Paul Cramer -MovementSpark

05/27/2026

05/26/2026

love the attitude

05/25/2026

Your Achilles tendon doesn't care if you're a marathon runner or just a person trying to get through the day 🏃‍♀️🧑‍🍳👩‍🏫
When it flares — it flares.
Here are 5 tips that actually help 👇
1. Start a 10-minute daily routine
Tendons love consistency. Ten minutes every day is more powerful than a long session once a week. This is where you begin.
2. Isometric holds = fast pain relief
Raise onto your toes → hold 30–45 sec → repeat 4–5x.
No movement. Just tension. Even during a flare-up, this works.
3. Heavy Slow Resistance (HSR) for real strength
3 seconds down. Pause. 3 seconds up.
Slow eccentric heel drops on a step.
3 sets of 15. Progress the load over time.
This is the gold standard for tendon rehab.
4. Skip the aggressive stretching
Stretching an angry tendon can make it worse.
Load it. Don't lengthen it.
5. Gradual load is everything
Too much too soon is almost always the culprit.
Increase activity by no more than 10–15% per week and let the tendon catch up.
Give it 8–12 weeks of consistent effort and you'll feel the difference. 💪
Save this post and start that 10 minutes today 📌
—
What's your biggest challenge with Achilles pain? Comment below 👇

05/19/2026

Something I hear almost every week in clinic:

"I stopped as soon as it started hurting — I didn't want to make it worse."

That instinct makes sense. Pain usually means stop. But with tendinopathy, that rule can actually work against you.

Here's what most people don't know: tendons don't heal well with rest. A tendon that's been completely offloaded gets weaker, more disorganized, and more sensitive over time. Rest doesn't reset it — it just removes the signal the tendon needs to rebuild.

That signal is load. Mechanical stress is literally how tendons adapt. And here's the part that surprises people: that process often comes with some discomfort. Not because something is going wrong — but because the tendon is being challenged. That's different from being damaged.

So what's actually okay?

As a general guide:
✅ Pain 0–3/10 during activity → carry on. This is where a lot of good rehab work happens.
⚠️ Pain 4–5/10 → proceed carefully. Acceptable if it settles back to normal within 24 hours.
🛑 Pain 6+/10, or pain that keeps climbing → dial back the load. Not stop — dial back.

The most useful question isn't "did it hurt?" It's: what did it feel like the next morning?

If your Achilles, elbow, or knee is about the same or just slightly more sensitive the next day — you stayed in range. The tendon handled it.

If it's meaningfully worse — you went a bit over. Useful information. Adjust and keep going.

This is how capacity builds: not by avoiding discomfort, but by learning the edge of what your tendon can currently handle, and gradually pushing that edge outward.

The golfer who keeps playing through a 3/10 elbow ache? Often doing the right thing.
The runner who stops dead at the first twinge? May actually be slowing their recovery.

Pain should always be respected. But with tendons, some of it is just the sound of work being done.

👉 Full post on the MovementSpark blog — link in bio.

Questions about tendon pain? I work with clients in Edmonton and online. Feel free to reach out or book through the link below.

05/17/2026

We have some new followers, so it’s time to (re)introduce you to our team! First - our amazing teachers.

Allison Birt and Sarah Moore are the real deal — smart, skilled, deeply experienced teachers who turn Pilates, Franklin Method and ELDOA into movement magic and medicine for real lives and real bodies.

They care fiercely about our clients and community, and I’m so grateful to collaborate with them as we live our “You matter. How you move matters” promise every day.

05/17/2026

# Pain Doesn't Always Mean Something Is Broken

You wake up with a sore back. Your knee aches after a long walk. Your shoulder's been grumbling for a week.

The first thought most of us have? *Something must be wrong. Something must need fixing.*

It's a completely understandable reaction. Pain feels like a warning light on a dashboard — surely it's telling us something is damaged, out of place, or broken. But here's the thing: that's not quite how pain works.

# # Pain Is a Signal, Not a Damage Report

Pain is your nervous system's way of getting your attention. It's protective — designed to make you slow down, take notice, and consider whether something might be a threat. But the amount of pain you feel doesn't map neatly onto the amount of physical damage (if any) in your body.

People with significant structural changes visible on an MRI — herniated discs, worn cartilage, rotator cuff tears — often have zero pain. Meanwhile, others experience intense, debilitating pain with no clear structural cause at all. The scan and the symptom don't always match.

This isn't your imagination. It's pain science.

# # The "Something Must Be Fixed" Trap

When we assume pain means damage, we start chasing fixes. We book scan after scan, visit specialist after specialist, waiting for someone to find the thing that's broken so it can be repaired.

Sometimes that's exactly the right call — pain can absolutely signal something that needs medical attention, and you should always check in with a professional when something's new, severe, or persistent.

But often, the "fix it" mindset leads us somewhere unhelpful. We start to move less, afraid of making things worse. We become hypervigilant, noticing every twinge and ache. And paradoxically, that cycle of fear and avoidance can actually make pain worse and last longer.

# # So What Does It Mean?

Pain is often the result of many things layered together: stress, poor sleep, movement habits, anxiety, past experiences, and yes — sometimes tissue irritation too. It's rarely one simple cause with one simple cure.

That means recovery often isn't about fixing a broken part. It's about helping your nervous system feel safer. It's about gradually building confidence in movement. It's about addressing the whole picture — not just the sore spot.

# # What This Means for You

If you're in pain right now, this isn't about dismissing what you're feeling. Pain is real. It matters. You deserve support.

But it's worth holding the "something is broken" story a little more lightly. Because the belief itself — that your body is damaged, fragile, or faulty — can be one of the biggest barriers to feeling better.

