Baseball pitcher Roy Halladay died in a plane crash in 2017. Toxicology reports showed he had prescription medications in his system. ESPN is releasing a new documentary on Halladay's life. Foot Levelers is urging the public to seek out conservative care treatments prior to taking opioids.
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Becci Holcomb is a strong woman. At age thirty, she has a retired USA Powerlifting deadlift record of 501 pounds and can squat 644 pounds. This is the equivalent of deadlifting a dumpster and squatting a large vending machine. In a sport dominated by males, Becci is stronger than many of the men.
Holcomb got her start in powerlifting while enrolled at Life University. She saw a flyer at school for the powerlifting club, and it got her interested. From there, a fellow student and powerlifter got her started. Becci quickly found out that she was a natural for which she credits to genetics and her upbringing.
Originally from the small town of Blanchester, Ohio, Holcomb comes from a family where she and her siblings are naturally tall and strong. Her father, Mike Holcomb, was an All-American wrestler and a member of the 1984 Olympic wrestling team. She grew up on a small family farm where carrying fifty-pound bags of feed was a regular chore. This helped her develop her physical strength even before she knew what powerlifting was, but it is Becci’s training and hard work that has gotten her to where she is today.
Becci trains 15 hours a week and works full-time as the Assistant Wellness Center Director at Life Wellness Center. For her, that means late nights and early mornings. She 
lifts five days a week and on Saturday’s commutes two hours, round trip, to train with her powerlifting coach. She also maintains a rigid diet, eating six small meals throughout the day. Holcomb is the first to admit that balancing work, training, and personal life takes a lot of discipline and commitment, but it has led to her success.
In her first competition, Holcomb placed second and qualified for nationals in her weight division. She broke and set new Georgia state records in squat, deadlift, and total. She would go on to win the USA Powerlifting Open Nationals three years later and qualified for the World Championships in Europe. Holcomb was ecstatic. She had placed second and third in both national and international competitions, but she had never won a national championship.
After returning home, Becci started to experience pain in her feet, hips, and back. Her joints were under a lot of stress. Becci sought out Dr. Joseph Haezebrouk and Dr. Paul Donaldson at Life University for advice and treatment. They recommended Foot Levelers custom orthotics which provide comfort for the feet, support for the whole body, and are clinically proven to help reduce pain. “The key to lifting, making the weight stick, and holding onto it is good stabilization and support from the ground up,” said Dr. Haezebrouk.
Holcomb’s feet were scanned and, upon reviewing the patient report of findings, the scan showed one arch was higher than the other with the left decreased in function. She was fitted with a pair of Foot Levelers custom orthotics and felt immediate relief. “I noticed a definite difference in my low back pain when wearing my custom orthotics. They are comfortable, and my feet, hips, and back don’t hurt,” said Becci.
“Having the proper support and alignment that Foot Levelers custom orthotics provide helps with the downward compression from the weight when your feet are off balanced and holding too much weight,” Dr. Haezebrouk added. “With Foot Levelers custom orthotics, Becci’s stability and posture improved and so did her pain. She used to take several minutes to get off the exam room table, and now she slides right off.”
Holcomb wears her custom orthotics from the moment she wakes up in the morning to when she goes to bed at night, having multiple pairs of custom orthotics to fit her different types of shoes. During the day she tries to live an active lifestyle. “I do a lot of hiking and walking and am always sure to wear my Foot Levelers custom orthotics,” Becci said. She even squats and bench presses wearing her Foot Levelers custom orthotics. “During training and competition, my squats are much more even when wearing my Foot Levelers than they were before.”
Competing in powerlifting is one of the most exciting things Holcomb has ever done. She says it is an adrenaline rush to lift heavy weights in front of cheering crowds. When she first started powerlifting, she did not know she would love it so much. Powerlifting has changed her life.
