Calf Strain and Foot Pain

Groomfit with Vera Needham

“Sitting is the new smoking,” a phrase Achilles to shorten.

If your calves are tight and inflexible it restricts our ability to walk correctly. Have you ever stood up at the end of the

coined by Dr. James Levine to raise awareness of the toll prolonged sitting plays on our body. There are many problems associated with sitting, but today I want to focus on tight calf muscles and how they can wreak havoc on our feet. Many groomers spend much of the day seated at the grooming table. It’s not natural for our body to be in that position for such a prolonged period of time. We often sit with our knees bent and day and felt like the Tin man who’s lost

his oil can?

There are two major muscles that make up our calves. They are the Gastrocnemius and the Soleus muscles, which both run from the back of your knee and at-

tach at the heel via your Achilles tendon.

The calf muscle plantar flexes the ankle joint. Plantar flexion is the action of pointing your toes, standing on tippy toes or lifting the heels and pressing into the ball of the foot as we walk.

The Achilles tendon is attached to your calf muscle, so it’s no wonder that when calves are tight, that it can lead to tendonitis, which is inflammation and tiny tears in the tendon. The Achilles tendon

also attaches to the plantar fascia which is a band of tissue that stretches

across the soles of your feet. If this tissue becomes inflamed, it can lead to the searing heel commonly associated with Plantar Fasciitis.

Tight calf muscles limit the range of motion in your ankles, which causes some people to place more pressure on the balls of their feet when they walk or stand. If you spend much of the day standing at the grooming table, the extra strain to the forefoot can lead to problems like bursitis, nerve entrapment or capsulitis, which is often referred to as metatarsal-

gia. This is a condition where the ball of the foot becomes painful and inflamed. Pain in the big toe joint, and hammer toe deformities, can all be the result of the tight calf muscle.

Standing to work may be a better choice for groomers than sitting, but still may result in foot pain especially as we age because collagen production slows down and we have less cushioning on the balls of our feet and heels.

Standing is a passive activity which means it does not stimulate circulation.

Having less blood flow to your feet on a regular basis over a prolonged period of time can cause sore feet, swelling of the legs, varicose veins, and general muscu-

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lar fatigue which are common complaints amongst groomers.

Basically, the body does not like to have the same posture or load placed on it continuously, so change is always good. You want routine breaks where you gets the blood moving “said Kermit Davis, graduate program director for environmental and occupational hygiene at the University of Cincinnati. Switching up your routine during the day is the best option for groomers. Alternate your routine between sitting and standing, and take micro breaks to walk or stretch

whenever you can.

On the next page there are a few simple stretches to help those achy feet. Stretching should be to the point of stimulation. Stretching may feel uncomfortable, but it should never be painful.

Hold each stretch for at least 30 sec-

onds to give the muscle fibers time to relax. You get the best results if you repeat each stretch at least three times during the day. Be certain to breathe when stretching to keep blood pressure from spiking. With each exhale, go a little bit deeper into the stretch. When you breathe properly, your heart pumps oxygenated blood to your muscles.

A great natural way to lengthen calf muscles is to add some small hills to

your daily dog walk. When we walk up a hill it naturally lengthens the muscles of the lower leg and ankle.

Kids rarely have foot problems, probably because they hate sitting still. Children love to move, climb trees, hills, monkey bars etc. Moving keeps us pliable and healthy. In the words of George Bernard Shaw, “We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” Our job has such more potential for fun five minute breaks than

any job I know.

The Gastrocnemius muscle assists in

bending the knee and helps keep you balanced and upright. The Gastrocnemius stretch targets the calf muscle that starts above the knee so

back leg should be straight during this stretch. Gradually transfer your weight to your front leg bending a little further into the front knee for a deeper stretch.

Start with your hands leaning on a table or wall and take a big step back. The longer the step, the more you will feel the stretch.

Check that your knees and toes are pointing forward as you place your weight on the back leg making certain the heel is anchored.

You may want to try variations of this stretch with the toe of the back leg pointed in towards the other foot or outCopyright © 2011 Find A Groomer Inc. All rights reservedwards away from the foot. 53

The Soleus muscle starts just below the knee so we target this part of the calf by bending the knee while stretching. This stretch is performed in the same position as the first stretch only this time we place the weight in the back leg, anchor the back heel, then bend the knee until you feel a stretch through the calf and Achilles. Start by placing the ball of the foot on the lower step with the heel resting off the back of the step. Drop the heel down by slightly bending the top knee until you feel a stretch in your calf.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Vera Needham is a Medical Exercise Specialist, pilates trainer and has been a dog groomer for over 35 years. Vera invented the Tubee-Fit training tool for groomers. The Tubee has proven to be a wonderful addition to her older adult classes and in long term care facilities. If you have any Goomfit question or want more information about the Tubee contact Vera at groomfit@yahoo.com