familiar with what I'm talking about, it's therapy talk, a little bit. And I'm going to arch right over. Oh, I just got a cavitation, in other words, my back cracked. Oh, it feels good. This can work out well. Now I'm going to move up a little bit to get to the next level. Stretch back over that. Brad: Now, if you notice muscles are tight on each side of your spine, that's where the balls come in place, because those balls are going to press on those muscles and give them a static massage, if you will. And allowing, ooh, that feels good. Yeah, there we go. Allowing those muscles to relax and everything goes good. Mike, do you have any comments about the posture pad? Mike: Just take it easy. Go slow. If you need more cushioning, you could certainly add a towel over it for beginners. Some people may just lie there and not put their arms above their heads. It may be too aggressive early on. I know personally, my father, who is 70 years old, is a little aggressive early on, so he actually may need a pillow underneath his head. Slowly get rid of that. If you really have that forward head posture, that's a good beginner way to do it. Brad: Yeah. Mike: Brad's grabbing a pillow now so he can take a nap. Brad: Yeah, yeah, you brought some excellent points. I've been doing it for a while, so I'm very comfortable without the pillow or lying a towel over the balls for a little comfort. Wow, I'm actually getting warm, Mike. Sweaty. Mike: Well, that's good. Brad: Yeah. Mike: So give all of those options a try. Pick which one works best for you. They all essentially do a similar concept, so just pick one or two and do them each day, a couple times a day. Brad: That's right, posture, posture, posture, it's all about that. We got another video that also emphasizes this. Mike: Yes. If you want to stop walking with a hunched-over posture, you can check out our video, " How To Stop Walking Hunched Over! 5 Best Fixes " . 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This article is a transcribed, edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in August 2024. For the original video, go to https://youtu.be/JSi0XvL-OMk Brad: Oh, wow, this big toe pain is really making me limp. Boy, does it ever hurt. Mike: So today we are going to be discussing the best treatment options for big toe pain, addressing subjects like gout, bunions, arthritis, and sesamoiditis. Brad: That's right, I was going to say arthritis, also known as Hallux rigidus, which means your big toe is stiff. I want to get into the acute phase, actually, when that toe is red and inflamed, and it came on for no apparent reason. Sometimes that can be gout. Now, if you suspect you have gout, you should go to a doctor, have it evaluated, and make sure it's diagnosed properly so you get the proper medication. You can, however, treat it with simple things like an NSAID, for example. Mike: Tylenol or Ibuprofen. Brad: Whatever works best for you. Also, elevate the foot if you have swelling in there. So, in your chair, make sure you have pillows underneath it so it's higher than your heart. This helps the fluid come downward. Also, make sure you drink plenty of water. Mike: Also, it's important to avoid inflammatory foods. Everyone reacts differently to different food groups, but typically, if you're having tons of salt and sugar, you want to cut back on those things. Brad: That's right. Now, the footwear that you're using, regardless of what the diagnosis is, whether it's gout, arthritis, or anything, it's very imperative that your feet, the forefoot, and the toes are not squished in. Mike, do you want to talk about some real basics of proper footwear? Mike: So if you look here, this is a normal, typical shoe. This is a shoe with a wide toe box, and it's typically called zero drop. Mike: That just means the amount off the ground your heel and your forefoot are the exact same. You could see the narrowing of the toe box here. This can cause a lot of issues with great toe pain, including bunions, sesamoiditis, and a whole lot of other issues. So getting better footwear can allow your foot to return to more of a natural foot shape. Like my monkey feet here. Brad: Yeah, you've got a beautiful foot there. The zero-drop part he's talking about really is not the important part, but it is that you have the wide toe box. If you look at these, these are both wide toe boxes, which means it's not squishing or pushing your toes in together. Brad: But for most cases, you're probably going to want to have a cushioned sole. This one is not cushioned. If I do the one finger test, in other words, to see how flexible the sole is, very easy. The one with a cushion, more rigidity, and it offers support on that great toe, and we'll talk about why that's important a little bit, the cushion as well. Mike: So now we want to get into sesamoiditis. It's a big fancy term for basically saying you have pain right here. Mike: This is your first MTP, or metatarsal phalangeal joint, basically where your toe connects to your foot. Now this area can get problematic for people who run a lot, dancers, and people who are on their forefoot quite often. So what are some options to help relieve this pain? Brad: Actually, the cushion, just get the wide toe box with the cushion throughout, and that's going to be helpful. Now, the other thing is simply to use common sense. If your toe is flared up from whatever diagnosis, you need to stay off of it when it's very tender. In other words, hiking, walking, particularly on uneven surfaces, can really irritate it. Basic common sense: listen to your body. Now, let's get into that chronic pain where your toe's been bothering you, but you can still use it for long periods of time. Range of motion, or actually stretching the toe out, can be very helpful. However, if you have not done any range of motion or stretching specifically on the great, or the big toe, do it gently the first time. You could flare it up and make it sore, and you might say bad things about me. So we would not want to have that. Take these gently. After the first day, you might want to wait a day and go after it again the next day, and then work on it daily, or even more than once a day as you get going. We're going to talk about the first, the great toe only has two joints in it. This one, the one that we call the first MTP joint, don't worry about what that acronym is for. That joint is usually the one that causes the most problems. We're going to get after that, though, the most aggressively, but we need to work on ranging the toe out. Now Mike's going to do it in a figure four position. Works very well. I'm going to do it off a chair, which also works well. Do whatever works best for you. And now I'm going to actually show my foot. Mike: Oh my goodness. Brad: I just cut my toenails, so things are looking very good. I wanted to make sure that was clear. All right, so first we're going to work on the range of motion of extension and flexion, just a general range. It's a good way to start. All you need to know is two fingers. Mike, just pop in when you have something to say that works well for you or people you have worked with. Mike: Just gently do it, push down and go up. Obviously, if you have arthritis in there, it's probably going to take a few repetitions to warm up. You can aim for 10 reps, you can go up to 30 reps, whatever feels comfortable for you, and let's go into the next motion. Brad: Yeah, mine's already starting to crack and pop a little bit; it's loosening up. Now, if you want to get a little more aggressive, and some of you will need to do this, or want to after you've done it for a few days, you can actually pull up and get that extension, which is going up. That is important for when you walk on this heel part of the gait, which we won't get into, but this is what happens to the toe. And then also make sure you go down and push. You can see I'm working both joints fairly aggressively. When I put this joint right on the edge of this stool, it works there. And I could go here and just isolate that joint. Again, that one, the farthest one by your toenail, is not really needed so much. Brad: Work that, and then the next direction is going sideways. Now this can be really helpful, particularly if you have bunions, because the toe gets pushed in because of our footwear, particularly with pointed footwear with high heels that really squish those toes together. Mike's doing a real nice job. Go ahead, Mike, talk about it. Mike: You tend to get some leverage if you push down roughly where your bunion area would be. So I'm keeping my thumb there. Oftentimes, if you have a bunion, your toes are squished like this. So just do what's comfortable. Obviously, I have a little