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The Manual Touch Physical Therapy

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A Balancing Act 2014

December 22, 2014 By Denise Schwartz Leave a Comment

stones-balance-Mark-Evans

The holidays are a joyous but hectic time, throwing any semblance of our usual schedule or order out the window.  And if you are in the midst of a training plan for an early spring race, staying on schedule can be quite the challenge.  It can be a balancing act to take care of yourself, as well as prepare and enjoy all the holiday activities.

“Stand up straight”, “pull your shoulders back”, “stick your chest out”, “don’t slouch”.  We have all heard these commands to improve our posture.  Although well meaning, more often than not, people, whether young or old, runner or walker, people don’t know where their bodies are in space (proprioception) or don’t have the appropriate structural alignment or muscular balance in order to attain good posture.  To find balance, you need to know how to attain good posture by engaging your muscles appropriately for your particular structural alignment.  This postural understanding needs to be engaged in any position or activity, such as sitting, standing, walking, running, doing the dishes, etc.  Improving your posture and balance during this holiday season will you prepare for all of the fluctuations in your usual schedule.

posture_photo_vertebral_spine-correct50

The drop down line through the top of the head, the ear, shoulder, hip, knee, and ankle shows the ideal alignment of the body.  Any deviation forward or backward of the line demonstrates a possible biomechanical dysfunction or muscle imbalance.  Stand sideways to a mirror in order to check your postural alignment.  Remember, nobody is perfect, so expect to see some deviation.

Regardless of what your posture currently looks like or how active you are, the following exercises will help you engage the appropriate muscles in order to stabilize you as you move through your day or activities.

FINDING NEUTRAL POSTURE

1. Engage lower abs (transverse abdominis):  stand comfortably; place your hands on your lower belly.  Breathe in, place tongue on back of upper teeth and breathe out making a “thhhhh” sound. Always do this while doing each of the following exercises to make sure your lower abs are engaged.  (Thank you Jay Dicharry, PT for this wonderful exercise)

abs25

 

2. Place your hand on your mid chest (sternum), apply gentle pressure to lower your chest, thus relaxing your shoulders.  If you were used to sticking your chest out then this new position will feel like you are slouching.  Check yourself in the mirror.

3. Feet: stand with your feet together, notice what part of your feet you are standing on, are you more on your heels, on the outside of your feet, on your toes or on the inside of your feet? Rock forward and backward from your ankles; notice as you have more pressure on your forefoot as you slow down so you don’t raise up on your toes; then rock back on your heels and don’t allow your toes to lift up.  Continue rocking forward and back until you find a sweet spot where you are standing on your whole foot.

Here are some basic and advanced balance exercises that can be easily performed throughout your day.  In fact, I do many of the single leg stance exercises while standing in the checkout line at the grocery store.  Make sure to have lower abdominals engaged when doing all balance exercises.  Have a wonderful and safe holiday season.

BASIC BALANCE EXERCISES

1. Feet together, arms across chest.

a. Eyes open – hold for10-30 seconds

b. Eyes closed – hold for 10 – 30 seconds

2. Stand with feet heel to toe; hold arms out to side or across chest; hold for10-30 seconds

3. Chicken wings – arms overhead, bend elbows down to sides of body; notice shoulder blades coming together, be careful not to stick out chest or arch back

4.  Squats – stand in front of a chair, knees leaning on chair, squat as if sitting down on a chair – 10-30 times as able

5.  Single-leg stance – do as often as possible throughout your day, particularly while doing activities such as brushing your teeth, shaving, preparing a meal, using the copier, while standing in line at the store.

MORE CHALLENGING VARIATIONS IN A SINGLE-LEG STANCE

1. Eyes closed

2. Turn head right and left

3. Raise arms up and down

4. Sway forward/backward at ankle

5. Rotate right/left

6. Raise leg out to side

7. Bring leg across body

8. Squats – make sure to sit back, not allowing your knee to track forward of foot; you should feel your glutes (butt) working not your quads (front of the thigh)

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/balance-exercises/SM00049

 

 

 

