The key to returning to activities is to do so GRADUALLY. Your muscles have become weakened after a long period of inactivity and will not tolerate an abrupt increase in exercise, walking, running, and the like. You are at a high risk of reinjury if you do too much too fast. Use proper footwear and arch support insoles. Make sure you are tuned into how your body feels. Some soreness is acceptable- pain is not. Be cautious. Try alternatives: Bike riding and swimming are fine if you have plantar fasciitis. When the pain finally goes away you need to return to activities GRADUALLY. To go from a 10-minute walk to a two-hour hike is certain to bring back your pain. For return to running. Try walking- then walk-run- then just running over a several day period. No more than a 10 percent increase from one day to the next walking or running For more information on the Plantar Fasciitis Treatment Program visit: https://www.bobandbrad.com/plantar-fasciitis-treatment-program https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ke22Fca4gek&feature=emb_logo

This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in September of 2019 . For the original video go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlNobs3acQQ&t=18s Bob: Hi Folks, I’m Bob Schrupp, Physical Therapist. Brad: Brad Heineck, Physical Therapist. Bob: So, one food lowered my wife’s blood pressure by 15 to 20 points, just one food. I’m going to reveal that in this video. Brad: This is interesting, Bob. She didn’t take any medications. Bob: No, no medications. Someone mentioned actually, my poor wife, she’s always being portrayed on these videos, that having something wrong with her. I started thinking about it because she’s so lucky she has me. I mean, I’m fixing her all the time. Brad: Yeah, she is a lucky woman. Bob: I’ll point out something at the end why she isn’t so lucky, but anyway. My wife’s blood pressure was pushing towards 140 over 90, which is kind of that borderline. They start looking at, well, do we do medication or not. Especially at appointments because she has white coat syndrome. Brad: Right, it goes up a little bit when you’re nervous. Bob: You’re nervous in front of the doctor but even that is still indicative that you may have blood pressure problems. We took her measurements in February of 2019, and she was like obsessive about this. She was taking like ten measurements a day. On average, it was running like 138 over 83 all the way up to 141 over 92. Brad: Did she use one of those electric ones? Bob: Yes, she used an electric one, but it was one we tried versus a real, manual one. And it worked well. So, it was high. So, I read the book and I’ve mentioned this book before, “How Not to Die: Discover Foods, Scientifically Proven, to Prevent and Reverse Disease." This is by Michael Greger MD. This has had about 3200 reviews when I last looked at it. 4.8 stars. Really well liked. Very well researched. They’ve got a website, nutritionfacts.org. They’ve got videos on over 2000 health subjects, but all proceeds he makes from this, Brad, from his DVD’s, his books, his speaking engagements, are donated to charity. This is an upstanding man. Let’s talk about what food he recommends in here and what food he does not. First off, he does say, “The evidence is overwhelming, that sodium raises blood pressure.” It’s clear. It is controversial because there are other people that still say that it doesn’t. But he said, “No.” And my wife found this out because she was trying to lose some weight. She was taking some of that soup broth, which is really high in sodium. Her blood pressure skyrocketed. Brad: It tastes good though. Bob: It tastes great because it’s got a lot of salt in it. She did stop that, but that was before this February thing. That was way before that. This didn’t play a role in that. The one food to use, the one thing he recommends is flax seed, ground flax seed. Brad: It looks like applesauce. Bob: LOL, that is applesauce. Brad: Oh, ha-ha. Bob: So, all she does is she takes the flax seed; she takes two tablespoons a day. Brad: You can just buy this anywhere? Bob: Yep, pretty common. You can get it at the grocery store or online. Brad: It just looks like a little ground up powdery stuff. Bob: Yeah, so she takes it, and she puts it in unsweetened applesauce, that’s one way she does it. She puts two tablespoons in there and eats it. It’s like taking your medicine, and it tastes good. Brad: Can you put it in other foods too? Bob: You can put it in everything. She also puts it in nonfat Greek yogurt sometimes and she will put berries in with it. Brad: So, you’re saying that the book shows some scientific proof in it. Bob: Yes, it had some studies on flax seed oil. The study showed that the average person, they lowered it, their scores were 158/81 down to 143/75. They dropped, especially the diastolic. The diastolic drops an average of seven points, from 81 to 75. Brad: D for down. That’s how I remember it. Bob: Yep, okay! So, this is what the study showed. Brad: It’s very clear. Bob: Now, my wife, she had much better results. I’m going to reveal it here, Brad. Look at this: 120/70's. Brad. She dropped all the way down to like 120 over 70’s. She was hitting 140 over 92 sometimes so she dropped like 20 points. Brad: Yeah, that’s nice. How long did she need to take this? Bob: This was February and we started seeing it fairly quickly, but now we are in September right now. So, this is where she’s at right now. Interestingly enough, and this is where maybe it’s not so good living with me. We were kind of tracking over the weekends how she was doing and there was one weekend where I was gone. She was like 110 over 60’s. It’s like it used to be like almost before she met me. Before we were spending a lot of time together. It’s the medical price you have to pay for living with me, ha-ha. Anyway, this is such an easy solution. I’d certainly give it a try if you can avoid medications just by taking a food, this would be the one. Brad: Is it very expensive? Bob: No, no. It’s pretty reasonable. I don’t remember what it was, but it was not that much. Brad: Maybe I should just take some right now. Bob: There you go. Take some right now. Brad: Oh, it’s sealed up. Bob: Oh, alright. Thanks everybody. Visit us on our other social media platforms: YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/user/physicaltherapyvideo Website: https://bobandbrad.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BobandBrad/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialbobandbrad/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ptfamous Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mostfamousPTs Wimkin: https://wimkin.com/BobandBrad Mewe: https://mewe.com/i/bobandbrad Minds: https://www.minds.com/bobandbrad/ Vero: vero.co/bobandbrad For this week’s Giveaway visit: https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products: Grip and Forearm Strengthener: https://store.bobandbrad.com 15% off with code BLOG15 Wall Anchor: https://store.bobandbrad.com 15% off with code BLOG15 Booyah Stik: https://store.bobandbrad.com 15% off with code BLOG15 Knee Glide: https://store.bobandbrad.com 15% off with code BLOG15 Fit Glide: https://store.bobandbrad.com 15% off with code BLOG15 Massage Gun:https://amzn.to/36pMekg Hanging Handles: https://amzn.to/2RXLVFF Bob and Brad Resistance Bands Set: https://amzn.to/36uqnbr Bob & Brad Amazon Store: https://amzn.to/2RTSLLh Check out other products Bob and Brad Love: https://www.amazon.com/shop/physicaltherapyvideo?listId=3581Z1XUVFAFY Check out our shirts, mugs, bags and more in our Bob and Brad merchandise shop here: https://shop.spreadshirt.com/bob-brad​ Check out The Bob & Brad Crew on YouTube by clicking here: https://www.youtube.com/c/thebobbradcrew Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and are not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider. Affiliate disclaimer: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We are highly selective in our products and try our best to keep things fair and balanced in order to help you make the best choice for you.