bit more range of motion, but even I feel a stretch right there if I start pulling out. So just kind of pull out, hold for a few seconds. You can kind of range going in and out. You're just going to feel a good stretch in there, and I'm actually enjoying this right now. Brad: Well, good for you, Mike. And he's only like 35 or something like that. Wait till you get to be 60. Now you can take a gauze roll. This is a really good static way, in other words, a passive way to stretch the great toe. This is, I actually have some Coband which works really well, but a gauze roll works good, and you simply put it between your toes like this. There you go, can you see that? Mike: Get a good stretch. Brad: Yeah, it feels good. Now, the thing you do with it, you just leave it in there for maybe a half hour or whatever is tolerated. You can actually walk around barefoot with this, and it'll stay in as long as you have the right size. Really good idea, stretch the toe out. You can actually put it through some of your other toes if you want, but we're talking about the big daddy, great toe, that's all we're going to address. Mike, what else did we forget? Anything? Mike: They do make toe spacers if you want to have a product that actually fits in between all your toes. Some are made for sitting, some are walking. You can check them out as an option. But there's another thing we want to talk about is actually kind of distracting the toe a little bit, or pulling it up, and you can add a little bit of a rotational component to it. Obviously, it's not as mobile as your hip joint, which is actually a ball and socket, but you just kind of pull up, get a little distraction, and then do a little rotation. That might work for some people. Brad: Now, the last stretch I want to show is what we call mobilization in the therapy world. This is a little more aggressive. You do need to have like a solid edge, like on this stool. And if I'm gonna mobilize the first joint that we talked about here, we put that joint on the edge, and I'm going to stabilize the bone in this area so it doesn't move. Grab the bone on the other side of the joint, and I'm going to move it up and down. If we can get a close-up of that, I'm going to pull up and down. There will not be a great deal of movement there for most people, but you are actually mobilizing the joint specifically. It can be a good way to work on it. If you want to do the next joint, you can, but it's harder to do that one, and then usually, oh, I've got some pretty good movement there. Look at that. Mike: That's kind of hard to get that little one. Brad: Yeah, it is. Well, if you have a round edge, that's a good example. Off the edge of a bed will not work very well. You need a firm edge there. Okay, good. So I think you'll want to go through these stretches. You'll find some work better than others depending on the needs of your big toe and what your diagnosis is. Again, all those stretches are good. If you've heard the diagnosis, Hallux Rigidus, hallux means big toe, rigidus means it's tight and needs some movement. Now, as far as a massage gun, really the only application for a great toe mobilization is on the bottom of the foot close to the first MTP joint, or right here where I'm demonstrating. Brad: You're not going to massage the great toe at all. Just a little warning for that. Mike, what else? We got another video going on coming up? Mike: If you want to check out more videos on big toe pain, specifically Sesamoiditis, where we get more in-depth on it, you can check out " Sesamoiditis-Home Remedies- What is It? (Pain at the base of Big Toe) ." Brad: Yeah, I like that word, sesamoiditis. "Itis' means inflammation, sesamoidea, see, we should educate our viewers on how these terms originated. Mike: Yeah, just watch the other video, I'll tell you. Brad: There you go. All right, enjoy, have a good toe, and have a good walk. Mike: Have a great toe. Brad: There you go. 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Affiliate Disclaimer: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We are highly selective in our products and try our best to keep things fair and balanced to help you make the best choice for you.

1. Decrease stress on the knee a. Reduce weight bearing - use a cane for a while. b. Do not sit with your knee bent over 90 degrees c. Do not stand with knees locked. d. Stand on cushioned shoes or a mat. Change position often and flex knees onto the chair, etc. 2. Regain ROM: a. Extension stretch (3 way) knee turned in, knee straight up, and knee turned out. b. Stretch into flexion- seated and standing with foot on chair. Knee flexion with a towel under the knee. 3. Strengthening: a. Isometric over pillow b. Shallow squats onto the bed or ball on a wall. Check out the full Knee Pain Relief Program series of videos, along with downloadable guide sheets, here: https://www.bobandbrad.com/health-programs/knee-pain-relief-program

This article is a transcribed, edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in September 2024. For the original video, go to https://youtu.be/3vETtdlO6Lg Mike: Today, we're going to go over eight body weight exercises everyone should do. Brad: That's right, and we're going to show two options, one for beginners and another for the more advanced people. Mike: We're going to go through all eight of them nonstop. We're going to do 10 repetitions of each exercise. Brad will be showing the beginner version of each exercise, Brad: Or for the older people like me. Mike: And I'll be showing the normal or advanced version of each exercise. Brad: There's nothing normal about you, Mike. Mike: I am advanced in every which way. Anyway! Brad: Let's get to it. Mike: We're going to get to it. We're going to start with pushups. So, Brad, you want to go over to the wall or do knee ones? Brad: Yeah, well, if you're a real beginner, feet out here, straight body, and do your pushups here. Do not bump your head on the wall. It's not healthy. You can do it that way. Or modify it on a solid piece of furniture or a cupboard. And that's the next step. Mike is doing what I call a GI pushup. Go ahead, Mike. Mike: Five. So just find whichever area is comfortable for you. Make sure your core is tight. Pick whatever area is comfortable for your elbows. If you want to go wider, you can go wider. If you want to go narrower, go narrow. Pick what works for you. Brad, what if someone has bad wrists? Brad: Yes, now we said no equipment, but this is an exception that I wanted to put in. Bob said it was okay. If you have arthritic wrists, and I have a little bit of that, I find these perfect push-up things really work out well. What they do is allow you to keep your wrist in a neutral position. Brad: Much more comfortable. And they rotate. I use them all the time. I had to bring them in from home. So don't thank me now, thank me later. Anyway, let's go to number two. Mike: So number two, we're going to do some bridging. Going to work on the glutes and hamstrings a bit. For a normal version, Brad will be showing the beginner one. Double legs. I'll be doing the single leg for the advanced version. You're going to keep your core tight, squeeze your butt cheeks, and thrust your hips up towards the ceiling. We're going to do 10 repetitions. If you want to do five per side if you're a beginner, go ahead. Otherwise, you can do 10 per side. Are you counting down there? Brad: Yeah, I'm on five. I'm using my fingers so I don't lose track. Mike: Oh, I don't know what I'm on. I was talking too much. Brad: Yeah, this is a real... Think about those butt cheeks. Really squeeze them in. Work on those glutes, which we know are important for more than just standing and walking. Mike: Well, we know what's on Brad's mind. Brad: All right, here we go. This is a family show, Mike. I was not thinking that. Forward plank. Starters only on the knees. Mike: You're going to go on your knees. I'm still doing 10 on each leg. I'm catching up. Brad: Yep. Okay. I shouldn't rush things. Sorry, Mike. Planks on your knees. Now, when I do this, I use a pillow or a cushion because it's more comfortable on my knees. Especially if you have a hard floor or a thin carpet like we do here. And we're going to tighten up. Don't allow your back to arch. Don't be hunched. Try to be as straight as possible. Maybe someone in the room'll help you say, "Ah, gotta get your butt down a little bit." Go ahead, Mike. Mike: Now, when it comes to planks, you can't do repetitions. You do prolonged holds. You can start with 10 seconds, 15, or 30. Work up to a minute. Whatever's comfortable for you. I feel like I'm almost at 30 seconds now. What do you feel like? Brad: Yeah, we're at 27. Mike: Are you actually counting? Brad: