Align Physical Therapy Miami

Sustained extension. 💪🏼One of the many choices of exercises via the McKenzie method to obtain centralization. For me, this position takes the tingling out of my left foot!🙏🏻🙌🏻🎉🎉🎉 3 minutes holding here and I’m in a much better place ..

When I went to school for physical therapy at the University of Miami, they offered you a buffet of information only skimming the top of each subject.

I was truly interested in orthopedics with a focus on spine. The spine is the mastermind behind the extremities. If a spinal nerve is irritated it can mimic a sore calf, a tight hamstring, tight hip flexors, and plantar fasciitis to name a few. It is like the master puppeteer pulling the strings behind the scenes.

Sometimes the meniscus or rotator cuff tear you think is causing your pain really is coming from the spine. You could even have “bone on bone” in your knee in an X-ray but the pain may be coming from your back!😩

Reeeeewwwind❗️⚠️❗️⚠️❗️
I mentioned earlier that this position helps me centralize. Centralization is when the pain/tingling/buzzing/numbness comes out of the extremity and into the center of the lower back, it may get stronger, but the back is actually improving.

It is important to seek a professional (Doctor if Physical Therapy credentialed in MDT) to perform a mechanical assessment on you if you have pain or are considering surgery on any joint.

Kick starting the New Year with this move! is one of the best exercises to strengthen your hamstrings and glutes! You can also use it to challenge your pelvic stability. Make sure your hip bones are level with each other- sometimes when one leg is extended up, that hip drops due to decreased activation of your deep abdominals called your “TrA or transverse abdominals” or lack of strength in your gluteus Maximus on that side. Try to be more aware 🙏🏻 if you can’t tell, sometimes I will use a dowel across the hips (broomsticks work well too) to see if the dowel is level/parallel with the ground.

Try to maintain equal weight in the legs and focus on true balance between your body.

Hip abduction💪🏼 🍑🍑the new and improved workout 🏋️‍♀️

Glute MAX gets all the attention- but you have a gluteus MEDIUS and MINIMUS. Did you know that? While your glute max extends your hip mainly!🙌🏻 your Gluteus Medius and Minimus internally rotate and abduct the leg. Meaning: if you “toe in” and lift your leg to the side (as if making a snow angel standing)

In order to activate these muscles try the exercise above! You will hit all 3 pretty hard as your glut max has to stabilize!

1. Get in position! Your arms are behind you fully extended dropping your shoulders away from your ears. Knees over ankles 90/90 as above.

2. Place a band of your own choice intensity around you thighs and press your thighs out into it.

3. Make sure your feet are grounded and 50% of your weight is on each foot. Be balanced!

4. Stabilize with your abs and make sure your pelvis is perpendicular to the floor. No arching or tucking your tail bone- keep it neutral🙌🏻

Try 3 sets of 10! Feel the burn🔥🔥

Allow me to re-introduce myself. 🤚🏼🤪, just kidding.

My name is Dr. Lindsey Himmel, DPT, OCS, Cert. MDT.

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I started out as a professional dancer for various hip-hop artists working my way to become a personal trainer, then exercise physiologist through the University Miami. I then decided I wanted to be the most knowledgeable in my field and ended up continuing at University of Miami to get my 🔷Doctorate in Physical Therapy🔷.Physical therapy school was a buffet of specialties within physical therapy and covered each one with “bullet points.”

While in school I learned to treat patients through 🔷Pilates🔷 and fell in love. I also learned many modalities that just 🤬DO NOT 🤬work so I continued my education and research.

I continued to get my 🔷board certification in orthopedics🔷 which is the highest certification you can get for this specialty and still was dissatisfied. Remember, the APTA orthopedic board certification is “the best you can get.”

I simultaneously found the 🔷Mckenzie Method🔷 through my colleague and became a disruptor in my field solving some of the most frustrating musculoskeletal issues preventing people from being active and independent, from age 14-91.

If you have been told .......to have injections because your plantar fasciitis won’t go away...that you should not work out...that you need a meniscectomy or microdiscectomy

If you have.......stopped playing tennis because your knees are not working as well...stopped playing golf because you’re in horrific pain after
—-or you are unable to do WHAT YOU WANT TO DO.

🤚🏼🤚🏼🤚🏼🤚🏼🤚🏼🤚🏼🤚🏼🤚🏼🤚🏼🤚🏼🤚🏼

I urge you to make an appointment.

If you were recommended surgery, I URGE YOU TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT. 🤚🏼

Surgery is a last resort and most of the time can be prevented. Let’s make sure surgery is being done on the right joint, is necessary, and you are prepared if it is absolutely needed.🙌🏻