SPORTS MASSAGE & INJURY REHAB

T2 CASE STUDY

 BEFORE TREATMENT

Our client came to us for new ski boots and insoles, complaining of numbness of the 4th toe and with sharp pain on the base of the 5th metatarsal head. These symptoms started during a ski holiday and lasted for a month following his return from the holiday. The client had a very externally rotated posture, from the hip all the way to the foot. In order to fit the ski boots properly we decided to go ahead with a specific treatment before creating the boot set-up.

Initial testing showed tightness in the ITB, the lateral hamstrings and the calves on both sides, especially on the left. We also observed a lack of strength through the glutes, TVA and VMO.

TREATMENT PROGRAMME

For the first 2-3 sessions our treatment focused on releasing the tight structures, including stretching exercises for him to do at home. During the 2nd session we introduced core stability exercises such as variations of bridging, planks and squats with a ball squeeze. We also performed a gait analysis in order to observe the client’s biomechanical movement.

 RESULTS

The effects of the treatment can be seen below:

 Image 1: Before treatment

 Image 2: After treatment

What we can see here is that the high pressure areas (red) moved from the very lateral aspect of the foot (original) to the middle, including a better toe and 1st met. head engagement (after treatment). Due to the improved muscle stimulation in the lower limbs the feet are now sitting straighter and flatter, allowing contact along the whole foot and taking pressure away from the lateral aspect.

Presented with the client in the 1st scan, it is likely that most podiatric practitioners would have blocked an insole or orthotic with a thick varus wedge in order to give the foot contact with the ground.

 CONCLUSION

We are now at a stage where the patient is happy to continue his exercises at home and just comes in for a regular massage in order to keep the muscles loose. As the improvement in muscle tension was so significant, the patient had the option of continuing the treatment with us or using a massage roller at home. It was decided to continue the massage every couple of weeks because the client enjoyed the benefits and valued the experience.

We can take from this case study that our T2 treatments can help the body to achieve better efficiency by educating muscles in a correct manner. This allows us to create a less aggressive footbed/orthotic, thereby decreasing the risk of injury and keeping the client more comfortable.