No, actually, I was doing breath because it's really important that we breathe normally through all these exercises. So on that one, if I count five, good breath in my nose, out my mouth, that's close enough for me for 30 seconds. Mike: Okay, we're going to get into side planking now. So we're going to work the obliques more. Still a core muscle. Brad, again, you want to do the beginner version here? Brad: Yep. So for the beginner version, you can just lie on your side, bent knees like I have here. Not up here, you want to be straight. So you're like your body's up against a wall. I like to do them on my forearm. That's good for a beginner. And simply lift your hips up. So there's a gap here. So you're straight, not too high. Tighten up the core. And breathe while you do this, and relax. You can advance this to your hand. Whatever works best for you. Mike, do the advanced one. Mike: Well, I'm at 25 seconds on this side, so I'm going to show it on the other side because with the side plank, you have to work both sides to get a benefit. The advanced one, you're getting your knees off the table, and you are keeping a nice straight line here. Don't let your hips drop down like that. I typically just do elbows. You could try to do a straight arm if you want. You can get fancy and move your arm around. But I typically just hold this position. I am coming up on 20 seconds here. Brad, are you going to tell me a story these last 10? Brad: Yeah, actually, when I first started doing planks about 6, 7, 8 years ago, I don't remember when, they used to hurt my back. I'd be there. It's because of my spondylolisthesis in my lower back. So I quit doing them because they created pain. The same with all these. Don't do them if they create pain. Mike: Okay, the next one is a Stuart McGill favorite called the pointer dog. Brad: Ooh. Mike: So, typically, I will show the normal version. Brad can do modified. Again, it's kind of a core back exercise here. So, what you're going to do for the normal version, right arm goes up, left leg goes back, hold for a second. Come back down, and we're going to switch sides. Brad: Straight leg there. Mike: Try to keep a nice straight line, keep a nice straight back. It's a good back-strengthening exercise without typically irritating your back. Brad: Yeah, Stuart McGill is one of the utmost experts in back pain and how to treat it, strengthening, etc. Now, if you're not comfortable going on your hands and knees like that, simply go to a cupboard. You can do it this way. Oh, we're going to bump heads here. And I'm going to put one hand on the counter, and I'm going to go up like this and back like this. Brad: There's a wall in my way, so I have to be careful. Like that, now you want to go back down and show the other beginner way, if you want to go on your hands and knees, where you only use one hand. Mike: Yes, so what you can do is just move up one arm, and then the opposite leg, and then the left arm, and the right leg. Just do one limb at a time. It's less balance and demand on your body. You can also even do these at the wall if you would like. Brad: There you go. I do like this because it really promotes good posture and those posture muscles. And we do like to promote good posture. Yes. And this one too. You could just use the arm and do the legs separately. What's the next one, Mike? Mike: We're doing squats for beginners, and we don't have a chair, so we will use this as a chair. Brad: I'll get a chair while you start it out. Mike: You go get a chair. Okay, do whatever squat distance length between your legs is comfortable. Just don't have your knees together. That's typically bad. Some people will be comfortable straight ahead. Some people want to rotate out. Do what is easiest for you. You're just going to squat down to what's comfortable, back up. Try to keep a nice, straight back. Don't round forward like this. Nice back, and just go like that. You could do 10 repetitions. Hold for a second down low, come back up. If you're a beginner, do what Brad's doing. Brad: Right, if you get down and you feel unsteady, like you're going to fall, have a nice firm chair with armrests behind you and use the armrests if you need assistance so you're safe. If you feel comfortable with this, go to one hand. And if you want to keep testing things, and you can do 10 easily, hands across your chest. Keep the chair there. And really, if you want to go to the next step, don't even touch the chair with your butt. Hold it just above, and then come back up, and see how it progresses. Brad: And the chair is really nice. I actually do promote a solid chair. And if you just need balance, hold onto something steady in front of you. The wall might be good enough. Chair, cupboard. And work it that way. I'm getting really tired. Do we have any more to do? Mike: We do. We've got two more to do. You're getting out of breath and sweaty. Brad: You can put this on hold, take a breather, get some water, then come back. Mike: So the next one we're going to do is a lunge. For a normal person, or not advanced, whatever you want to say, just put one foot forward, one foot back, and simply go down, come back up. You can do these many different ways. You can bring the foot forward, go back like this. Pick what's easiest for you. I'm going to stick to those. And do 10 on each side. Brad, do you want to show a beginner version? Brad: Sure. Balance is really critical for certain people. It's going to help your balance. Now I would suggest using the cupboard, a solid chair, a cane, or a Booyah Stik like this. Go forward, so you have balance. Go down. Make sure that the knee is going down; you're really thoughtful of that, because some people, if you haven't done these before, will go down maybe a little too hard, hit their kneecap on the hard floor, and it's really uncomfortable. So good controlled, sustained motion. You can do them like this. Or if you want, you can alternate. Take your time. And do not hunch forward. That is a bad postural thing. We don't want to do that. It's not right. Whew. Mike: I'm keeping my hands at my hips so I know I'm keeping a good posture, not leaning too far forward. Brad: There you go. Mike: Do what's comfortable for you. I think I did 10 on each side. Brad: All right, hip abductor. That's the muscles right here on the side. They're important to keep you upright and to prevent waddle walking, if you have that issue. I'm gonna do the normal version. I feel like this is a little bit more challenging. Side-lying hip abduction. Brad'll do it in a standing position. So here, I'm going to make sure my leg is in a nice straight line. Kick straight up, keep my toes straight ahead. Hold for a second, come back down. We're going to do 10 repetitions on each side. Brad: The biggest mistake I've always had with these patients is that they either point their toes up and do it without thinking about it, or their whole leg comes forward. Both of those are mistakes you do not want to have. Keep it in line, toe here, and go ahead. Isolates that muscle really well. Mike: Now, Brad, you want to show the standing version? Brad: Yep. Now what I like to do is have a chair and, cupboard in front of me. I'm going to get it out of the way so you can visually see what I'm doing. I'll use a stick, which is another good option as well. Toe straightforward, not out to the side. And a slight bend in the knee that is weight-bearing. That's important. Out and back. You notice Mike and I are breathing with these, while I'm trying to talk, of course. And slow, sustained motion. We're not just rushing through them. That's, you know, like you're trying to fly with your legs. We're just doing nice, sustained motion. Don't let it touch the floor or your other leg. There we go. And you're going to feel the hip that you're weight bearing on is actually getting good exercise as well. And it improves your balance on that side as well. Do both sides so you don't walk in circles, okay? Wow. We're done with eight? Mike: That is all eight of them. So again, do them 10 reps. For some of them, like the plank or side plank, there are time durations. 15, 30, maybe even up to 60 seconds. Brad: But wait, Mike, we forgot. We've got to mention something to these people. If you want to see more exercises like this and other videos on how to be healthy, fit, and pain-free, what can they do? Mike: You can subscribe to our channel . It's completely free, and you'll get notified when we put up a new video. Brad: Yeah, it is free. It's not like newspapers or, you know, magazines, you had to pay for a subscription, but it's not true. All right. Take care. Have a good day. Mike: Also, check out the video, " To our Special Seniors, A Daily Exercise Program From Bob & Brad ," if you are a senior and want to do more chair exercises tailored specifically to you. Brad: Yep, there you go. We're done. Mike: Now have a good day. 