Myofascial release is a therapy that works to release restrictions and trigger points that have formed in fascia and are contributing to chronic pain conditions. Most people think of it as hands-on therapy, but the beauty of myofascial release is that you can also do this for yourself through stretches or exercises using simple tools such as balls. In its natural state, fascia is a complex three-dimensional web of free-moving structural tissue that constantly shapes and reshapes itself in response to our movements and the demands we make on it. When healthy, fascia moves fluidly and seamlessly to distribute tension and maintain balance in the body. However, fascia can suffer accident or injury or be damaged in some other way, for example by surgery. When this happens, the fascial web can snag and lose its flexibility and ability to move freely. This causes fascial restrictions and trigger points to form, and it is these that can lead to chronic pain. Other major causes of fascial restrictions are the overuse and underuse of our bodies associated with modern lifestyles, and psychological stress and trauma. Self-help myofascial release is an effective way of helping yourself out of chronic pain as it progressively allows your body to release and rebalance. We call it the ‘slow fix’ because it takes time for your body to undo itself. Working regularly with your fascia can bring long term benefits of improved balance and posture, as well as decreasing pain and movement restrictions. General principles of self-myofascial release Heat before you treat When your body is cold, fascia is tighter and harder to treat. Like putty, it becomes softer and more pliable as it warms up. You can warm your body through exercise or through damp heat, such as taking a shower. Little and often is best If you try to do too much too soon this can lead to irritation and more pain in the short term. Limit your sessions to 20-30 minutes a day and work on different areas using a range of exercises to help release restrictions. Stay within your comfort zone The rule of ‘no pain, no gain’ doesn’t apply when working with fascia. If working on an area causes intense pain, your fascia will actually tighten to protect itself as opposed to releasing and letting go. Use a scale of 0 to 10 where 0 is no pain and 10 is excruciating and keep your pain levels at an acceptable maximum of 7. Maintain the pressure Fascia is a slow releasing tissue and responds best to sustained pressure, so staying in a single stretch or on a tender point for longer allows time for the fascia to start to let go. Compared with muscle exercises, you don’t need to repeat each stretch or exercise more than once in a session. Pay attention to your body Fascial restrictions and trigger points create referred pain patterns that can spread through lines of tension in your body. As you work to release these, you will often feel pain in other places. This is generally a good indication of where you should work next. Ball exercises You can use inflatable myofascial balls, trigger point balls or other balls. However, we generally don’t recommend anything harder than a tennis ball as this can be too painful and cause your fascia to tense up. Wherever you are, lie or lean against the ball for 90 – 120 seconds to allow time for the fascia to release. You don’t need to roll around, just use static pressure. Sometimes you may feel a slight intensifying of sensations before they start to reduce. Don’t worry if you don’t feel any changes at first – if you have been in one place for at least 2 minutes then the fascia will have started to release, but sometimes it takes a few repeats before you start to notice a difference. Stretches Unlike muscle stretches which last for 20-30 seconds, a fascial stretch needs to last anything from 90 seconds to 5 minutes for maximum benefit. We recommend you start by holding each stretch for 90 – 120 seconds. Go into each stretch progressively, waiting when you feel a sense of resistance until this loosens and you can deepen the stretch further. As the fascia releases, so do all of the tissues contained within it, so you are also stretching your muscles and nerves at the same time. If any of these exercises make your symptoms worse, common sense says stop! You can find out more about our self-myofascial exercises, products and training on our website: www.paincareclinic.co.uk. Neck stretch Turn you head to one side and drop it down so your nose is pointing at your armpit. You will feel a stretch in the back of your opposite shoulder. If it feels comfortable, you can place your hand on the top of your head to deepen the stretch. Repeat on other side. Good for: neck pain, upper back tension, shoulder pain. Balls under neck Place 2 inflatable myofascial balls in a bag. Lie on the floor or on your bed and put the balls under your neck so your spine is between the balls. You can place a small cushion under your head for comfort. Good for: headaches, eye pain, anxiety & stress. Side stretch Standing lean your upper body to the side, keeping your arms loose, to feel a stretch into your side. To deepen the stretch, take your arm over your head. You can do this stretch against a wall for support, or by leaning sideways over a Swiss ball, bringing your arm up over your head. Repeat on other side. Good for: shoulder issues, repetitive strain injury, low back pain. Ball on side of hip Lie on your side on the floor or your bed and place the ball on the side of your hip. It should rest on the muscles at the top of your hip or any tender spots you find. You can also do this leaning on the ball against a wall. Repeat on other side. Good for: sciatica, hip pain, chronic pelvic pain. Visit www.paincareclinic.co.uk for more about our self-help myofascial exercises, products and training. Amanda Oswald Biog Amanda is a leading UK myofascial release therapist and author of Living Pain Free: Healing Chronic Pain with Myofascial Release. Originally trained in clinical massage, she has completed further training in fascial techniques in the USA, UK and Europe. Besides her clinic work, Amanda teaches practical myofascial release to therapists and promotes self-care myofascial release techniques for all. If you are interested in other works by Amanda Oswald visit: 1)Living Pain Free:Healing Chronic Pain with Myofascial Release- https://amzn.to/3l3R9N2 2)Pain Care Clinic Myofascial Balls Kit: https://amzn.to/3xjRrFl More info on Amanda can also be found on her Bob and Brad's Experts Page here

The strengthening exercise most podiatrists recommend for strengthening the foot is the Janda Short Foot Exercise or “Doming”. Start by sitting with your foot flat on the floor. Raise the arch of your foot by sliding the toes backward and contracting the muscles in the middle to back part of the arch. Do not raise the ball of the foot. It should remain in contact with the floor. Hold for 5-8 sec and repeat 10x each foot. Incorporate into standing and try doming with two feet. Then try standing and doming on one foot. For more information on the Plantar Fasciitis Treatment Program visit: https://www.bobandbrad.com/plantar-fasciitis-treatment-program https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kjBnrmV1gQ&feature=emb_log

This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in July of 2020. For the original video go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it38IDFNFog&t=80s Bob: Hi Folks, I’m Bob Schrupp, Physical Therapist. Brad: Brad Heineck, Physical Therapist. Bob: Today we’re going to go over 10 posture fixes everyone, and I mean everyone, Brad, should do throughout the day. You’re very much mistaken if you think you can do posture exercises once a day and that’s going to improve your posture and you’re going to be ram rod straight and you're going to be good. Brad: On the other hand, you can do these, and it takes such little time and effort, and you can kind of make up a game out of it, it’s fun. Bob: Also, I mean, it’s the only way you’re going to stay ahead of it. It’s a constant battle. If you take your eye off the ball for a second, Brad, you’re going to end up hunched over forward. Brad: Even Bob and I are guilty. Bob: Oh yeah, you look back at our old videos. We needed that posture cue when we were watching videos. Brad: Bob, posture, 10 of them, what are we going to start with? Bob: First one, Brad, people are going to be so sick of this one, but you have to do it and that’s chin tucks. Chin tucks are so easy to do throughout the day. You can be in your chair, you can be in your car, you can be standing, talking to somebody, just start doing chin tucks at them. They’ll wonder what you’re doing. The thing I want you to do in addition to a chin tuck, I want you to do a chin tuck with over pressure. First you do the chin tuck: you tuck your chin in, you’re bringing your back of your head up and you’re aligning your ears with your shoulders. What this does, not only stretches the upper neck, it also reminds you where your head is supposed to be. It’s not supposed to be forward. Brad: But what about the over pressure? Bob: I’m going to do that. So, after you do a few, then go ahead, you can use your fingertip or you can use the crux of your hand to gently push back. This really feels quite good and it gives it even a little more stretch. Brad: Sometimes if I have time, I’ll even bring my other hand to the back of my head and pull up, and you’ll feel those muscles stretch better. Bob: Number two, butterfly expansions. Again, easy one to do it in your chair, wherever you’re at. Just put your hand on your neck and have the butterfly open its wings. Basically, you’re stretching and you’re strengthening the muscles that bring the shoulder blades together. Brad: On this one, make sure you don’t grab your head and pull