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RAPID REBOOT!!
10 min session:
Per session = $15
Package of 5 sessions = $65
Package of 10 sessions = $100
20 min session:
Per session = $20
Package of 5 sessions = $90
Package of 10 sessions = $150
30 min session:
Per session = $25
Package of 5 sessions = $115
Package of 10 sessions = $200
60 min session (for multiple attachment use)
Per session = $45
Package of 5 sessions = $200
Package of 10 sessions = $350
Plantar fasciitis is an inflammation of the band of tissue (the plantar fascia) that extends from the heel to the toes. In this condition, the fascia first becomes irritated and then inflamed, resulting in heel pain.
The most common cause of plantar fasciitis relates to faulty structure of the foot. For example, people who have problems with their arches, either overly flat feet or high-arched feet, are more prone to developing plantar fasciitis.
Wearing nonsupportive footwear on hard, flat surfaces puts abnormal strain on the plantar fascia and can also lead to plantar fasciitis. This is particularly evident when one’s job requires long hours on the feet. Obesity and overuse may also contribute to plantar fasciitis.
One of the less thought about causes of plantar fasciitis can be your bed sheets. When the flat sheet is tucked in to the end of the bed, your toes will be pulled down causing the muscles and ligaments of the foot to me shortened. Consider having an untucked bed to better the health of your feet.
People with plantar fasciitis often describe the pain as worse when they get up in the morning or after they have been sitting for long periods of time. After a few minutes of walking, the pain decreases because walking stretches the fascia. For some people, the pain subsides but returns after spending long periods of time on their feet.
Massage therapy has proven to be a very effective course of action against plantar fasciitis. Applying cups to the plantar aspect of the affected foot, the fascia will be stretched and hydrated allowing it to function normally. It is important to schedule regular appointments to maintain wellness.
Along with the foot, remember to stretch and lengthen the Achilles tendon which attaches the muscles from the back of the calf to the heal. When shortened, the Achilles tendon will pull the heal forcing the foot into position that is common with plantar fasciitis.
We will be adding more information and helpful hints about the causes, prevention, and treatment of plantar fasciitis over the next few days. Be sure to check back and comment below with any question!
Having worked in the massage therapy field for almost 15 years I have had the pleasure of working on hundreds of bodies. While some clients find silence to be relaxing, others like to talk. I encourage everyone to do whatever helps them to feel comfortable. I also like to encourage people to ask questions so that they better understand what I am doing and help put their mind and body at ease. Below is a collection of just a few of the more frequently asked questions I have been asked.
If you have any questions that you would like answered, please feel free to ask and I will be happy to answer!
We all want to build a strong core when we work out. What do we imagine when we think of core? Chiseled obliques? Six pack abs? Toned butt and thighs? Although these are all important, none of the muscle groups I mentioned above are truly part of your core.
Well then which muscles do make up your core?
There are 4 true core muscles/muscle groups. They are:
1) the Diaphragm
2) the Transversus Abdominis (TA)
3) the Multifidi
4) the pelvic floor muscles
Arguably the most important skeletal muscle of your body, the diaphragm, only has one job… to breathe! When the diaphragm contracts, the rib cage expands allowing air to rush into our lungs. When it relaxes, the opposite occurs and you exhale. Although the diaphragm should be the only active muscle of inspiration during times of rest, often times it is not. Secondary muscles of inspiration such as the Scalenes, Sternocleidomastoid (SCM), Upper Trapezius, as well as others, will assist the diaphragm with inspiration. Unless you’re out of breath from another great Definition Fitness workout, those muscles should be at rest during inspiration. A weak, tight diaphragm can easily be the culprit of neck pain from tense neck musculature. It can also be the culprit of low back pain. The diaphragm attaches to the anterior aspect of the first 2-3 lumbar vertebrates. It’s important to train your diaphragm!!
The TA is a thick band of muscle deep below your six pack abs and obliques. It attaches from the crest of your pelvis, ribs 7-12, the thoracolumbar fascia (low back area where your Lats attach), and goes to the bottom of your sternum (xiphoid process) all the way down the linea alba. This important muscle’s action is to help stabilize the pelvis and rib cage during movement. It’s actions on the front side of the body are closely coupled with the actions of the Multifidi on the posterior side.
The Multifidus muscle is more like a group of small muscles that run from your Sacrum all the way up your spine. It’s area of most significance, where they are usually the largest and most prominent, is around the lumbar spine. These tiny muscles go from the Transverse processes of each vertebrae to the spinous processes of the vertebrae 1-2 segments above its origin. Their primary function is to eccentrically control forward bending, acting as stabilizing muscles of the spine. They also help with rotation and extension of the trunk, but because they are such small muscles, bigger muscles such as the erector spinae create the majority of those forces.