The most noticeable change has been in her body composition as fat mass has been replaced with muscle. However, the most significant difference has been in how she sees herself. Powerlifting has helped Becci develop a level of self-confidence and respect for herself. When she started lifting, she hated just about everything about her body. “I was always bigger and did not fit the mold for the average person. I went through some hard times as everyone does, but powerlifting has helped me grow and appreciate who I am as a person,” said Holcomb.
Not long ago, Becci finished second at the USA Powerlifting Open Nationals to secure a spot in the World Championship. However, for Holcomb, powerlifting has become more than winning championships or setting records. It is about being a positive example to women, especially her younger sisters, and letting them know that true strength is not how much you can lift but about being able to love yourself and your body. “I have younger sisters. I want to be able to instill in them that you don’t have to look a certain way to be valued and appreciated,” said Holcomb. “I want them to know that they are capable of so much and can-do amazing things.”
Foot Levelers, the world’s leader in custom stabilizing orthotics, revealed the new look for its Kiosk in Orlando, Florida, at the National by FCA. The new design attracted huge interest from chiropractors and generated record Kiosk sales.
The Foot Levelers Kiosk, premiered in 2017, is an innovative foot scanning device that makes it easy and efficient for patients to scan themselves for custom orthotics and for medical professionals to prescribe them. The new design includes a fresh, clean look, interactive graphics, and presents information in a way where patients can understand how imbalances in their feet are impacting their daily lives.
“We are thrilled to announce a new updated look to our Kiosk for our doctors. This innovative design is receiving praise throughout the profession! The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive! Every chiropractor should have one in their office,” said Kent Greenawalt, Chairman and CEO of Foot Levelers, Inc.
Patients love the Kiosk and their ability to scan themselves for custom orthotics. This saves the doctor and their staff valuable time, allowing them to spend more time reviewing the report of findings and treatment options. Kiosks with the new design are available for order today! For more information on the Kiosk or to order your Kiosk today call Foot Levelers at 800-553-4860.
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About Foot Levelers
Foot Levelers is the world’s leading provider of individually designed Stabilizing Orthotics, customer orthotic flip-flops, Shoethotics® and Sandalthotics®, as well as therapeutic products. We have been serving healthcare professionals and their patients for over 66 years with innovative products designed to help reduce pain in the feet, legs, hips, back, and neck, so people can enjoy a fuller and happier life at work, home, or play. For more information about how Foot Levelers is helping healthcare professionals deliver better health outcomes, and lower overall health care costs visit https://www.footlevelers.com. To keep up with Foot Levelers, follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Vimeo @footlevelers.
By Jennifer Illes, DC
Summer and warmer weather mean more patients are wearing sandals and flip-flops! They are gaining popularity for use for a variety of occasions for their casual and comfortable style. A survey on 1,000 females showed that approximately 43% of them preferred wearing flip-flops over sports shoes during shopping. (1) And although it’s always fun to kick your typical non-summer footwear aside, sandals are typically known to be the most non-foot-friendly shoes.
The typical sandal or flip-flop is very thin and offers little support or cushioning to the foot. When wearing flip-flops, people tend to alter their gait by taking shorter steps, which often results in hip and lower back pain. 2 And while the sole may seem soft and comfortable, this can cause pain in the heels, arches, ball of the foot, and toes. The foot also ends up over-pronating (rolling inward) in flip-flops, especially with no added support for the arch of the foot. (2)
Flip-flops also make the muscles and tendons work overtime. Since there is only a little V-shaped strap coming from between the toes and across the arch of the foot, there is not much holding the flip-flop to the foot. As people walk, they end up gripping their toes, making the muscles and tendons in their feet do all the work, which can lead to tendinitis.
Of all the summer footwear options, flip-flops are the most damaging to the feet. And despite what we tell patients, they are going to continue wearing them. So here are 4 “C’s” for your patients to consider when choosing sandals or flip-flops this summer.