your head forward. Keep it low. Bob: And fingertips. Just fingertips onthe back of your neck. Brad: Make sure you breathe with all these. Take a second to take a deep breath in your nose. Exhale out your mouth, things will relax, it’ll make your day go better. Bob: Now, which one of these should you be doing? The ones you think are helping. Again, mix it up, do the ones you like, do it throughout the day. Brad: Don’t do this one when you’re driving. Bob: Right, that would not be advisable. Okay, cat/camel. Now this is the easy one to do throughout the day. A lot of people do it on the floor in the quadrant position, but it’s easy to do. Go to a countertop and just lean forward like this and stretch this way. Round your back. Then you’re going to round the other way. Brad: Round the back, then arch the back. Bob: Really getting a lot of movement. This is what we’re really concentrating on because this is getting yourself into better posture, reversing the round of the upper back that you often see in many people, or the mid-back. Brad: I think you could actually do it resting your hands on your knees. Oh yes. I’m feeling strong like bull. Bob: People may talk if you do that. Next, extensions over a ball. Brad, do you want to show that? There’s two of them where you need equipment. Brad: So, you can just use a pillow or use a ball. Make sure you get a ball that’s kind of soft and squishy. Bob: Where’d you find this one, Brad? Brad: I don’t know, I was just at some store and there they were at the end of the isle. They were like $2.99 so I took three of them. Bob: There you go. They’re fantastic to just have laying around or just steal from your kid. Brad: Yeah, well the grandkids want them but they’re mine. Bob: They are good for dodgeball. Brad: Oh yeah, and you adjust the height of the ball, if you’ve got that dowagers hump, you know that hunchback right up in there is a nice place for it. Actually, I want a little bit of air out of this, I’m going to get one of those pokey things that you blow them up with. It’s got the hole, and I’m going to let a little out. Bob: I like it the way it is, to be honest, but it’s a personal preference. Alright, next one is hanging. So, if you have like a pull up bar or you have a branch or what’d you say, you had a friend, Brad? Brad: Yeah, he’s a carpenter, does work on our house, he’s got one of those covered trailers to keep his equipment and he has a bar in there so he can hang throughout the day. Bob: Yeah, maybe you haven’t seen our videos on hanging. There’s one specifically for shoulders and how it can help, I mean it’s almost a miracle for some people. Brad: This is written by orthopedic surgeon who does shoulder surgeries. Bob: Dr. Kirsch. I used it for posture throughout the day. When I’m working on the computer, I try to do this every half hour, but a lot of times, you know how it is. I end up doing it every hour. All of a sudden, I get focused. Every time I do this, after I’ve been sitting, my back cavitates or cracks just because it’s been compressed for so long. It helps straighten out my posture and reminds me to be where I’m at. It may not look like I’m hanging there but I was taking about 75% of my weight there. Brad: I’m sure you’re much more productive if you take that break to do the hanging. Bob: You do, you come back, and you’re refreshed. These are the Bob and Brad hanging handles. You can hang in your own apartment and you can hang in your own house. Brad: Just hang out. Bob: Yep. Next one, wall angels. If you have a wall, and I’m assuming you do, this a great measurement of where you’re at because if you’re head can’t get back to the wall, you’ve got some room to work. The other thing is, if you can’t get your arms up past shoulder height without the shoulders starting to coming off the wall, you don’t have good posture. Brad: Things are tight. Bob: Yep. So, if you can keep the shoulder and the arms up against the wall until they touch, you’re in pretty good shape. Brad: I have inherently tight shoulders, so I can't go up as far. If I got over shoulder height it just comes off the wall. I have to work on that, Bob. I like the hanging to help improve that. Bob: Right. Easy way to do it, get up to a wall and do a few of these and again, as a reminder where you should be, and plus it gives you a little bit of strengthening. Now, we’re going to show you doorway stretches. You can do this in a doorway or in a corner. Since we don’t have a doorway here, I’m going to do it in the corner. Brad: We are going to get a doorway for our studio sooner or later. That’s been going on for years. Bob: So, basically, you’d put one arm on one side of the doorway, the other one on the other side of the doorway and you’re just going to lean in. Brad: Great stretch, so right in here is getting those shoulders back, stretching out the front of the body, those pectoralis major and minor. Bob: If they are tight, they’re going to pull you forward. You’re going to be walking around like a gorilla. Brad: Yeah, you cannot breathe, everything falls apart then. Bob: Okay, why don’t you do the broomstick stretch, Brad. You can use a broom stick, or you had other ideas too. Brad: Well, right, if you have a job that you’re working with a rake or a shovel, just take that shovel, work that posture because as a matter of fact, last night I was digging a trench to get the water our of this issue in our yard. It’s was like, oh man, it was tearing my back apart. So, you take the shovel, back behind you, and squeeze back, or you can go overhead. Make sure you’re doing a chin tuck with it. All these posture reminder things. Bob: You can even go back. That’ll really stretches it. What Brad’s really not revealing is he was leaning on the shovel. Brad: You’re lucky I’m in a good mood today, Bob. I can tell you that. Bob: You know the old joke about the work crews, you’ll have 10 guys on a shovel. Brad: Three person watching and one working. Bob: Sorry about that, guys. It’s like the donut joke with cops, you know. It’s overdone. Alright, number 10, this is just standing back extensions. This is a great one if you don’t have Spondy, spondylolisthesis. I see a lot of pregnant women do this naturally, they just bend back like this. This is a great one if you’re doing a lot of lifting throughout the day, a lot of times I do this preventatively and then I’ll do the lift. Brad: You can put your hands flat on your back or hands on your hips and thumbs in your back. Sometimes I just like to put my fists in there. Bob: Sometimes I go up higher too. Brad: There’s all kinds of tricks. Bob: Putting one fist on one side, and then the other. Brad: I like this one. Liz, did you used to do this when you were pregnant? All three kids? Bob: She says yes. Brad: You’re right, you didn’t make that up. Bob: She’s having to do all the lifting around Alex because Alex is a lazy guy. Brad: Ha-ha, ooooh, he’s coming back, I’m going to tell him you said that. Bob: Alright, final one. Let’s give a bonus Brad. Those standing quad hip flexor stretch, just throughout the day. These muscles are starting to pull you over. Brad: Now you do it, the left arm- I do the opposite arm. I’ve always done it the same. That’s a great one for those quads. Bob: When I go for a walk and if I start to feel a little bit of hip pain, I always do this one, stop and grab onto something. Brad: It must be real entertainment just to watch you go for a walk all the little things that you do. Bob: My wife and I talked about that. Thankfully we have each other because we have to do all these things before, we even go for a walk. It’s like a half hour of preparation time just before we go walk and run or whatever we are doing. Brad: Maybe we should get a video of that someday. The neighbors are out in their lawn chairs watching. Bob: Thanks everybody. Interested in learning about the products mentioned in today's video: 1) Hanging Handles by Bob and Brad: https://amzn.to/2RXLVFF Visit us on our other social media platforms: YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/user/physicaltherapyvideo Website: https://bobandbrad.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BobandBrad/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialbobandbrad/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ptfamous Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mostfamousPTs Wimkin: https://wimkin.com/BobandBrad Mewe: https://mewe.com/i/bobandbrad Minds: https://www.minds.com/bobandbrad/ Vero: vero.co/bobandbrad For this week’s Giveaway visit: https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products: Grip and Forearm Strengthener: https://store.bobandbrad.com 15% off with code BLOG15 Wall Anchor: https://store.bobandbrad.com 15% off with code BLOG15 Booyah Stik: https://store.bobandbrad.com 15% off with code BLOG15 Knee Glide: https://store.bobandbrad.com 15% off with code BLOG15 Fit Glide: https://store.bobandbrad.com 15% off with code BLOG15 Massage Gun:https://amzn.to/36pMekg Hanging Handles: https://amzn.to/2RXLVFF Bob and Brad Resistance Bands Set: https://amzn.to/36uqnbr Bob & Brad Amazon Store: https://amzn.to/2RTSLLh Check out other products Bob and Brad Love: https://www.amazon.com/shop/physicaltherapyvideo?listId=3581Z1XUVFAFY Check out our shirts, mugs, bags and more in our Bob and Brad merchandise shop here: https://shop.spreadshirt.com/bob-brad​ Check out The Bob & Brad Crew on YouTube by clicking here: https://www.youtube.com/c/thebobbradcrew Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and are not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider. Affiliate disclaimer: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We are highly selective in our products and try our best to keep things fair and balanced in order to help you make the best choice for you.

