Dear MendMeShop, I have been using the Platinum Plantar/Spur Therapy Combo which includes the Ultrasound device, Inferno Plantar Wrap, and Freezie Plantar Wrap for about 10 days now to treat my plantar fasciitis. PF is a very painful condition that made it impossible for me to run, jump, walk my dogs, or keep up with my family on outings of any length.
Mornings were especially tough-going, as I would sit and do stretching excercises that would provide me little relief, just so I could get from the bed to the coffee.
I have experience with treating PF in my left foot about 5 years ago. There had been no recurrence, and since I have had no problem with any activity or with wearing any style of shoes on that foot, I thought I had conquerred PF long, long ago. Who knows what brought it on this time? I felt quite responsible that I had done something wrong and really bore the guilty feelings that I had messed up my foot doing something stupid. My nurse practitioner said that while there are bad habits that can cause PF, he truly thinks from his experience that I probably didn't do anything in particular to bring it on. I was, honestly, just living my active life when suddenly, I couldn't walk from the bed to the bathroom.
This time, when I had the first signs of PF in my right foot in late April, I tried the things my doctor had prescribed in the past on my own. Stretching, night splint, and non-steroid antiinflamatory. After a couple of weeks, I realized I needed something more. I have a big trip planned with my family at the end of August, and I really don't want to have too much trouble keeping up with everyone.
I went to the nurse practitioner, and he recommended physical therapy but cautioned that since I would probably go only a couple of times a week, the results would take awhile. He suggested that I look into home ultrasound. Then I could do the treatment myself, and therefore, administer as many treatments as I could a day. He suggested three times a day.
I looked on the internet for a reputable company with a good return policy and a wide selection of products. I found MendMeShop.com and ordered the Platinum Package to take advantage of heat, cold, and ultrasound therapy.
I have only been using the products for a short time, but I have had a noticeable decrease in my pain and an increase in my range of function. The ultrasound is my magic wand to me. I know it is this product that has made the most change, since I had already been using heat and ice on my own. It is an easy to use device, even accounting for the awkward position one must get into in order to apply it to the bottom of one's foot.
Although I had been applying heat and ice before, the Inferno Plantar Wrap and Freezie Plantar Wrap are much more efficient ways to do it. The wraps fit comfortably on my small foot and apply the correct or even adjustable levels of temperature. The compression does its job physiologically, but it just plain feels good! And when you have PF, that alone is a joy!
My therapy of a NSAID along with a night splint now includes the ultrasound two or three times a day for fifteen minutes, heat wrap on wakening and after ultrasound, and the Freezie Wrap only after much acitivity. To turn around PF, one must take therapy seriously and not go at it in a hit or miss manner. Keeping to this treatment plan, I am able at day ten to wake without pain, walk at a moderate pace, and participate in my desired activities at a much more active level. Although it seems time-consuming, I only have to think of all the wasted time and missed fun of spending time in a chair while friends and family are up enjoying activities I could not possibly participate in.
I am quite optimistic that continuing this therapy plan on my own will lead to a painless, comfortable foot. I look forward to my vacation feeling quite certain that I will be in good enough shape to enjoy it. I can bring the US therapy, and heat and cold wraps along; they are so easily portable. I know that this condition may take about a year to fully resolve in my left foot, so having products that are easy to transport are a must for me. I travel often, and I don't want to be without the benefit of continued therapy for anytime at all.
Thank you very sincerely for your high-quality product and kind personal attention. I also want to add that it is quite easy to waste a lot of money when you have this condition. I have enough worthless shoes, insoles, arch supports, splints, heat wraps, and ice bags to fill a foot hospital! To purchase a product with a 60 day money back guarantee is a relief. That amount of time is truly necessay to see if it provides long-term relief.
I know this is a long testimony, but I hope I have adequately expressed to you my satistaction. I can honestly say that I couldn't do without these products, and I highly recommend your website to friends and family. I believe in you so much that I might honestly approach a limping stranger on the street and tell him about the Inferno Wrap and my 'magic wand ultrasound therapy'!
