WELLNESS AUTHOR
Jarod Carter, PT, DPT, MTC
SELF TREATMENT TECHNIQUES n Hip or shoulder issue? Check out these DIY techniques from local PT, Jarod Carter, that may help ease the aches and pains.
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im had been an avid runner for many years when he began noticing a tightening of the muscles at the front of his hip. When that tension eventually turned into pain and began limiting his mileage, he found his way to my clinic. For Jim, running wasn’t just about physical health and how he looked poolside, but it was also his stress release and competitive outlet. Limiting his mileage and not being able to train for the next marathon was not only unacceptable — it was downright depressing. His pain was primarily on the front and outside of his hip during
APRIL 2021
the duration of his runs and eventually started hurting after his runs as well. In my evaluation, we found that his pain was reproduced by running in place and with deep squats. Before diving into hands-on treatment of the painful tissues, I taught him a self-treatment technique with a lacrosse ball that made absolutely no contact with those painful areas. Sixty seconds later, he stood back up, jogged in place, and his face absolutely lit up. “How did you do
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that?! The pain is way better but we didn’t even touch where it hurts!” “I didn’t do anything, Jim. You did!” I answered. Lacrosse balls, foam rollers and other self-treatment tools can’t replace skilled hands and minds, but with the right guidance, it’s amazing what can be accomplished with do-it-yourself treatment. Ever have pain in your shoulder with overhead reaching or lifts and wish you could improve it on your own? Does your hip ever bother