This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in May of 2018. For the original video go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlUi12b0KYw&t=486s Bob: How to lose belly fat in one week at home with three simple steps. No we do have to qualify this, right Brad. Brad: Yes, we do. There are so many claims about how you’re going to lose weight really fast, blah blah blah, miracles happen. We are going to show you how to do it but… Bob: You’ll start to lose weight in one week, I mean you’ll start to lose body fat but you’re not going to lose all your body fat. The best diets that work the best are the ones where it becomes a lifestyle change. Not just something you’re going to do for a little while to lose it and then go back to eating again the same way. Brad: If you do lose five, seven, eight pounds in one week, it’s not healthy. Bob: No, it’s not. You want to start off a lot slower, especially that first week. Maybe a couple pounds or just a pound. You want to just take the wins. Brad: You want to get started on the right track. And these are three steps that are going to get you there, get you to be a winner. Now, Bob does a lot more reading and research on diet. I’m one of those people, I just want to lose some weight and I don’t want to get too technical about it. I was up to 203 pounds and now I’m down to 183 pounds. Bob: Nice job man! Brad: But, it took more than one week. Bob: I was at 221 pounds and now I’m at 201 pounds, so be both lost 20 pounds. We weren’t starving either, would you say Brad. Brad: No, not at all. Step number 1 was my biggest one. I cut down on bread (I didn’t eliminate it completely). Bob: So you’re talking about carbs? Brad: Yes, carbs, but for me it was bread. I cut way back on it. If I grill a hamburger, no bread. Bob: Yeah same thing. And I don’t really miss it. I don’t miss the bread, but I do miss pasta. It’s funny because I used to have pasta a lot, almost every night. I do miss it but I will have it once in a while. You don’t have to eliminate these things from your like. If you just start cutting down on the refined sugars. Brad: Right, which is another one. For lunch every day I used to have one of those little bars with the chocolate, because I’m a chocolate lover. I thought this little thing isn’t going to hurt me, well I cut that out. I don’t even miss it anymore. But, every day I had one so that’s like a whole box. And they really weren’t that healthy. Bob: If you wanted to get more technical on this, if you wanted to look up the glycemic level on things. The higher the glycemic level the higher the more the refined sugar. Brad: So look on the ingredient list? Bob: Well, you can look it up online. It’s kind of surprising to me Brad, because one of my weaknesses is Peanut M&M’s. I was like that has to be terrible, but actually they aren’t that bad. I think the peanuts help to keep it down. It’s actually less than some of the fruits and things. Not that I’m going to go crazy with them, but that’s the one thing I indulge on. I like to have a few peanut M&M’s once a week. Brad: You have to have you’re treats. Bob: That’s right. Brad: So refined sugars, anything with refined sugar you have to cut it out. You’re not going to eat candy bars. You know maybe one day a week have a candy bar but a smaller one is always a better idea. And this isn’t new to anybody but you just have to do it. Bob: It’s pretty shocking actually, another lady that works with us, that’s all she did and she sliced that weight right off. We aren’t saying ketosis, you know to totally eliminate carbs, we just want you to decrease them in your life. Where I lost the weight was my mid-section. That’s where the weight was, I could see it in some of our old videos that I had a little pouch. Brad: I know me too. I’ve still got a few pounds I really should do. My big goal is to be healthy. I don’t care if I’ve got a six-pack or a twelve pack or whatever kind of pack. But, I want to be healthy and I want to be able to move for the next 5o years. Bob: But if you think you’re going to lose belly fat by doing sit ups you can forget it. You have to control it with diet first. That has to be the first step. Not to say that exercise isn’t going to help, because we are going to show you some things that you may want to try. Brad: I did want to mention, outside of breads, rice, pasta, potatoes, all the sugars, is drink a lot of water. Stay hydrated. Bob: It will help fill you up. Brad: Right, it fills you up and you need the hydration. So, it’s a win, win situation. And the price is right. You can buy these drinks or powdered drinks you put in with all kinds of proteins and stuff. I don’t think there is anything wrong with that, but I don’t think it’s necessary. Bob: Right, to me it’s always better to get things naturally, from your foods. And you drink green tea, too. Brad: Yeah, I like green tea. There’s not that much caffeine in it and what I do is I take the bag of green tea, fill up my cup, and I’ll use that bag all day long. The flavor stays there quite well but you don’t get the caffeine that you get initially. Bob: That’s a good idea. Brad: So, let’s go on to Step number 2 exercise. Bob: Yeah let talk about some of the exercises. Especially if you can do some exercise that’s a little more-high intensity. We are going to endorse our wall anchor here. We invented this and it works out really well at home. You just have to put it into a stud. Then you buy some bands along with it and you can do such a variety of exercises, especially high intensity ones. Brad: These work so well at home, especially if you don’t have a lot of space. I know a lot of people who live in big cities, like New York, they’re known for having smaller apartments so as long as you can anchor it. This is the exercise I do. I’m working my shoulders, all the muscles across my back are working. You can move back to get a little tighter. Brad: Then I like to work the opposite muscle group as well. So, we work the other direction, and I like to move a little bit. Bob: So he’s stepping along with it, so we’re getting a little more-high intensity. We’re getting the heart rate up a little bit. That’s going to burn fat a lot faster. Brad: One thing I want to really mention, unless you’re a therapist or a