Thank you Paul for you kind phone call yesterday, your suggestions, and encouragement. It is slow-going to see improvement in this condition, it is sometimes hard to stay optimistic, it is easy to have set-backs, and often it is quite misunderstood by other people. Your product truly supplies hope for PF sufferers like me. Rating:  S Reedy |
Causes of a Hamstring Pulls
Forces more than 70% make the hamstring muscle more susceptible to an injury. This extra stress placed on the hamstring muscles and tendons can occur during: Active sports that require speed, power and agility (soccer, football, baseball, softball, basketball, rugby, tennis) or track & field activities that involve a lot of jumping, kicking, running and fast "stop/start" motions with your legs (sprints, hurdles, long jump). During vigorous activities we often load our hip joint by up to eight times our body weight.
Individual activities can put a lot of continuous pressure on your hamstrings (running, water skiing, skating, cheerleading, dancing, weight lifting, climbing). These athletes are susceptible to chronic pulls as a result of the repetitive nature of their activities. They often suffer from avulsion fractures following a burst of speed.
 Muscle exhaustion and fatigue decrease your strength, power and endurance which increase your risk for injury. Over-stretching, overexertion and overuse of your hamstring muscles occurs frequently in sporting activities and/or daily life. When you have not warmed-up and stretched properly before moving, your muscles aren't ready for the stress, therefore your chances for injury are increased. Doing too much, too soon, too fast, or exercising and moving about in cold weather, puts you at even more risk for a pulled hamstring. Sometimes you will get a pulled hamstring doing very simple tasks like landing in a strange way from a jump, aggressively stretching in yoga class, or running after your kids or the bus.
Utilizing a poor technique (over-striding in running or walking), improper equipment (old shoes) or hard and uneven training surfaces during activities will often put your body at a higher risk for injury. These will also make you feel more tired as the inefficient movements require you to use more energy to complete tasks than required.
Repeated hamstring injuries are very common. They decrease the function and strength of your hamstring over time, and encourage inflammation, scar tissue and calcification development, so these damaged parts never heal properly. Impatience and incomplete rehabilitation (not letting injuries heal, so your body can return to peak performance level) is often the reason for repeat injury. This is seen most frequently in runners. Previous injuries to your lower back, pelvis, knees, calf and/or achilles tendon can also instigate a hamstring injury (especially if they haven't healed properly).
The above causes are often self-imposed; which means with a little self-management you can have some control over the outcomes. However, the following conditions can make you more prone to hamstring injuries and be the cause of a number of the above situations.
Muscle imbalances or weakness in your muscles (especially in your hamstrings and quadriceps, or your lower back and pelvis muscles) can cause strength differences and poor coordination that result in a hamstring pull. Your quadriceps often overpower your hamstrings (generally if hamstring strength is less than 60% of quad strength), which is seen frequently with triathletes as they mix running and cycling.
Tight hamstring muscles often result from not stretching properly before your activities. However, shortened and tightened muscles, spine stiffness and poor flexibility can be hereditary and/or a side-effect of aging; it is seen more frequently in men than women. All of these can cause a lot of pressure on your body (low back stiffness can pressure your sciatic nerve which causes your muscles to tighten) and require a lot of work on your part (daily stretching).
Alignment issues, leg length discrepancies, or the way your foot hits the ground when you walk can put a lot of stress on your hamstring muscles and result in a hamstring pulls.
Other factors that can put extra tension on your hamstring and influence your risk of experiencing a hamstring pulls include:
- Poor fitness levels and lack of exercise
- Poor nutrition and obesity
- Posture irregularities (lumbar lordosis)
- Meniscal injuries
- Neural tension (scar tissue around the nerves)
| Dear MendMeShop, My girlfriend has an arthritic knee and she usually doesn't like lavendar scent in other products. However, with all the rave reviews, ordered it anyway. Let's put it this way, she now uses it twice a day on her knee and she finds the scent is pleasant. When I injure my hamstring playing ball, I use it too and it really works. I highly recommend this gel when using ultrasound therapy. Rating: Alfred Frimerman
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