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This article is a transcribed, edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in September 2024. For the original video, go to https://youtu.be/UJtI91la99c Mike: Now, your back pain may be caused by many different issues; however, one muscle group is often overlooked. Brad: Now, most of us are aware that core muscles are really important to support the back and prevent pain. Mike: But we're not going to be talking about the core. We're going to be addressing weak glute muscles, how to strengthen them, and why they are causing your back pain. Brad: There you go. Mike: Let's get into looking at glute medius strengthening and low back pain. So first, what we want to talk about is a study which has a long title, Brad, what is it? Brad: Well, it's " Prevalence of Gluteus Medius Weakness ...," and some information on why and how it contributes to low back pain. Mike: So instead of going through this whole study, which will take forever and you will fall asleep, we'll just talk about a few highlights from it. So in the study, they looked at over 150 people who had low back pain, and one common denominator was that they all had weak glute muscles, specifically the glute medius, which is on the outside, but some of them had the glute maximus as well. Brad: That's right, one of the things that often happens when you have weaknesses is the waddling gate or Trendelenburg, where you see someone kind of walking like this, and that's a key that will be addressed here. Mike: So the first thing we're going to do now is talk about glute medius strengthening. Why this is important is that it supports your pelvis and the movement of the spine together. So the first exercise we're going to do is simply sidestepping. Brad: Yeah, but you are not pointing to your glute medius. That is the quads. Mike: Glute medius. There we go. Mike: Glute max, your buttocks muscles. Brad: Let's not confuse our viewers. Mike: I just like to slap my legs a little bit. Brad: All right, glute medius, sidestepping, there we go. Mike: So, for beginners, or if you're an older person, poor balance, something like that, you can certainly do this, holding onto a countertop with a cane, just simply step sideways, focus on your feet pointing straight ahead. If this seems very easy to you, you could certainly add some type of resistance band like Brad has there. Brad: Right, if you're standing still, this will work. We're working the same muscle. And again, for resistance, you can use a loop band like we have here. There's a different resistance. Red is actually a lighter resistance with this band set. The higher I pull, the more resistance I get. If you have problems with balance, make sure you're holding onto a table, countertop, or wall, and you're going to work it like we are doing here, not going like this, and not going fast, but slow, meaningful movements with your toe pointed forward versus like this. Mike: You're going to want to do 10 to 15 repetitions per side. Make sure to do both sides. It's important, and it's also important to stand with a bent knee when you're doing this because you're actually working your glute medius on the leg that is standing as well. Now we have one more exercise we want to get into. Brad: I wanted to show this one, Mike. Mike: Okay, Brad wants to take it away. Brad: Yeah, you can actually do it in your bed or lying on the floor. I'm assuming this is what you were thinking about. Mike: I was. Brad: So, lying on your side, we're going to lift the leg, which works the glute medius. Tighten up the core of the stomach muscles. We know they're important, and we're going to lift up like this and down to this level. Look at my bottom leg. I don't keep it straight because I'm a little wobbly. Bend the knee. What are you going to do with that stick? Mike: I'm showing a nice straight line, Brad has with his spine and his leg here. Brad: I get a little nervous. Mike: He's not going forward. If you go a little back, you're just going to get your glute max a little more, but try to keep it in a nice straight line. Brad: There we go. That was a good visual aid, Mike. I appreciate that, and already I can feel this really going to town, that glute media is starting to burn, and I'm going to give it a break. Make sure you do both legs on each exercise, whether it's standing with a band or lying on your side. Mike: Now, the other muscle group we want to look at is still called the glutes, it's the glute max, also known as your buttocks muscle. If you have poor glute strength, it can compromise your lower back muscles, causing them to work even more, so we wanted to get your butt firing properly. There are lots of exercises to work your glutes; however, we're going to show just one, and we're going to do a couple of variations because not everyone is comfortable kneeling down. Brad: Right, now these exercises, we didn't make them up ourselves. We got them from Rick Olderman, who has written books and taught many courses on back pain using this specific exercise for glute maximus strengthening. Go ahead, Mike. You are the pro. Mike: So, this is a form of a glute pump exercise. A typical one, you'd bend to 90 degrees and kick up towards the ceiling. However, we don't want to go through the full range of motion. We just want to really isolate the glute muscles here, so I'm going to work my left leg, bring it up somewhere kind of in between, not too high, not too low. If you really want to isolate the glute even more, turn your foot in like this. I'm going to do little oscillating movements like this. I'm going to aim for 30 repetitions. If you need to do 10, rest, do 10, rest, 10, rest, that's fine, just try to get 30 reps. Make sure you are working it on both sides, feeling that gluten engage. If this becomes easy with a bent leg like that, you can leave your leg straight and do little oscillating movements as well. Brad: Right there. Mike: This becomes easy. You can take a cuff weight, slap it around your thigh region, and you're going to get in that same position again, and now you've got some more resistance. Brad: Now I realize some of you may have the question, "Do I do it on a bed or a table like this?" You could do it on a bed that's soft. It's typically best to do it on a carpeted floor. And do you have to do it on your forearms or can you do it on your hands, Mike? Mike: You can do it either/or. The forearms are going to get the glute up a little bit higher, but if you would like to do it on an extended arm, it's perfectly fine. Brad: If you have problems getting on your hands and knees like that on the floor and the bed's not a good option, which I had mentioned, you can do it standing up. I'll demonstrate here. You can go up to a countertop, a piece of firm furniture about this height. Mike is going to use the armrest there. Okay. Again, 90/90-degree bend in the knee like I'm demonstrating here, and we go up, and we're going to get that mid-range motion. We're not doing this. This is nothing more than a teeter-totter; it will not work the glute, upper body is stationary. I could go on my forearms here. That middle range, just a continual motion, 10 reps, or you can go up to 20 or 30 repetitions, rotate it in like this if you want to isolate that glute muscle more, and I could definitely feel that butt muscle on the right side energizing and really working when I do this little bit of rotation. Mike: Did you just say you had an energized butt muscle in there? Brad: That's right. That's right. It's a family show, Mike, let's keep it on the up and up. Okay, good, wow. What else do we have? Mike: I don't think we have much else, so if you are having some back pain and you notice maybe you have the waddle walk or you're struggling with your glute muscles, give these exercises a try. Pick which ones work for you and you feel like you can do on a consistent basis. Brad: There you go. Anyway, enjoyed your time staying with us. Do we have another video that's gonna complement this, Mike? Mike: Yes, if you happen to still be having some back pain, you can watch the video " 6 Best Low Back Stretches for Max Pain Relief (Every position) ." Brad: All right, very good. Hope you enjoy the day, and hope your back becomes pain-free. 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Affiliate Disclaimer: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We are highly selective in our products and try our best to keep things fair and balanced to help you make the best choice for you.