kinesiologist, right now I am working my abs as well as my arms. You think it’s just arms but my abs are working quite a bit to maintain my posture. Bob: And any time you do resistive training it’s helping increase the mitochondria, so your metabolism goes up. Brad: Yum, we have to keep things moving. Show us one of your favorite ones Bob. Bob: This is like kettle bell swings but you are actually using bands to do it. Brad: So, you don’t have to go buy a big kettle bell, you can just use these bands. Bob: What’s nice about this is, I just keep my legs spread apart here and I’m lifting up like this, now I’m using a lot of muscles. I’m really strengthening the hamstrings, buttock, and back. It’s good for posture and it’s a good functional movement. Brad: Not to mention the quadriceps. So, we’ve got large muscle groups burning up a lot of calories without a lot of movement. Again, get those large muscles working, it’s going to get the heart rate up and burn calories. Bob: I’m hinging at the hip and keeping the back straight, keeping my head up. I’ll tell you, if you do 15 of these, you are going to feel it. You may have to start off with a lighter band if you’re going to try these. Brad: I’ll switches these bands to the high anchor. The bands come on and off these anchors really well. Show the one you like to do here Bob. Bob: There’s a lot of them that I like to do, this is a really simple one for people if you want to use the upper anchor position. I like to do this one while I’m marching and I get a little bit of lats at the same time. Brad: Good, so you’re working the lats, working some big muscles back here too. If you want to get more exercise you could be your knees up even higher. Bob: Higher and you can step back or even jog a little. Brad: So, the exercise is really important when it comes to losing weight. I would recommend at least five days a week, and up to 30 minutes. Getting that heart rate up. Bob’s going crazy on his exercises. If you want to do interval training, that HIIT, and have some fun with it. But, you want to get that heart rate up and then you can rest, 30 seconds, then go at it again for 30 seconds. Or you can do interval at a 50/50 ratio of rest vs. exercise time to get that heart rate up. There are variations on that, that you can look up. We have some good video just for that. Bob should we go to step 3? Bob: Step number 3 is something that I’ve been reading about a lot lately, Brad. It’s really important to keep your insulin at a steady level, instead of spiking it. As soon as it spikes it’s laying down fat. So, as opposed to eating big meals where it kind of just weighs you down and you lose your energy level, what I’ve been doing, like I’ll have part of my meal at 11:30 or 12:00 and then an hour later I’ll have some nuts. So instead of having three big meals a day, you have maybe three smaller meals and then you have some snacks in between. I’ve seen a lot of diet plans that are recommending this, and you have healthy snacks. You don’t get hungry and you keep your insulin level steady. Then it just burns the fat off. Brad: Now for me, I have a hard time following that. My big rule is don’t go out to eat. It’s an expensive way to get fat. I tell myself, “don’t go out to eat.” If you go to Subway, you think, oh you know that one guy lost all that weight, he went to Subway. But look at Subway, you’ve got a big piece of bread. If you go to Subway and say, “make me a sandwich without the bread,” then you can go there. Bob: Right, even the flat bread, I think there is a fair amount of carbs in there, but maybe I’m wrong on that? I may be speaking out of turn on that one. Brad: I don’t care where you go out to eat, I mean for the majority there’s going to be a lot of fat, a lot of sugars. Like, look at yogurt. Not that you get that when you go out to eat but, if you look at their sugar, you can get a yogurt with as much sugar as a can of Pepsi. Bob: That’s right. It can be very deceptive, so you want to make sure that you’re watching and reading the ingredients. I’m not saying not go out at all, because we do recommend that you have a cheat meal a week. It’s actually recommended even to reset your metabolism. Just don’t be going out four or five times a week. Brad: So, lose some weight, follow these steps you’re going to lose it not in one week all together but it’s going to come. Bob: It’s a lifestyle. Thanks for watching. Interested in learning more about the products mentioned above: 1) Wall Anchor: https://store.bobandbrad.com​ 2) Resistance Bands: https://amzn.to/36uqnbr Visit us on our other social media platforms: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/physicaltherapyvideo Website: https://bobandbrad.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BobandBrad/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialbobandbrad/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ptfamous Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mostfamousPTs Wimkin: https://wimkin.com/BobandBrad Mewe: https://mewe.com/i/bobandbrad Minds: https://www.minds.com/bobandbrad/ Vero: vero.co/bobandbrad For this week’s Giveaway visit: https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products: Grip and Forearm Strengthener: https://store.bobandbrad.com 15% off with code BLOG15 Wall Anchor: https://store.bobandbrad.com 15% off with code BLOG15 Booyah Stik: https://store.bobandbrad.com 15% off with code BLOG15 Knee Glide: https://store.bobandbrad.com 15% off with code BLOG15 Fit Glide: https://store.bobandbrad.com 15% off with code BLOG15 Massage Gun:https://amzn.to/36pMekg Hanging Handles: https://amzn.to/2RXLVFF Bob and Brad Resistance Bands Set: https://amzn.to/36uqnbr Bob & Brad Amazon Store: https://amzn.to/2RTSLLh Check out other products Bob and Brad Love: https://www.amazon.com/shop/physicaltherapyvideo?listId=3581Z1XUVFAFY Check out The Bob & Brad Crew on YouTube by clicking here: https://www.youtube.com/c/thebobbradcrew Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and are not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider. Affiliate disclaimer: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We are highly selective in our products and try our best to keep things fair and balanced in order to help you make the best choice for you.

