EXERCISES
Lower extremity chiropractic exercises can help alleviate pain and discomfort in the lower body. They are often recommended for conditions such as hip pain, knee pain, sciatica, and various lower extremity injuries. These exercises can target specific muscles and joints contributing to pain, helping to relax and strengthen them.
LOWER EXTREMITY
WALL BENCH
Wall Bench strengthens the pelvis and encourages great posture. Place feet in front of knees, parallel, & hip width apart. Backs of hands are against the wall. Squeeze your shoulders back. Head is straight. Hold this position for 1 minute / 2 sets. Breathe!
QUAD STRETCH
This is the best quad stretch. Almost everyone needs it. Keep your body in perfect alignment, tucking the pelvis under. Put your foot up at a level you can handle, not too high. Hold for one minute per side.
KNEE PRESS
This is a fabulous exercise for stabilizing the knee joint. However, you must follow this exercise with the quad stretch to prevent too much compression of the knee joint. Sit on the floor with the leg outstretch. Place a pillow or rolled towel under the knee. Squeeze the knee to the floor and hold for 5 seconds. Be sure the knee cap moves up the center of the thigh. Don't allow the knee joint or the leg to twist at all. Hold for 5 seconds. Repeat for 2 sets of 12 repetitions.
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SHORT FOOT
This exercise is crucial for foot, knee, hip and pelvis stability. Short Foot can save you from needing orthotics. If you are already using orthotics this stretch can make the arch active, preventing further d-conditioning of the foot. Simply scrunch the arch skyward, shortening the foot. Do not curl the toes. Hold the contraction for 3 seconds and repeat 20 times on each foot. Do this exercise daily.
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TOE SCRUNCHES (No photo available)
This exercise is vital for foot and gait training, and it is the easiest thing to do. Place a small towel on the floor and place both shoeless feet on the towel. Try to scrunch up the toes to pull the towel to the scrunched position. Then use the toes to spread the towel back out again. Repeat several times and perform daily.
FOOT CIRCLES
This is a very easy way to stabalize the feet and ankles. Lie on your back, hold the foot and knee at 90 degree angles. Circle the foot one direction 20 times, circle the other direction 20 times, then move the foot forward and backward 10 times. Do both feet and perform daily.