Top 4 “C’s” to Wear Custom Orthotic Sandal and Flip-Flops:
#1: Column of Support: Orthotic Sandals (like the regular custom-made orthotics) may correct foot positioning. While typically flip-flops are worn on a variety of uneven surfaces, like sand, their job is to realign the feet with the lower limbs of the body to reduce stress in the ankles, knees, and back.
#2: Comfortable: Orthotic flip-flops give ultimate comfort to the rest of the body. It’s easier to walk all day and still feel relaxed. The body is given a solid foundation from the feet contributing to a very good posture and alignment of the body. Also, you will notice it is quite easy to make strides with the orthotic arch support sandals as minimal strains are incurred to the arches of the feet.
#3: Convenient: Easy on-and-off means it’s convenient to wear at any point.
The great news is that Foot Levelers has a trendy variety of men and women’s custom orthotic flip-flops and sandals which are designed to offer the casual footwear with the support the world has long needed. Ordinary flip-flops can do a tremendous amount of damage to the feet and the body. Foot Levelers builds in their exclusive their 3-arch support to all their custom orthotic flip-flops that provide the comfort and support and helps align the body.
Assess your patients’ feet and shoes as part of your normal intake process, and don’t miss the opportunity to talk to them about having the proper support in their flip-flops. Encourage your patients to choose their summer footwear carefully—it’s critical to good health. Sandals or flip-flops that don’t properly support the feet negatively impact the kinetic chain. High-quality, supportive footwear, ideally with support for all three of the foot’s arches, gives the body a healthy, solid foundation that is less likely to experience biomechanical problems and more receptive to chiropractic care.
References
1. Carl TJ & Barrett SL. Computerized analysis of plantar pressure variation in flip-flops, athletic shoes, and bare feet. J Am Podiatr Med Assoc. 2008. 98(5): 374-8.
2. Parker-Pope, T. (2008, June 5). Summer flip-flops may lead to foot pain. Retrieved from http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/05/summer-flip-flops-may-lead-to-foot-pain/
What could eclipse the eclipse?
In our world–in the world of safe, effective pain management and the fight to save lives as the national opioid emergency rages on–it’s a new, major research study that proves what we’ve know for over 65 years:
Foot Levelers + Chiropractic care significantly reduce Chronic Low Back Pain
—by an average of 40.4 percent.
Published in the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
Foot Levelers custom orthotics, like Chiropractic care, are safe, painless, non-invasive and cost-effective–in stark contrast to risky, expensive surgery. It’s important to note that Chiropractic is, and has always been, a drug-free approach to care.
Got Pain? Avoid the knife and potentially life-threatening drugs. Find a Foot Levelers doctor near you.
ROANOKE, VA—A conclusive study, “Shoe Orthotics for the Treatment of Chronic Low Back Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial” conducted by National University of Health Sciences and published in the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation shows that Foot Levelers custom orthotics, particularly in combination with chiropractic care, significantly reduce Low Back Pain (LBP). The National Institutes of Health (NIH) reports 80 percent of adults experience LBP at some point in their lifetime and it’s the single leading cause of disability worldwide, with many taking prescription drugs for pain relief – which often leads to long-term drug abuse and addiction.
“The study unequivocally confirms what we have known for over 65 years: Foot Levelers custom orthotics are a powerful first-line treatment in the battle against LBP,” says Kent S. Greenawalt, CEO of Foot Levelers, the world’s leading provider of custom-made functional orthotics and other therapeutic products. “There is significant scientific evidence that explains the foot-spine connection, but the bottom line is that using Foot Levelers to balance and support the feet—the foundation of the body—helps balance and support the spine. This study is another striking development in the case for evidence-based, conservative care of LBP, which in the face of America’s ongoing opioid crisis, is more important news than ever.”
A Chiropractor resident treats a patient in Hayward, California
Key Findings
Thank you to all the runners, volunteers, fans, sponsors and more who made the 2016 Foot Levelers Blue Ridge Marathon an outstanding success! See you in 2017!
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