The idea behind a night splint is for it to apply a gentle stretch to the plantar fascia all night long. The hope is that the fascia will heal in a lengthened position and it will not re-tear when you place weight on your foot in the morning. The research is overall supportive of using a splint. However, we would suggest you try the advice we have put forth in the first 5 videos or so before getting a night splint. These are our reasons: The stretches and massage recommended in the initial videos of this series are designed to also help the fascia heal in a lengthened position. If they are not working, you can then consider using a night splint. The splints can be bulky, have a poor fit, or can be uncomfortable. Even if you find one that fits well, it may take you awhile to get accustomed to it. When you wear a splint, it may affect the quality of your sleep. A lack of sleep can affect healing. If you are making steady improvement without the splint, you may hold off in getting one. If you have stalled in your progress- you should consider getting one. Too much stretch at night in the foot or toes may make your foot go numb. Types of Splints: Anterior night splint. Fits on the front of the leg and foot. Some research indicates it works better than a posterior night splint Posterior night splint. Fits on the back of the calf and foot. Tend to be very bulky. Compression socks- they tend to get better reviews but not sure if they Plantar fasciitis night sock. People seem like they have trouble with the fit, but the idea is sound. We have a link below in the description to amazon in order for you to research which splint may be right for you. So many people have trouble with size and comfort that we do not want to make a recommendation. Look at the reviews and decide for yourself. If interested in the products mentioned above visit: 1. Braceability Dorsal Night Splint: https://amzn.to/3jJdyx1 2. Plantar Fasciitis Soft Night Sock: https://amzn.to/3hv94u0 3. Braceability Sleeping Stretch Boot for Plantar Fasciitis: https://amzn.to/3pDZdVL For more information on the Plantar Fasciitis Treatment Program visit: https://www.bobandbrad.com/plantar-fasciitis-treatment-program https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnLPbVBNVjg&feature=emb_logo

This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in November of 2020. For the original video go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEKWamu_WZ0&t=517s Bob: Today we are going to talk about cold weather muscle and joint pain stiffness. We’re going to show you how to get relief from a far infrared heating therapy at home. This is timely, Brad. Unfortunately, the cold weather, she is a coming. Brad: Right, we just had an unusually warm week, but it is coming. And, as therapists, we hear the complaints of joint and muscle pain and stiffness associated with this cold weather and damp weather. Bob: So, we’re going to show you a way to get out of it. Brad: Right, we’re going to talk about some science here to know that you’re going to go about it the best manner possible. So, if you have this joint pain and you know that you feel better, particularly if you take a shower or a bath. And you’ve heard about far infrared hot packs, but you realize they cost a little bit more. Is it worth the money? We’re going to tell you what the difference is, what the facts are. And we’re going to go on with a little bit more information after that. Bob: You actually wrote up a chart. Brad: I did my homework and I thought this will be the easiest way, and the fastest way, because people talk about sometimes we carry on because we babble. So, here we’ve got a simple chart that highlights it. We’ve got far infrared and then standard. These are referring to hot packs. First of all, what’s the difference? What is the scientific difference? Far infrared is radiant heat. Now radiant heat is like from the sun. It radiates right through the atmosphere. Standard hot packs, the electric ones, are conduction heat. So, what that means with the hot pack, you have to have it contacting your skin. Then you get the transfer of heat from the pad to your skin. Now, with the far infrared you do not have to have it, contacting your skin. The radiant heat goes through the air and that’s a big bonus. Plus, the radiant heat, will not only go to the surface of the skin, it will penetrate deeper through the skin, into the muscle, into the joints. Bob: That’s the second point Brad is making here. That’s the biggest advantage by far. Brad: By far. They’ve done studies on this, deep heat with the infrared 2.36 inches. We can show you. We’ve got this fancy scientific yardstick of course. But, anyways here’s 2.36 inches, which is about 2 3/8. Far Infrared heat Standard Electric heat Bob: And here is the regular conduction heat, which is just the surface. Brad: Basically, it’s superficial. It goes skin deep. It feels good, but it’s not going to penetrate. Bob: It’s not going to get into the joints. Brad: Exactly. So, again that’s the biggest difference. That’s why someone may pay more for it. We’ll talk more about that in just a minute. There is something called EMF, electric magnetic field. And it’s true that the EMF is higher on a standard hot pack versus infrared. But either way, it’s not going to be a problem. It’s not a health concern, but in the marketing literature you’ll see that, and they’ll say it is higher for standard electric heat. It’s true but it’s not a big deal. And I do want to inform you of that too, because I’ve read literature saying the EMF is higher in standard. Bob: People panic. It’s not high enough to cause any problems. The wattage is so low. Brad: The cost operation now that is a factor. It’s about one third of the cost to operate an infrared hot pack versus a standard one. Bob: Basically they were telling us, you could run the infrared for pennies a day, if you ran it all day long. Brad: I used to work in the electrical field and I thought, I want to find out. So I did the calculations and I went and looked, it’s true. It’s a lot cheaper, say about a third cheaper. But it depends on the standard hot packs, there’s usually three different levels of heat. On the infrared, it’s only one, and you only need one. You’re going to get a much deeper heat. So, it’s superior in that manner as well. As far as cost. Now, the big drawback is far infrared costs more initially. Here, let’s talk about the medical influence. Bob: We are going to say something about that cost later too. We are going to bring it down for you. Brad: Exactly. So there’s three big benefits, medically speaking, that we are concerned with. First circulation, it increases anytime you heat up tissue. Bob: It increases circulation to the area which often increases number two, better healing. Brad: Better healing, right. You always want to have good circulation. And, along with making tissues heal faster, there is typically less pain when you have better circulation. So, increased circulation, better healing, better pain, that’s all good. Bob: The third one was a surprise to me Brad. Brad: Yes, the relief of the pain lasts longer, with the far infrared. Four of six hours of pain relief, after you take the hot pack off versus the conventional conduction heat after you take it off. Bob: It doesn’t last forever. Brad: Right. The conventional or standard last maybe 15- 20 minutes. So, that’s a big deal as well. Bob: I remember that actually, the Thermotex company talked about this early on. That’s why they were recommending like twice a day use to get that relief. Brad: When we got these and Thermotex talked to us about using these I said, they cost too much. We’re not going to promote something that costs our viewers a lot of money. But then we used them. We looked and saw how they’re constructed and built. They are going to last a long time. They work better. It’s not like it’s going to wear out in a year. And, we’ve used ours for, we talked about 3 to 4 years. Bob: Yeah, three to four years in our individual chairs. I have mine just set up there. It’s actually strapped around a pillow. I put the pillow behind me and I use it every night. It’s just kind of my treat, especially when it gets cold. I am wearing one on my back now. It comes with straps. If you order it from the link below, and these straps are nice. I used to get a lot of knot pain between my shoulder blades, from working at the computer. Once that pain would show up, nothing would take it away, except the Therotex. I wanted to keep working, so we strap it on and you can actually work. It comes with a six-foot cord. Then when I would walk around you can just unplug it and then come back and plug it back in again. Brad: Just in case you wanted a beer or something? Bob: LOL. Yeah right. Brad: Just kidding, just kidding. Bob: But, it really was the one thing that would take my pain away. Brad: The straps offer a reminder to get your posture back as well. Because, chances are even though, Bob you’re the expert, and me too, we do lose our posture. Bob: We’re all struggling with it. Brad: Now outside of that, this is the platinum model. This is the one we recommend because it’s so versatile. It works for the back. I like it for my hands, you can wrap it around your hands and create a kind of muff. It just warms up through both hands. Bob: The point I want to make here is because it goes 2.36 inches, it actually doubles that because it’s coming from both sides. So it will go all the way through the hand. Brad: Right, through both hands. So you’re warming up all the joints, all that tissue. Also, it works if you want to put it on your hip. I really like this, particularly if you want to use it on your thigh. Bob: Use it on your hamstrings. Brad: Hamstrings, quadriceps, calf, you can get it around your ankle. And Thermotex does make individual heating pads for specific areas. Bob: They make one you can use on your wrist. They have one for your feet. The big shoe. Brad: But if you buy just that, then that’s pretty much all it’s good for. The platinum works for pretty much all parts of the body. Bob: So it is pricey, and so we talked to Thermotex and you can use discount code FAMOUSPTX for a nice discount. If you are interested in the product mentioned above: 1.Thermotex Infrared Heating Pad Purchase link: www.thermotex.com/bobandbrad Discount code: FAMOUSPTX Visit us on our other social media platforms: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/physicaltherapyvideo Website: https://bobandbrad.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BobandBrad/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialbobandbrad/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ptfamous Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mostfamousPTs Wimkin: https://wimkin.com/BobandBrad Mewe: https://mewe.com/i/bobandbrad Minds: https://www.minds.com/bobandbrad/ Vero: vero.co/bobandbrad For this week’s Giveaway visit: https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products: Grip and Forearm Strengthener: https://store.bobandbrad.com 15% off with code BLOG15 Wall Anchor: https://store.bobandbrad.com 15% off with code BLOG15 Booyah Stik: https://store.bobandbrad.com 15% off with code BLOG15 Knee Glide: https://store.bobandbrad.com 15% off with code BLOG15 Fit Glide: https://store.bobandbrad.com 15% off with code BLOG15 Massage Gun:https://amzn.to/36pMekg Hanging Handles: https://amzn.to/2RXLVFF Bob and Brad Resistance Bands Set: https://amzn.to/36uqnbr Bob & Brad Amazon Store: https://amzn.to/2RTSLLh Check out other products Bob and Brad Love: https://www.amazon.com/shop/physicaltherapyvideo?listId=3581Z1XUVFAFY Check out The Bob & Brad Crew on YouTube by clicking here: https://www.youtube.com/c/thebobbradcrew Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and are not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider. Affiliate disclaimer: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We are highly selective in our products and try our best to keep things fair and balanced in order to help you make the best choice for you.