This article is a transcribed, edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in September 2024. For the original video, go to https://youtu.be/hrxE80v00Fk Mike: Are you dealing with shoulder pain that's been lasting for weeks and struggling with activities like reaching over your head and reaching behind your back, maybe even your back pocket, or trouble sleeping? Brad: Well, if you are, we have four valid options to help treat this and get you over it in a quick hurry. Mike: You got over that fast. Brad: Well, you know, I'm good. Today we're talking about shoulder pain, long-term shoulder pain, and one common thing is that people irritate their shoulder while they're in bed, like this, sleeping on their shoulder. I am actually dealing with it right now. I've had this for a few months now. I wake up in the middle of the night on my side because, for some reason, my body says, turn that way when I'm sleeping. I wake up, and my shoulder is uncomfortable. Brad: One easy way to take away from this is how you sleep. If you know you're going to sleep on your side, get a habit of taking this shoulder and pulling it out so your trunk is at a little bit of an angle. This lets you think you're on your side, or you are on your side. You feel comfortable, your hips are there, but the shoulder is not being impinged with the body weight of the trunk. It's actually out in front; it works quite well. Brad: I do make all attempts to sleep on my back. It feels better on my back, actually, and better on my shoulders. It's those old habits after 60 years of sleeping on my side; I just don't want to get over it, but this helps a lot. Mike: Have you ever thought about sleeping on the other side? Brad: Well, I do that, too, but I have the same problem. Both my shoulders are a little uncomfortable. I think it's from swimming for the last 25 years, but I can't give that up. Mike: You've got a double whammy. Let's get into option number two. Brad: Now, the next thing is if you have shoulder pain long-term and you have the painful arch syndrome, let me explain what it is. I've had this with many patients over the years. They'll say, "My shoulder hurts, but it hurts when I reach up, and then it hurts, and then I get it so high, and it's not painful anymore. I can do my work overhead, but when I bring my arm down, oh, it hurts right through there again, and when you get it down, it's okay." Brad: That's called the painful arch syndrome. Now, this treatment is very easy to do. It can be really effective, and who is the surgeon that started this, shoulder surgeon? Mike: You are asking too many questions. Brad: Dr. Mark Kirsch. Anyways, let's go on with the treatment, and actually, this is similar to, who's our other therapist we work with? Mike: Rick Olderman . Brad: Rick Olderman uses the same thing, so it's a double benefit. Mike: So what we're going to do is stretch out the tendon in the rotator cuff here. You can do this on a door frame like I'm showing. If you have a pull-up bar, you can use that instead. Brad will show an option using a stick if you have trouble reaching up this high. Simply grab onto the top of the door frame, and you're gonna lean into the doorway. You'll start to feel a stretch here. Hold it for three breaths or so. If you prefer time, you can do 15 to 30 seconds, and then relax. Mike: As this becomes more comfortable and you want more of a stretch, lean into it and bend your knees slowly, and start hanging. This will help decompress even more within the shoulder joint region. If you're on a pull-up bar and you're fine hanging with one arm, you can do that, but it's a bit overkill. Brad: Right now, if you can't reach the doorframe up there, or perhaps the integrity of your trim work is not good and it might fall off, then you simply take a stick about four or five feet long, maybe an inch or so in diameter. You can use a broomstick, a piece of PVC pipe. We're using the Booyah Stik ; it works excellently. You can do it while sitting. You put it next to you, and make sure it does not move around. If it does, you take a shoe. Oh, here we go. I just happened to have my shoe. Put the stick in the shoe, and that works as a good break for that bottom. We're going to reach up as high as we can, and then I'm going to lean to the side. You can lean forward, whichever way feels better, and you're going to stretch and hold that. Brad: There we go. I usually do this for about 10 to 15 seconds or a little longer. Should feel good while you're doing it as well as when you're done. If you're standing, which is one of my usual stretches I do, downstairs in my basement, I go like this and I stretch into it. Brad: It's a nice stretch. There we go. If you happen to have a pull-up bar, you can just hang from a pull-up bar as well, or I like to do both as well. It works my back, so it's a double win for that. All right, let's go on to the next one, talking about, now, this is something that you do on a regular basis, or you've had good success with for shoulder problems. Mike: Yes, it's from our friend Rick Olderman, but we have to move this door out of the way. Brad: Yeah, because you're hiding back then. We'll have none of that. We want to be exposed. Mike: Now, the next handful of exercises we're going to go through are from our friend Rick Olderman, who's a physical therapist. If you want to find out more about him, you can go to rickolderman.com . Brad, take it away. Brad: Right, so the first stretch you're going to do, and then Mike's going to follow up with an exercise that these go together, you're going to go on your hands and knees. It can be done on your bed, but not so well. I prefer a carpeted floor. I'm going to do it here just for filming purposes. You bring your hands out in front of you, about shoulder width, and then you drop your butt down onto your ankles, and you're going to feel a stretch. Brad: The whole idea is we're going to loosen up that scapula and move it in an upward position, as they're probably down or one of them, and particularly the painful side, the scapula is depressed. We need to un-depress it, make it happy, and move up. That was kind of a joke. If you want to emphasize it more, say, my left one, I want to stretch that side, I put it over on my right hand, and you'll feel the emphasis on that left side. Going to hold that for 15 to 30 seconds. Brad: Do it two to three times, and after you get done with that, you're going to do the wall stretch, unless you can't do this because you're unable to go on your hands and knees. Mike's showing you options so you don't have to be on your hands and knees. Go ahead, Mike, I'm babbling. Mike: You can either do this at a table with a chair, or you can do it standing at a countertop as well, whatever works for you. Again, you simply put your hands on the table. If you have a rolling chair or computer chair, you can roll your butt back, get the same concept we were just showing. You're just not going to get the leg stretch, but we're focused on the shoulder in this video, so it's fine. Mike: If you have a chair that doesn't move, simply put your hands down. If you happen to have a towel or a smooth countertop, you can just slide your hands forward, go as far as you comfortably can. I'm going to hit my microphone on the bed, so I can't do too much. Hold for a few seconds, come back, and you can do that five to 10 times. Mike: Now, another option or exercise you can focus on, you're going to need an open wall or door for this. Simply take your hands, pinky side touching the wall to the elbows. You're going to start slightly below 90 degrees here, and I'm going to push, slide my arms up. As I go up, I'm kind of shrugging. You