The pelvic floor muscles form the base of your core. Often neglected, the pelvic floor is just as vital as any other core muscle. There are two good cues to activate this musculature. The first is to act as if you are trying not to pass gas in public by clenching. The second is to act as if you are trying to stop the flow of urine. The pelvic floor has to relax in order to urinate, therefore stopping the flow activates these muscles (I do not recommend stopping your flow of urine due to other health reasons). Standard endurance should allow you to contract the pelvic floor muscles for a 10 second hold, 10 times. Try it for yourself and you’ll see it’s more difficult than it seems!
I hope this blog post helps everyone build a strong, true core foundation. When the core is functioning properly, the rest of the muscles can perform at their maximum potential! Don’t sell yourself short by neglecting your core!
America is a hard-working, income-driven society. Most of us work about 8 hours, 5 days a week, with a total of 1-2 hours of commuting each day. From an anatomical perspective, most of this time is spent in one position: seated.
Why is this a bad thing?
Too much sitting often leads to something called “Upper and Lower Cross Syndrome”
Upper Cross Syndrome is a result of poor posture of the upper body. The cervical extensor muscles become tight, as well as the chest muscles, while the cervical flexor muscles become weak along with the scapular retractors. What does that mean and why does that happen?
It’s a result of prolonged poor posture. Nobody’s eyesight is perfect, so we tend to lean forward to focus on what we’re doing, whether it’s driving or working on the computer. The farther forward your head sits, the harder your neck extensor muscles must work to control your head’s posture, while the neck flexors are virtually doing no work to balance the position of your head. One’s shoulders tend to draw forward, especially while seated, which keeps the chest in a shortened position and elongates a group of muscles such as the rhomboids.
Lower Cross Syndrome is the same problem, but on the lower half of the trunk. The lumbar extensors and hip flexors become tight, while the abdominals and glutes become weak. This happens for the same reason as upper cross syndrome: prolonged poor posture. Sitting keeps the pelvis in a flexed position, which is going to tighten the hip flexors and reciprocally weaken the glutes.
So what can you do to prevent this from occurring? I know work is inevitable, as is the traffic that comes along with the commute, but there are many ways to reduce the upper and lower cross syndrome.
Step 1- EXERCISE! This is the easiest and most obvious solution. Exercise keeps the body moving, keeps the blood flowing, and prevents you from being stuck in one position for too long. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends at least 5 days per week of moderate intensity exercise.
Step 2- Take breaks from sitting! The main issue is that we stay stuck in the same position for too long and our bodies are forced to adapt. In anatomy, Wolff’s law states that bone will adapt to the loads placed upon it. In other words, the longer you stay in a certain position, the more accustomed your skeleton becomes to that position. Set a timer every 15 minutes and stand up, do 5 squats, walk to the bathroom and back, do ANYTHING that will regularly move you away from the seated position!
Step 3- Consider buying a standing desk. Standing is a more natural position for the human body. After all, millions of years of evolution brought humans to be bipedal.
Step 4- Stretching. Logically, this would seem like the easiest solution. However, it’s not that simple. If you stretch your chest for 2 minutes, does that really provide balance from the 10+ hours of sitting with your shoulders rounded forward? Not really. But, it provides a good starting point. Developing a habit of stretching every day, multiple times, can definitely provide relief from the constant seated position, and allows your body to be more mobile for when you begin that exercise routine I mentioned in Step 1 😉
Step 5- Postural Awareness. Arguably the most important, is to create an awareness of what your posture looks like. The ears should be in line with the shoulders, which should be in line with the hips, which should be in line with the knees, which should be in line over the ankles. Yes, it’s one big kinetic chain! Each link is just as important as the next.
-Sebastien Goodman
Cupping therapy is an ancient form of alternative medicine in which a therapist places special cups on the patient’s skin for a few minutes creating a suction seal. The suction and negative pressure inside the cups helps to loosen muscles, encourage blood flow, reduce inflammation, and sedate the nervous system. It has been shown to help with back and neck pain, stiff muscles, anxiety, fatigue, migraines, rheumatism, and even cellulite.
While this form of therapy has only become popular in the United States in the past few years, it can be found in some of the oldest medical textbooks of the Western world including the Ebers Papyrus which was written in 1550 BC. Cupping was used by Hippocrates in ancient Greece for internal disease and structural problems.
A standard cupping treatment at Definition will start with a palpation evaluation while applying a small amount of lubrication to the treatment area. Next the cups will be placed and the air will be pulled out to create the required amount of suction. Cups may be left on the area for 5-15 minutes depending on how many prior treatments the patient has had and the amount of soft tissue in the area. Some larger areas (trapezius, hamstrings) respond well to a treatment called moving cupping where the cup has a lessened amount of suction and is dragged over the soft tissue areas helping to flush out toxins, lactic acid or stagnations.