This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in November of 2020. For the original video go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohNxx2HSkik&t=48s Brad: Hi, Brad Heineck, physical therapist. Chris: Hi, I’m Chris the pharmacist. Brad: Today we’re going to talk about Losartan, for high blood pressure, what are the side effects and the risks that you need to know. Chris is going to go through this in detail and answer all your questions. So, I’m going to pretend that I just came from the doctor. The doctor said, you got high blood pressure, hypertension. I’m already like, oh no. He says, “You’re going to have to take this medication.” He went through some of the rigor on how to take it, but I was so kind of nervous that I forgot. I’m going to go to the pharmacist and figure out if I can get this squared out and feel more comfortable about it. Now, I didn’t know this until a few years ago, Chris is a pharmacist and I’ve known him for years, but I actually went to where he distributes his medications. He does an outstanding job on making his customers feel like they’re knowledgeable about the product, that medication they are going to take. So that’s the approach we are going to take. So, Chris can you talk a little bit about how people come for Losartan? Chris: I sure can. Brad: They are a little nervous sometimes, they are mad or what is this? Chris: I think there are a lot of emotions. Anytime somebody tells you that something’s wrong with you, I think we somehow naturally kind of get a defensive mechanism. We are like, oh my gosh, this is awful. I think a lot of times when you’re not feeling well, or in the case like Losartan, which is a medication for blood pressure. I’ll be it can be used for a couple other things too. Brad: Is Losartan the name of it or is that a generic name? Chris: Generic name is Losartan, brand name is Cozaar. It’s the first angiotensin receptor blocker that was out on the market, ARB for short. Brad: So, what does that mean? Chris: That’s how it works. It’s just all these drugs have their own little categories. They can have calcium channel blockers. Brad: Does that work with the heart directly? Chris: Actually, indirectly. It’s going to work on the blood vessels itself. If you were to come up and I’d say, Hi Brad, looks like a prescription for Losartan today. It looks like it’s going to be a 50-milligram tablet daily. Did your doctor spend a little time talking to you about the medication? Brad: Yeah, but I can’t remember anything he said. Chris: You probably went through a lot. It’s a lot to hear and a lot to process. Why your doctor chose this, he didn’t like how he saw your blood pressure developing. So, he thought it was probably a little elevated in all likelihood. Does that sound like something you guys may have talked about? Brad: Yeah. He said something about maybe it would raised my risk for a stroke or something like that which was pretty scary. Chris: Well, actually it’s going to help to prevent strokes, by lowering the blood pressure. High blood pressure can increase your risk for a stroke so by lowering it.. What it does in your body is it’s going to relax the vessels in your heart and all around your heart, so the heart doesn’t have to work so hard. Brad: So, when you say vessels, you mean like arteries? Chris: Yes, arteries, arterials. Brad: So, they get relaxed and they get bigger? Chris: Yes, they have little receptors. So, if you think of it as a hose, so when its wide open, water is flowing right through that garden hose. When it gets cramped down, it comes through a lot harder but there’s a lot more resistance to squeeze that water through that tiny hole. Brad: So, the pressure goes up? Chris: Yes. If you think of your heart is the pump, it has to work a lot harder to get that water through the, well, in this case your blood through your body. Brad: So, it just relaxes the vessels, allows the blood to flow more easily so the less pressure for the heart and then the blood pressure goes down. Chris: Yes. Heart’s not working so hard anymore. Brad: That’s not so bad. So, I just take it twice a day? Chris: Well, no, your doctors got you taking this once a day. Actually, the newer study is showing it might be better to take blood pressure medication, most blood pressure medication, at bedtime. Diuretics you have to take in the morning, that’s a different discussion. But we’ll talk about for this one, probably going to do better at night. Actually, maybe a 50% reduction in heart attack and stroke, but you’re taking your blood pressure at the same time every day at night. The big thing to make any medication work well is to take it consistently. It’s important for you to take it at the same time every day or within a small window. If you’re taking it at bedtime, just take it approximately the same time every day. That’s critical for you. Brad: Okay. Do I need to take it with food? Chris: This one doesn’t matter, which is good. Brad: So, just water? Chris: Yes, a big glass of water, so like 6-8 ounces of water. Some people don’t like to drink a lot before bed, but you do want to be hydrated. Brad: What if I, you know, I have a beer? Chris: Well, that’s a good point that you bring up. Being from Wisconsin you know, there’s a lot of people that drink a beer before bed. Brad: Well, Saturday night football, before you go to bed. Chris: Exactly, and so blood pressure, when you have a beer or a glass of wine, it is going to naturally bring your blood pressure down, so you could get lightheaded or dizzy, which kind of leads us into some of the side effects with Losartan. Brad: So, I’ll get lightheaded and dizzy from the alcohol? Chris: The alcohol and the drug. It’s the combination of the two together. Your blood pressure’s here and you can bring it down even further. Say you’re sitting down and watching the game; you took your medication because you have an hour to go before bed and then you stood up too quickly. All of a sudden you get really lightheaded or dizzy. That’s called orthostasis. It’s a fancy term that just says you’re dizzy. Some people can be so severe though, you could hit your head on the coffee table. Brad: So, you get so dizzy you fall. Chris: Yes. You want to be really careful about that. As we age, sometimes our muscles don’t work as well as one another. This is probably a lot more in detail than what I would give to a patient, but it’s something to be aware of. We don’t want you to take a tumble because you could get hurt. We have to be careful with that. It’s the first five days while you’re on drugs like Losartan, it takes your body about that long to start to begin to see that blood pressure lowering. Then it takes about 3-6 weeks for that maximum response to occur. You might have to go back and see your doctor to see how things are going and maybe they’ll adjust as necessary. Brad: So, I’ve got a lot of things going on here. I feel a little bit better about it now, but there’s some things, the side-effects. I’ve heard there’s some side effects that may not be good for this. Chris: All drugs have a ton of side effects. Brad: You’re not making me feel good Chris. Chris: I know. Basically, we want to focus on the major three. Most side effects in general from all medications, very very uncommon across the board. Everyone is going to have a story. Well, my uncle took this, and it was horrible. It can happen. We have genetic predisposition, so certain drugs our race can dictate what drug is actually better for us versus others. Brad: So, we need to really depend on our doctor. Chris: Your doctor did the homework. He prescribed this for a very specific reason. Unfortunately, anytime we get a new prescription, you don’t know what that first dose until you try it. Sometimes it takes our bodies a few days to get used to it. We want to be really mindful of that. So, in case of the blood pressure medication, like I said, takes about 5 days to start to kick in, 3-6 weeks for that next response. What we’re going to see is your blood pressure is up here and it’s going to gradually come down. It’s not going to come down like you’re coming off a cliff. If it did that, you could have some pretty serious problems and that orthostasis we mentioned earlier. Brad: But you’re going to feel some symptoms. Lightheaded, dizziness. Chris: You are. So, lightheaded and dizziness are the primary things that I always warn people about. So how do you prevent it? Well, when you get out of bed in the