can see in my upper traps here. This'll help if you're having shoulder issues. Get that shoulder up as high as you comfortably can. Not everyone can go this high. If you can only go this high, that's fine, just start there. Hold for a few seconds and come back down. So we're going to go up, high as you can, lean into the wall a bit. Brad: Up with the shoulder blades at this point. Mike: And then come back down. Now, if you're only dealing with one bad shoulder and you only have to work one side, you could do this with one arm. Just go up and back down. You can do them separately. If you're like me and you just wanna do 'em together, you certainly can. It's not gonna hurt anything. Brad: There you go. I just found out that I'm working with someone who's doing this exercise, and he says it works really well to do it in the shower, and his fingers slide up and down the shower really easily, because they should just slide. You're not trying to drag or push into the wall; it's just simply a guide. Just something I wanted to bring up. All right, this is another nice shoulder exercise by Rick Olderman. It helps position the shoulder in the right position so everything works properly, and what you do is lie down. I like to put a pillow down just to raise my chest up a little bit, which makes the exercise easier. Doing this on a carpeted floor is best, not on a bed, which gives you a little more room. My right arm is the side that's a problem, and I'm going to lie like this, and the first thing I'm going to do is elevate the shoulder right there. That brings the scapula towards the midline or towards your spine, and then I'm going to lift up with a palm up towards the ceiling, and I'm just going to hold it there. We can do some isolation, about 10 to 15 repetitions, but you have to keep that scapula up. You will feel that middle trap muscle getting a little bit fatigued. Brad: Now, if you want to increase the intensity, Mike is going to demonstrate a more advanced method, and it's a little more difficult. Go ahead, Mike. Mike: So you're going to, again, squeeze the trap, but my arm is not going to be next to my side. It's going to be out a little bit away from me. It is off the ground completely, or mat, I'm on a mat here, and then you're going to do little oscillating circles. You can do this for roughly 30 circles or 30 seconds, whichever comfortable for you, and then relax. You're really going to start feeling some fatigue and muscular work in that scapular region. Brad: That's right. So that brings that scapula back. After that, lie on your back. You don't have to have a pillow under your back, depends on how loose you are, but if you can lie like this, head down and out like this, and you can bring your arms up like this, if this is too easy and you want more of a stretch, then you would put a nice throw pillow or any pillow there, and it gives you more of a stretch, and you can see my hands do not want to touch the floor. This is a little too aggressive for me, so I would do it without that pillow. Ooh, okay, and that will also take 15 to 30 seconds. Brad: Do that a couple of times a day at least. All right, so obviously, you're not going to do all of those exercises. Go through each one, find out which ones you have tight muscles or you're having good results that make the shoulder feel better. Personally, I do the sleeping one I talked about. I also do the stretch, and I do the one lying on the ground. I do not do the one that Mike does. It just doesn't seem to work for me, so I leave it alone, and I have good success. Now, if you happen to find yourself doing the W one, where you're lying on your back like I just demonstrated, and you feel that these muscles here are tight, a good stretch, and you have a massage gun , this can be a really good option to get those muscles loosened up. Mike, talk about it. Mike: Yes, if you have tight pec muscles, oftentimes, that can bring your shoulders into a forward rounded position, bad posture over time, it's going to pull on your shoulder joint, causing a lot of issues. We need to fix that. Some people really need to get in there and massage along with stretching, so just massage the general pec region. You can hear it's working; my voice is vibrating, or you may have some tight lats, too, which can cause an effect, again, in your shoulder joint motion as well, so you can massage there as well. Brad: What's going on with that massage gun? You got a weird-looking head on there. Mike: This has a nice heat-cold option head, so if you want to warm it up, get some blood flow in the area, or cool it down, you can just press the buttons, and that's only on our pro models. Brad: Yeah, the pro models. Yeah, that heat-cold option is really nice. It feels great. I'm just impressed with it. Plus, they're really shiny, and you can see yourself at the end. It's like a mirror. Mike: Brad likes shiny things, looking at himself, apparently. If you want to check out more videos on shoulder pain, watch " How to Fix Shoulder Pain in Seconds (This Works!) " Brad: All right. Have fun, be careful. 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Affiliate Disclaimer: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We are highly selective in our products and try our best to keep things fair and balanced to help you make the best choice for you.

This article is a transcribed, edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in September 2024. For the original video, go to https://youtu.be/1fsxze4fL5c Mike: One of the most important factors when healing plantar fasciitis is actually getting blood flow and circulation to the area. Brad: Yes, now we are going to show you how you can benefit from using a massage gun. And there's four specific tricks that really make this work well. Mike: So today, we are talking about plantar fasciitis. What are some of the biggest issues with this, Brad? Brad: Well, the big thing is to actually increase circulation to the plantar fascia, which is going to help with healing. Anytime you increase circulation and blood flow, healing is actually increased. We're going to show you how to use a massage gun to use it specifically for this problem. Now, historically, it's very common that a therapist will say you can do a self-massage to the plantar fascia right here. And oftentimes you can use your thumbs, you're working that fascia to increase circulation, to loosen that tissue so that it releases tension. Brad: Now, a key thing is actually not just to massage the plantar fascia, but the calf muscles get tight, and when the calf muscles get tight, they are a direct link or chain connected to the heel, which connects directly to the plantar fascia. So we must relax the plantar fascia area and oftentimes, more importantly, relax the calf muscle. Mike: I'm feeling this right now. So what we're going to address first is the calf region, and then we'll work our way down to the plantar fascia. We want to massage the calf first using a massage gun. Then we're also going to stretch it. Then we'll get into the plantar fascia, how to massage that, and how to stretch there as well. So I'm just using the C2 Pro Massage Gun here. This one has a heat and cold option setting you can use on it, but you're just going to kind of go into the muscle belly and find the tender areas and gently work around that. You can go on the inside of the calf or the outside of the calf. You can do this in a seated position or lying down, whichever is comfortable for you. Brad: Yeah, now a lot of massage guns do not have the hot and cold head like this. This is new technology. I would recommend using the round or the ball head because almost all of them have