Our founder, Luke Ferdinands, is a Physical Therapist with 20 years of experience. While working as a team PT for elite athletes, Luke applied his expertise to the treatment of pain associated with Plantar Fasciitis. Ultimately, his patients got great results from a three-part regimen, and his athlete-tested approach led to the development of the Alleviate System for foot pain relief. Shop Now.
Hear more from Luke on the Alleviate Method.
Trained in New Zealand under a medical system where Physical Therapy is more widely adopted and accessible, Luke has successfully treated thousands of Plantar Fasciitis patients in his professional practice. The Alleviate System brings these three established and clinically proven treatment methods to the American market for the first time in an at-home, easy-to-use format.
Luke’s patients see great results when using a combination of taping, massage, and exercise. His approach isn’t just backed by observational data; clinical research also shows favorable results when plantar fasciitis patients are treated with low-dye tape, massage, and exercise:
The Loft brace: an at-home professional tape job. Luke worked with a former Nike shoe designer to create the Loft, a brace that mimics the support of an expert tape job. Research shows that treating plantar heel pain with low-dye taping provides an improvement in 'first-step' pain. Source (1)
The Arch Massager: self-administered soft tissue treatment. With the Graston technique, a clinician uses a steel instrument to apply pressure to the plantar fascia, breaking up scar tissue in the arch and promoting healthy tissue regeneration. The geometry of the Arch Massager is precision-engineered to let you hit those same spots with the same amount of pressure, leading to a decrease in pain and an increase in foot function. Learn more about the design of the Arch Massager here. Source (2)
The Guided Recovery Program: approachable pain-prevention exercises. Exercise is linked to pain prevention through the proliferation of healthy muscle tissue. Research supports incorporating eccentric strengthening exercises along with tape and massage as part of a comprehensive treatment plan for Plantar Fasciitis. The Guided Recovery Program provides a progressive, structured exercise regimen designed to be easy to do at home with no specialized equipment, along with goal-setting, progress tracking, and personalized recovery routine that remove guesswork from Plantar Fasciitis recovery. Source (3)
When we designed the three elements of the Alleviate System, it was important to us to recreate scientifically proven methods from the start. This is why we are confident our customers will make progress immediately and continue to see improvements over time.
Learn more about the Alleviate System here.
Sources:
(1) - Radford, J. A., Landorf, K. B., Buchbinder, R., & Cook, C. (2006). Effectiveness of low-Dye taping for the short-term treatment of plantar heel pain: a randomised trial. BMC musculoskeletal disorders, 7, 64. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2474-7-64
(2) - Garrett, T. (2019). Graston Technique® as a treatment for patients with chronic plantar heel pain. Clinical Practice in Athletic Training, 2(3), 22–34. https://doi.org/10.31622/2019/0003.4
(3) - Morrissey D, Cotchett M, Said J'Bari A, et alManagement of plantar heel pain: a best practice guide informed by a systematic review, expert clinical reasoning and patient valuesBritish Journal of Sports Medicine 2021;55:1106-1118.