morning, don’t just jump out of bed and walk across the room. Just sit up slowly. That’s one thing that I find very important. Let’s say you wanted to tie your shoes and you just popped right back up, stand up slowly for the first couple of days. Your body will naturally adjust. After about the first five days, you just take a little bit easier then. After that, the side effects really become inconsequential with this drug. The one thing that we want to watch for and if this is the only drug, you’re on, it’s not going to be a big issue. But sometimes people that have blood pressure issues may take multiple medications. This is a drug that is known to raise our potassium levels and potassium, you know, this is going to be a sidebar here. For the most part, we have to make sure that we aren’t eating more potassium than we should. A normal healthy diet where you are having some bananas, cantaloupe, potatoes, broccoli, those types of things are certainly fine, you just don’t want to overdo it. Brad: Those are foods that are high in potassium? Chris: High in potassium. Oranges, orange juice, those types of things. You know, you don’t want to have tons of it, but I still think it’s important to have a wide variety of food in your diet. When you heard me say diet, diet’s very very important when people have blood pressure issues. One of the coolest things that most patients aren’t aware of when they hear the bad news that they have hypertension, we can get you off these medications with lifestyle changes in a lot of cases. So, if you’re willing to put the work in and exercise and you’re willing to put the work in and eat a healthy balanced diet and you’re willing to get some good rest and hydrate well, we may be able to naturally get off of the blood pressure medicine. Losing weight, even if it’s just like 10 pounds, might be enough depending upon where that level is, you know, genetic factors withstanding. Again, your doctor would probably tell you this, but again, it’s pretty overwhelming to hear that you have hypertension. Do you think you’re going to have a stroke? Do you think you’re going to have a heart attack? Do you think you’re going to die? It can be a terrifying experience for a lot of patients. Brad: So, the biggest side effect I have to worry about is monitor that I’m not getting lightheaded or dizzy and if that’s not happening, I trust my doctor. He gave me the right one in combination with the other medications I’m taking. Also, another pharmacist, you will be aware of the other medications that patient’s taking. Chris: Yes, we are going to be looking at that exclusively. Brad: So, you double check it? Chris: Yes, we are anal retentive to a fault. We’re going to sit there and look at that profile and make sure that there’s nothing cross-reactivity type-wise because people could come in for Losartan and there could be another drug like Lisinopril. This is a total sidebar again. We see, why are you getting this today? Oh, I have a cough. What’s a primary side effect of that drug? Well, discontinue that and we’ll start this because too much together, all that potassium problem could be an issue, lightheaded, dizziness. There’s a lot of things going on. Brad: So, between the physician and the pharmacist, you guys double check with each other to make sure you’re both on the same page. Chris: Oh yes, there’s phone calls, faxing, emails, we communicate pretty readily with the nurse staff. Usually, we end up with the nurse staff. They double check with the doctor and relay back to us. But we’re looking for those things very hard. Actually it’s 90% of my job. Brad: Well, I feel a lot better so I can take it, I know the side effects and if I want to take the effort and change my diet, my exercise and my liquid intake, water, you’re saying I can get rid of these. Chris: It’s very possible. You have to put the work in. It might take a little bit of time, but you know, working with your doctor and knowing that you’ve got a plan to work ahead, I mean you can live a healthier lifestyle. I will point out, all drugs do have side effects, even the positive effects of the drug are a side effect. We just learned that that was the good part of it. So, if something bad happens, let’s say, you’re losing consciousness, you’re really dizzy, you don’t feel right, you’re nauseous, just thinking your heart’s racing. Just something’s, I mean, when we take many different medications, you know, if it’s weird, reach out to your pharmacist, reach out to your doctor, right away. If you don’t feel right, it could be a possibility that there’s something going on. And the other thing we didn’t touch on, if you’re pregnant or thinking of getting pregnant, Losartan is not a good drug for you. Brad: Oh, that’s good to know. Chris: It’s teratogenic. Anybody at childbearing age, it’s important to have probably a backup plan if we’re trying to avoid pregnancy. Or, you know, maybe we have to try and find a different medication if that’s the family planning is in the future. Brad: Okay, well good. I feel a lot better about it now, Chris. And hopefully, that’s the same experience you will feel after you see your doctor, your pharmacist. I didn’t realize it, but that is one of the jobs of the pharmacist, is to help you understand what you’re taking. Chris: Yes, that’s what we hope to do for everybody. Brad: That’s right. Very good, can you do anything for a broken heart, Chris? Chris: I can fix a lot of broken things, but I can’t fix a broken heart, I’m sorry. Brad: Well, then you’re not going to be able to help Bob and I on that quest. Chris: HAHA, have a great day guys! 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If your foot pain is not improving, you may want to try an orthotic shoe insert. However, you should first try the recommendations put forth in our videos. You might also try a simple taping technique first to see if you get some relief. See video: Simplest Taping Technique EVER for Plantar Fasciitis An orthotic shoe insert is a device inserted into a shoe (which is lacking proper foot support). With someone who has plantar fasciitis, the main goal of an orthotic insert is to provide more arch support and take stress off the fascia. We are not experts on orthotics, but we are comfortable in saying the following: When we recommend an orthotic- what we are really saying is an insole. You will normally have an original insole in your shoe. The original insole will be removed and replaced. The new insole should provide you with more arch support- where it is needed it the most. An orthotic (insole) may help your plantar fasciitis. It is certainly worth a try. We would recommend an off the shelf, less expensive type of insole to start. The fit of the insole is very important. The insole should feel better right away. You should not have to break it in. We would recommend an insole that can pass the squish test. (see below) Lifespan for an over the counter insole may be only 6 months, but by that point you may no longer need it. The insole may need some trimming. Follow directions. You can pull the old insole out from your shoe and use it as a pattern. As an alternative- a heel cup may cushion and raise your heel, and thus provide some relief. Tests to do on your orthotic insert. Squish test. Using your finger and thumb squish the arch of the orthotic. It should be able to withstand your pressure and NOT collapse. Some over-the-counter orthotics are made from soft materials that go flat as soon as you step on them--these are the ones you want to avoid. Instead, go with ones that are made from plastic polymer or a hard plastic, as these are more rigid and offer greater support. Another option is going with a moldable insole that allow you to mold the precise shape of your foot using heat treatment. The problem with moldable orthotics is that if you do not get a proper imprint, your insoles will be useless. Standing Gap Test. When standing on the orthoses there should NOT be any gap between the orthosis and your arch. Heel Lift Gap. In a seated position raise your heel off the ground while holding the orthotic in place. There should be no gapping in the arch while doing so. Taper off orthotics – if pain free for six months. If interested in the products mentioned above visit: 1. Powerstep by Pinnacle: https://amzn.to/34Wzobs For more information on the Plantar Fasciitis Treatment Program visit: https://www.bobandbrad.com/plantar-fasciitis-treatment-program https://youtu.be/1_-9SWoBgoM