Filed Under: Health & Wellness, Physical Therapy

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Denise Schwartz at The Manual Touch is A GREAT Physical Therapist!  I came to her with a torn ligament and tendonitis in my foot AFTER going to 2 other well know PT chains who actually made my injuries worse. Not only did she help me heal from those injuries but actually worked on other parts of my Body to help heal those areas too. I really appreciate that she works on the whole body – after all everything is connected. She is very knowledgeable in what she does.
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Denise Schwartz is an exceptional practitioner. My core health and strength have been incredibly improved. Through the weeks of Physical Therapy at Manual Touch she has given me tools to use (exercises) to continue to maintain my strength when these sessions end.  My initial symptom was my painful knees but immediately Denise saw that the origin of my problem was in my hips. The recommendation to Manual Touch was solid, but when it turned out that Denise had trained with my wonderful Physical… Read more
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On the occasion of my 69th birthday, I celebrated with a special, extended workout that included a set of 10 pull-ups and several other body-weight exercises. But the most important and most appreciated dimension of my body on that day and all others was the pain-free freedom of movement I enjoyed, the product of an exercise focus on flexibility, stretching, balance and core strength. The great change in my workouts came when I approached Denise Schwartz at The Manual Touch in Wheeling to reh… Read more
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I have had very significant scoliosis and osteoporosis for many years and I have gone to very “reputable’ physical therapists through the years, but never felt satisfied.  A few years ago, I went to my internist for a physical and mentioned I was having back pain.  He recommended that I start seeing Denise at The Manual Touch.  Due to my past experiences, I was skeptical regarding the success that I could have with another therapist.  From my first visit I could tell that Denise had a ve… Read more
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I came in to see Denise due to a cervical disc herniation.  I have been told by Illinois Bone & Joint that they refer patients to Denise often as she is able to help when other physical therapy programs fail.  That was definitely the case in my situation. I had 6 weeks of PT at another location but still was unable to turn my head fully or work at a desk without terrible pain.  After seeing Denise and following her exercise program, I was almost back to normal within a few short months.  I… Read more
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With improved balance by utilizing Denise’s exercises on a daily basis, I now have reduced the risk of falling and possibly fracturing a bone.  I am grateful for Denise’s expertise. If you have a balance issue I recommend a visit to Denise.
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Denise is such a talented PT. She is able to evaluate my movements and how I use my body in such detail. Her integrative manual therapy skills are unique and get to the root of my physical problems. Along with her functional movement exercises, her manual skills resolved my pain and made my body move so much more freely. I would highly recommend The Manual Touch therapy clinic if you have alignment issues or orthopedic problems. Included in her services are informative emails with advice for dai… Read more
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Just a note to thank you for the time you spent with me Saturday in evaluating my running technique and body alignment.  Your suggestions are already making sense and having an early impact.  After our meeting, I went out for a 5K run and found your suggestions “to shorten my stride” and “being conscious of not overlapping my steps” to be helpful. Thanks Denise  
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I am a primary care internist and find the therapy at Manual Touch to be professional and targeted to the individual. I have been sending my patients to Denise from The Manual Touch for several years. Most physical therapy services these days have a mass produced feel. Hospital based departments and commercially owned chains of physical therapy centers aim to see as many patients as they can. Therapists typically have two or more patients they are working with at the same time. Denise works one … Read more
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Having been to “regular” physical therapists over the past few years where nothing helped my pain, I was introduced to Denise by a mutual friend.  Although I have issues that will never leave me totally pain free, Denise has alleviated it with her gentle soft touch.  The exercises she has given me help tremendously!  I’m very thankful to Denise and recommend her highly!
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Our mission is to use this whole body approach to help patients heal and overcome pain and limitations, resulting in improved quality of life. We also aim to promote wellness in our communities through ongoing education. 
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Testimonials

Denise Schwartz at The Manual Touch is A GREAT Physical Therapist!  I came to her with a torn ligament and tendonitis in my foot AFTER going to 2 other well know PT chains who actually made my injuries worse. Not only did she help me heal from tho… Read more
Denise Schwartz is an exceptional practitioner. My core health and strength have been incredibly improved. Through the weeks of Physical Therapy at Manual Touch she has given me tools to use (exercises) to continue to maintain my strength when these … Read more
On the occasion of my 69th birthday, I celebrated with a special, extended workout that included a set of 10 pull-ups and several other body-weight exercises. But the most important and most appreciated dimension of my body on that day and all others… Read more
I have had very significant scoliosis and osteoporosis for many years and I have gone to very “reputable’ physical therapists through the years, but never felt satisfied.  A few years ago, I went to my internist for a physical and mentioned I wa… Read more
I came in to see Denise due to a cervical disc herniation.  I have been told by Illinois Bone & Joint that they refer patients to Denise often as she is able to help when other physical therapy programs fail.  That was definitely the case in my situ… Read more
With improved balance by utilizing Denise’s exercises on a daily basis, I now have reduced the risk of falling and possibly fracturing a bone.  I am grateful for Denise’s expertise. If you have a balance issue I recommend a visit to Denise.
Denise is such a talented PT. She is able to evaluate my movements and how I use my body in such detail. Her integrative manual therapy skills are unique and get to the root of my physical problems. Along with her functional movement exercises, her m… Read more
Just a note to thank you for the time you spent with me Saturday in evaluating my running technique and body alignment.  Your suggestions are already making sense and having an early impact.  After our meeting, I went out for a 5K run and found you… Read more
I am a primary care internist and find the therapy at Manual Touch to be professional and targeted to the individual. I have been sending my patients to Denise from The Manual Touch for several years. Most physical therapy services these days have a … Read more
Having been to “regular” physical therapists over the past few years where nothing helped my pain, I was introduced to Denise by a mutual friend.  Although I have issues that will never leave me totally pain free, Denise has alleviated it with h… Read more
Read More

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