Using the manual pistons on each individual cup, the pressure is released and the cups are removed. The therapist will then use some Swedish massage strokes to flush out the fluids and toxins loosened while the cups were in place. A final hot towel will be placed on the skin to cleanse & relax the opened pores. This whole process can take 30 minutes to an hour depending on the part(s) of the body being treated.
After a treatment, there may be some circular markings or bruising on the skin. These marking are painless and will generally go away within a few days after treatment.
Schedule your cupping appointment today!
Hey there, I’m Sebastien! Whether it’s kicking a soccer ball, throwing a football, or swinging a tennis racket, sports have always been a great way to release energy. As I grew up, injuries mounted and becoming a professional athlete no longer seemed like a possibility. Doctors were reluctant to help me and I was not able to continue with sports in high school. Although it was difficult to deal with at the time, in hindsight it shaped my current life.
This ordeal made me realize I want to help people as a future profession. My passion for sports led me to get my undergraduate degree in Applied Physiology and Kinesiology from the University of Florida. From there, I enrolled in the University of North Florida’s Doctorate of Physical Therapy program. My goal is to be an expert on the human body and how the body goes through the healing process.
Another result from discontinuing sports was my newfound passion for playing the guitar. I love classic rock, blues, and jazz. When I was no longer able to continue running every day, I picked up the guitar. Over time, I taught myself to play songs I enjoyed, and learned to develop my own style. Today, I can’t imagine a day that goes by where I haven’t indulged in some sweet melodies on the guitar.
To bring this full circle- my experiences have helped me understand the importance of balance in life. Everyone has their own unique reasons for exercising. The key is to understand what your goal is, and how to provide the necessary balance to maximize your potential and surpass your goal!
How is stretching beneficial? Many people believe stretching increases your flexibility, loosens tight muscles, and prepares your muscles for a high intensity workout. This isn’t entirely true, maybe a little, but not really. If you stretch your muscles for a couple of seconds a day in hopes of achieving any of the previously stated claims, you’re in for a rude awakening. Your muscles don’t change, stretch, or grow in the course of a couple of seconds. Flexibility is determined by your nervous system’s tolerance to that range.
If you’re confined behind a desk all day then you may have short hamstrings. This is due to continuous contraction of the hamstring muscle. A result of this is experiencing tightness in that area. And No, the general ten second stretch a day doesn’t help solve your problem. Melissa recommends that you loosen those muscles up as often as you can. Instead of being trapped behind your desk all day you can sit with your legs straightened on the floor to give those muscles a break.
Is stretching pointless? No, you can still do short, frequent stretches that are within your range. This assists your body into exploring your movement ranges and then, very gradually, helps you become more mobile.
Definition Fitness of Jacksonville, LLC announced today that Dr. Robert H. Bodendorf, DMD will be discussing the power of the Gut on April 25, 2017 at their facility on 1950 San Marco Blvd, Suite 5 at 7:00 pm.
“I began developing an interest in trying to figure out what leads to true health when a critical family illness occurred in 2008, says Rob. All roads converged on gut health and the mind-body connection. I do not believe true health can be attained without healthy gut flora and the introduction of probiotic foods and the elimination of toxins in food that kill the microflora.”
Rob enjoys a discussion about why a healthy gut is important and will show how easy probiotic foods like sauerkraut and yogurt are to make. He is a graduate of the College of Charleston in 1980 where he majored in Biology and a graduate of the Medical School of South Carolina where he obtained his dental degree. Like many medical programs in this country, Rob’s formal education did not contain any classes about nutrition. He is self-taught and is excited to share his learnings and experience with you.
Definition Fitness of Jacksonville, LLC is a health studio committed to helping people move better, feel better, look better. Located in the heart of San Marco, the studio has served the community for more than ten years with state of the art personal training. More information on this free demonstration is available on their web page at www.Defintionfitness.com. Or you may call 904-398-6442.
Hi, I’m Pinky and I’m happy to be part of the Definition Fitness family! I was born in Thailand but raised most of my life in the US. I am a very active person, so much that my friends call me a hummingbird! I love playing all sports from baseball, tennis, to volleyball but currently I have been more focused on running, biking, dragon boating, outrigger canoes, and mud runs. I’m also the strength and conditioning coach for my dragon boat team.
I’ve been doing personal training for 11 years and I love every minute of it! There’s no greater satisfaction than helping others live a stronger and healthier life! I focus on getting the body back into balance so that everyday functional movements can be achieved with ease. With my medical background, I have a particular interest in working with anyone with medical concerns (joints, post-surgery, injuries, etc) and being able to regain mobility and function.
I’m excited to be part of this team and I look forward to helping everyone reach their fitness goals!