that. And to get into that muscle, you're going to find tight spots. And if they're tight, they're probably a little more tender. So work it if you're using the round head, the big advantage I like and promote with my patients is don't go straight in. Actually, go at an angle. And that can work a cross-friction massage and can help loosen up those muscles without as much pain. Brad: So you're actually benefiting and making it more enjoyable. Now there is one key, some people, I have one patient right now, who really benefits from working up just below the knee. That's where the gastrocnemius is. The soleus muscle, lower down, is a separate muscle that can also be a big part of it. So make sure you cover from the tendon, the Achilles tendon, all the way up to the knee. Find out where the tight spot is, and there may be more than one. When you're done with it, it should feel tingly, it should feel good. That actually feels really helpful. And you'll know. It's usually three to five minutes. Mike, do you have any other tips before we get down to the plantar area? Mike: Usually, when I massage my calves, I have a lot of knots in there. I can feel them right now. It's a little uncomfortable. But for me, the longer I do it, the more they relax, and it feels better. So oftentimes I have to start very mild with the massage gun, a softer setting, a softer head. Over time, I could start pressing and get a little more aggressive. I actually squeeze the muscle belly with my hand, and it's a little bit easier to go in there. That's just a personal thing I found. Brad: Yeah, well, we're glad that you give us personal information. Let's get onto the plantar fascia. I am going to remove my nice, bright red socks and be aware, because my feet are getting old. Once you get 60, you've got all kinds of weird things going on. Mike: Weird odors, too. Brad: Yeah, yeah. So let's look at the plantar fascia, on the foot, we have this, it's kind of a little triangular-shaped. It goes from here, and then it connects to the calcaneus, the big bone right here. But oftentimes right in this area, if you push down on that area, it'll make you go "Ow." Brad: That's the irritated spot. That's the spot we need to relieve tension and increase blood flow. So again, now this one I would use, probably not the heated massage head. If you're doing it, you have to be careful because it's not as forgiving as the soft air head or the round head. Mike: This feels really good. I'm not going to lie. I've never used a hot massage head on the bottom of my foot. I also don't have plantar fasciitis, so my feet aren't sensitive. Brad: Yeah. Mike: So if you're sensitive, be a little cautious. Brad: And you'll find out. Right away, you start massaging gently. Start on low and work the bottom area of your foot. And you'll find the sensitive area. If it does, you get over the sensitive area, and it makes you go "Ow," stay away from that area. Work around it. And you can go over the calcaneus. You're not going to go directly into it because that's going to be very aggressive and just give you negative results. Sideways with the round head, okay? And if you want, you can get up into the Achilles tendon. Again, work it sideways. Don't go directly in unless it feels good, depending on the individual. Mike: Now you can also wipe down your massage gun head afterwards because it might stink a little bit if your feet are having odors. Brad: Speak for yourself. Mine is absolutely void of that situation. Now, when you can get to that area that's tender, it's often the spot when you get out of bed in the morning, oh, you feel it. After it starts to heal, you'll be able to get to that, and then you can massage that area again. I would use the round head, go sideways, so you get a cross-friction massage, which has historically worked very well, and you're just going to work it like shown above. This is feeling really good right now for me. And I'm going to spend a minute or two doing it. And again, when you're done, another thing you would like to do is a gentle, gentle stretch. Do you want to show how you stretch your plantar fascia? Mike: We'll show the plantar fascia stretch. We neglected the calf stretch. So we'll do that right afterwards. Brad: Okay, good point. Mike: What you can do is if you're comfortable sitting in a figure four position, legs crossed like this, it's a lot easier to grab the bottom of your foot. You could certainly do this lying down as well. Lying down? Brad: Lying, lying, lying. Make sure you get that. Mike: I'm a liar. Brad: Yeah. Mike: Okay. So what you're going to do is simply grab your toes with your hands here. If you can't reach well, you could certainly grab a towel if you want. And you're just going to pull back, extend the toes, keep a nice flat foot here. This is going to stretch the plantar fascia; bending down will relax it more, and this'll get a good stretch. You can just hold this for 30 seconds or so. Do it two to three times. Brad: Now, I was reading comments as we do, and one of the commenters said, "If you have an injured tissue here on the plantar fascia, why would you stretch it and potentially tear it open and re-injure it?" Very good point. That's why I emphasize gentle stretching. Don't overdo it. If you get pain, eh? Just kind of back off and gently stretch into it. So we're just trying to reorganize the scar tissue so that it heals in the right fashion. So gentle, gentle, gentle. Shall I repeat that three more times? Mike: Maybe. Brad: No, I won't. Alright, what do you say? Mike: I say we show 'em how to do the calf stretch since we forgot that earlier. Brad: Thank you. Mike: So you can go up to a wall standing up. A simple way to do it is that the foot I'm stretching is going to go back behind me more. I simply lean forward to try to have good posture and straighten my knee out. I'm going to stretch my calf muscles. Just hold this for 30 seconds or so. You can go longer if it feels comfortable. If you want to try to hit your soleus muscle, the other deeper calf muscle, try to bend your ankle. Again, do the same thing. I have some pretty tight ankles, so I don't get too much motion on this. Brad: So he's flexing the knee, which immediately flexes or dorsiflexes the ankle, which gets that soleus a little deeper. Mike: So if I am doing the gastroc muscles, I'm keeping a nice straight leg doing this. Want to hit the soleus a little more? Bend the knee. Brad: Woo. Nice job. I say you did a good job of explaining there. Now what I'd like to do is talk about, I can't remember what I was going to do. I think we're finishing up here. Make sure you work with these when you're using the massage guns, do the tricks that we talked about. It can make a big difference. And I think we got another video that actually relates. Mike: Yes, " The 5 Things Anyone with Plantar Fasciitis Should Do Every Morning . Brad: Every morning. Mike: Because most often, when people get out of bed, that's when it's most problematic. Brad: Yeah. As a matter of fact, my wife, I shouldn't laugh. But she just started developing symptoms. She got out of bed this morning. "Oh, it hurts." And I thought, "Your ankle?" "No, it's right there." And I said, "You have plantar fasciitis." But I didn't laugh. I didn't. Mike: Sure. He is laughing now. Brad: No. I'm going to help my wife get through her plantar fasciitis quicker. I hope she didn't see this episode. Goodbye. Goodbye. We're rambling. 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Affiliate Disclaimer: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We are highly selective in our products and try our best to keep things fair and balanced to help you make the best choice for you.

