By our very own Alex Childs.
When a patient comes into the clinic suffering from musculoskeletal pain, it is important to evaluate the influence of the structures in the core. When we speak of the core in physical therapy, we are talking about the spine and all the muscles that surround it. We will sometimes break this concept of the core down even further into two parts: the trunk (muscles above the pelvis) and the hips/pelvis (muscles surrounding the pelvis).
I like to use the analogy of thinking of the core as the foundation of your house and the extremities as the walls. As many people know, if the foundation of your house begins to settle or move more than it should, you will begin to see evidence of this in the walls. This may apply to the symptoms people experience with chronic foot, ankle, and knee pain, where structures in the lower extremity are being overloaded and inflamed due to less than optimal movement mechanics in the body’s foundation.
It is important to work with a Physical Therapist who can decipher, based on the way you move, why and where your symptoms are coming from to make a specific and efficient treatment plan. At Tensegrity Physical Therapy, we have a group of Physical Therapists and Exercise Specialists who take pride in helping people feel and move optimally. Click here to schedule an appointment with us!