1. Will you need surgery? a. You have four major ligaments in your knee. All attach from the femur bone, which makes up the upper half of the knee joint, to the Tibia or Fibula bones, which make up the bottom of the knee joint. All four help stabilize the knee joint and limit the mobility of the joint. You have one ligament on each side of the knee - the Lateral Collateral Ligament (LCL) on the outside of the knee and the Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) on the inside of the knee. Most often, the collateral ligaments do not need surgery (although there can be exceptions). The other two ligaments are located inside the knee and cross each other inside the knee joint. The Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) and Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL). When a cruciate ligament is completely torn. If an ACL or PCL ligament is torn, you will generally require surgery. In this surgery, the surgeon will take tendons from other parts of your leg (or from a cadaver) for the reconstruction. 2. What happens if you do not have the surgery? a. If your ACL or PCL is torn and you opt out of surgery, you may experience continued knee pain or instability. If you want to continue to participate in sports or physical labor, the surgery is often warranted. If the ACL or PCL is completely torn, there will be instability in the knee that can cause feelings of sudden knee shifting or buckling. Also, without an ACL or PCL repair, you have a higher risk of eventual injury to the cartilage in your knee (due to the instability). Generally, with a complete ACL or PCL tear, you will be unable to: 1. Jump and land on the knee 2. Accelerate and then change directions 3. Rapidly pivot on the knee If you opt out of surgery, a knee brace and physical therapy might help with stability. Keep in mind that the reconstructive surgery is complicated, and the rehab is quite involved. Check out the full Knee Pain Relief Program series of videos, along with downloadable guide sheets, here: https://www.bobandbrad.com/health-programs/knee-pain-relief-program

Tired, Achy Feet? Try a Simple Massage Ball Are your feet stiff, sore, or achy by the end of the day? Whether from long hours standing, plantar fasciitis, or general foot pain, rolling your feet on a massage ball is one of the easiest ways to find relief at home. Using a ball under your foot can: Ease pain in the arches and heels Improve flexibility and circulation Reduce plantar fasciitis flare-ups Provide instant relaxation Best Massage Balls for Foot Pain When choosing a ball for foot rolling, consider the style and pressure you prefer: Bio Cork Massage Balls  – Firm, smooth, eco-friendly, and perfect for consistent pressure. Vibrating Massage Balls  – Add vibration and textured grips for deeper stimulation and enhanced circulation. Both are excellent tools for plantar fasciitis treatment at home and general foot pain relief. How to Use a Massage Ball for Feet 1. Seated Foot Massage Sit comfortably in a chair. Place the ball under your arch, heel, or forefoot. Roll slowly back and forth with light pressure. 2. Standing Foot Roll Stand up and place more body weight onto the ball. Focus on sore spots like the arch or heel for deeper release. 3. Targeted Pressure for Plantar Fasciitis Find a tender area under your foot. Hold the ball there for 20–30 seconds to release knots. 4. Cross-Fiber Massage Roll side-to-side across the foot instead of lengthwise. Helps loosen fascia and small foot muscles in a new direction. 💡 Tip:  For plantar fasciitis, roll near (but not directly on) the heel first, then slowly move closer to the sore spot as it loosens. How Long Should You Roll Your Feet? Most people only need 1–2 minutes per foot for effective results. Use foot rolling: In the morning, to warm up tight feet After walking or standing all day Before bed for soothing relaxation Where to Buy Massage Balls for Feet Bob & Brad’s Bio Cork Massage Balls and Vibrating Massage Balls are available exclusively at Walmart—both in-store and online. Look for them in the Pharmacy / Pain Relief aisle (near Tylenol & ibuprofen). Each set includes two balls. Vibrating balls are battery-operated and available in black & teal. These small but mighty tools are designed to help with: Plantar fasciitis Heel pain Arch soreness General tired, achy feet As well as being great for other body parts Quick, Affordable Relief Rolling your feet with a massage ball is a simple, low-cost solution for foot pain. Whether you choose a cork ball or a vibrating one, just a few minutes of rolling can release tension, ease plantar fasciitis, and make walking feel easier again. Your feet carry you all day—treat them to a massage they deserve! 👉 Ready to try it? Pick up your set of Bob & Brad Massage Balls at Walmart  today and start rolling your way to pain-free feet.

There are four main ligaments in your knee. Ligaments are strong bands of tissue that connect one bone to another. In the knee, they connect the bone above your knee to one of the two bones below your knee. These four ligaments help stabilize your knee joint. Common ways the ligaments get strained, stretched, partially torn, or completely torn (often during sports): 1. Suddenly changing direction (cutting) or slowing down 2. Landing incorrectly or awkwardly from a jump 3. Sudden stop 4. Pivoting on your knee with your foot firmly planted 5. A direct blow or collision to the knee (example-football tackle) Indications you may have a torn or strained ligament in your knee: 1. Sudden and severe pain 2. A loud popping or snapping sound during the injury 3. Rapid swelling within the first 24 hours 4. The knee feels loose or unstable 5. Unable to put weight on the joint-painful or gives way 6. A loss of motion in the knee With these indicators, one should see a physician. Tests they may do to check the integrity of the ligaments: 1. Anterior drawer for ACL ligament (Anterior Cruciate Ligament): a. Lie on your back and bend the knee to 45 degrees. Grab the tibia and fibula with the fingers above the joint line. Pull in an explosive manner. Compare side to side. Laxity may indicate a strain or tear. 2. Posterior drawer for PCL ligament (Posterior Cruciate Ligament): a. Lie on your back and bend the knee to 45 degrees. Grab the tibia and fibula with the fingers above the joint line. Push in an explosive manner. Compare side to side. Laxity may indicate a strain or tear. 3. Valgus Test for MCL (Medial Collateral Ligament): a. Lie on your back – perform with your knee straight and at 20-30 degrees. Grab the inside part of the ankle and place the other hand on the outside thigh. Turn the lower leg slightly outward - external rotation. Bring the lower leg out into abduction. A feeling that the joint may be gapping is a sign ligament may be stretched or torn. Compare to the other side. 4. Varus Test for LCL (Lateral Collateral Ligament): a. Lie on your back – perform with your knee straight and at 20-30 degrees. Grab the outside part of the ankle and place the other hand on the inside thigh. Turn the lower leg slightly outward- external rotation. Bring the lower leg in toward the other leg. A feeling that the joint may be gapping is a sign ligament may be stretched or torn. Compare to the other side. Check out the full Knee Pain Relief Program series of videos, along with downloadable guide sheets, here: https://www.bobandbrad.com/health-programs/knee-pain-relief-program

A torn meniscus or cartilage in your knee is one of the most common knee injuries. When you are younger, the tear often occurs with an athletic event. Torn cartilage can occur from any activity in which you forcefully rotate or twist your knee while putting your full weight on it. As you get older, your knee can begin to degrade, and a tear can occur with little to no trauma. A tear can even occur with a deep squat or kneeling. This is especially true when lifting something heavy. Obesity also puts increased stress on the cartilage of the knee. Your knee has two C-shaped pieces of cartilage (one located more toward the inside of your knee and the other more toward the outside of your knee). They provide a cushion between your thigh bone and your lower leg. If your cartilage is torn, you may experience the following: 1. Clicking or popping in the knee. 2. Increased pain in the knee-especially when rotating or twisting your knee. 3. Your knee may lock up when trying to move it. 4. You may have trouble straightening your knee. 5. You may have increased pain or stiffness, especially with weight bearing on the leg. 6. Your knee may feel like it wants to give way. When you should see a doctor. You should see a doctor if your knee pain persists for several days and/or swelling is present. You should also see if doctor if your knee wants to lock, or not fully straighten or bend. Three Self-Tests: 1. Eges test: a. This test cannot be performed if the injury just occurred, and the knee is very painful or swollen. You may hang on to something for support. Stand with your knees straight and your feet about 12-16 inches apart. Turn your feet out as far as they will go and then squat down. Increased pain or a clicking sound may mean you have a tear in your cartilage on the inside of the knee. (Eges Test) Next, turn your feet in as far as they will go. Again, squat down as far as able (it will be limited). Increased pain or a clicking sound may mean you have a tear in your cartilage on the outside of the knee. 2. Thessaly test: a. Check uninjured leg first. Put all your weight on the uninjured leg and hold onto a counter for stability. Bend the uninjured knee to about 20 degrees and then twist or rotate the knee 3x. Increased pain in your knee joint may indicate a tear in your cartilage. Repeat the test on your painful or injured leg next. 3. Childress or Duckwalk test: a. Patient should assume a full squat position. In this position, the patient should waddle back and side to side (keeping the knees bent). You may have a tear if you are unable to fully squat, hear clicking, or begin to experience increased pain. (Duckwalk Test) If any of these tests indicate a tear, you may want to get an MRI to confirm. Check out the full Knee Pain Relief Program series of videos, along with downloadable guide sheets, here: https://www.bobandbrad.com/health-programs/knee-pain-relief-program