Your body is remarkably resilient. Pain is not proof that something is falling apart. Most of the time, it's proof that your nervous system is doing its job, just a little too enthusiastically.

And that? That's something we can work with.

---

*If you're dealing with persistent pain and aren't sure where to start, I offer in-person or telephone discovery sessions to get more information.

05/12/2026

🦶 Do you have pain at the back of your heel?

If you notice stiffness or aching behind your heel — especially first thing in the morning or after sitting — you might have Achilles tendinopathy.

Common signs:
• Stiffness at the heel when you take your first steps in the morning
• Aching during or after walking, running, or climbing stairs
• A tender spot when you squeeze the tendon (about 2–6 cm above the heel)
• Mild swelling or a thickened feel to the tendon

Here's what most people don't know: this isn't just an injury for runners. It affects walkers, people who spend long hours on their feet, and even those who recently returned to exercise after a break.

The good news? With the right approach, Achilles tendinopathy responds really well to treatment — and you don't need to stop moving entirely.

If this sounds like you, reach out. I help people locally and via video call — and there are things you can start doing TODAY to feel better.

For a program you can follow -look at https://painfreetendon.com

👇 Drop a comment or send me a DM — I'd love to help.

HASHTAGS

05/12/2026

Mpho Matseka has classical Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (cEDS) and is an advocate behind Ehlersdanlosboy, as well as a Board member of the Collagen Advocacy Network.⁠
⁠
He created this work to highlight something many men already know:⁠
⁠
Men with Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS) and hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD) are underrepresented in diagnosis, support spaces, and conversations about these conditions.⁠
⁠
As part of When Medicine Misses Us, we’re collaborating with Mpho to listen, learn, and shape better support together.

We’re starting with this:⁠
⁠
What topics about men with types of EDS or HSD do you feel are NOT talked about enough?⁠
⁠
What would you want to see more of in resources, support, or social media?⁠
⁠
Share in the comments or DM if you prefer. Your voice helps shape what comes next.⁠
⁠

05/11/2026

Most people with tendon pain are following outdated advice.

Rest it.
Stretch it.
Ice it.
Avoid using it.

And while those things might calm symptoms temporarily…

They often don’t solve the real problem.

Modern tendon rehab is shifting toward a completely different understanding:

👉 Tendons usually need the *right amount of loading* to recover — not endless protection.

That’s one of the biggest changes in tendon treatment over the last 15–20 years.

Whether it’s:
• Achilles pain
• tennis elbow
• golfer’s elbow
• patellar tendon pain
• rotator cuff pain

…the goal is often not simply to “stop pain.”

The goal is to gradually rebuild the tendon’s ability to handle the demands of life again.

One of the biggest problems people face is confusion.

There’s so much conflicting advice online and even between healthcare providers that many people end up:
❌ resting too much
❌ pushing too hard
❌ or bouncing between treatments without a clear plan

One of the most helpful concepts we now use is finding the tendon “sweet spot”:

🟢 Mild discomfort that settles quickly?
Usually acceptable.

🟡 A little sore the next day?
Maybe adjust slightly.

🔴 Pain that spikes or lingers 24–48 hours?
Probably too much.

That gives people something they’ve often been missing:

👉 clear guidance.

Not fear.
Not guessing.
Not “never move again.”

Just a structured path forward.

Tendons are stronger and more adaptable than most people think.

But they respond best to:
✔ gradual loading
✔ consistency
✔ patience
✔ progressive strengthening

Not random rest and flare-up cycles.

If there’s one thing I wish more people understood:

Pain does not automatically mean your tendon is fragile or permanently damaged.

In many cases, it means the tendon needs the right plan, the right progression, and enough time to adapt.

— Paul Cramer, RMT
[MovementSpark Health](https://movementspark.com?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

05/09/2026

Do you have Achilles Pain or know someone who does. Here's a quick bit of advice on how to move through it. Your Achilles isn't fragile, it might just need a bit of help.

Is your "running spring" feeling a little rusty? 🏃‍♀️📉]

That nagging Achilles pain isn't a sign that you’re "broken." Think of it this way: your Achilles is a high-performance spring, and right now, it’s just lost some of its snap.

The old-school advice was to rest and wait. But we now know that tendons actually get grumpy when they don’t get work. They don't want total rest; they want the right kind of load.

Here is how we get the "snap" back: ⚙️ Slow the tempo: Swap fast miles for heavy, slow strength work. ⚖️ Find the sweet spot: Use "relative rest" to stay active without causing a flare-up. 📈 Think Rebuild, not Break: You aren't just waiting to heal; you’re actively upgrading your tendon’s capacity.

It takes a little patience to re-temper the spring, but you’ll come back with a more resilient foundation for every mile ahead.

Have you been "resting" an Achilles injury with no luck? It might be time to start loading instead! Drop a "💪" if you're ready to start the rebuild.

05/02/2026

🦓 May is EDS & Hypermobility Awareness Month 🦓
Did you know that Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes (EDS) and Hypermobility Spectrum Disorders may affect as many as 1 in 500 people — and possibly many more who don't yet have a diagnosis?
You might have EDS or a hypermobility-related condition — or know someone who does — without even realising it.
Some signs to look out for:
✔️ Joints that click, pop, feel loose, or dislocate easily
✔️ Chronic pain that feels out of proportion — especially from a young age
✔️ Soft, stretchy, or easily bruised skin
✔️ Fatigue that rest doesn't seem to fix
✔️ Gut issues like IBS or bloating
✔️ Dizziness or heart racing when you stand up (often linked to POTS)
✔️ Being told as a child that you were "just flexible" — when in reality, it's been painful all along
EDS and hypermobility conditions affect people in profound ways — from daily joint pain and instability, to exhaustion, brain fog, and the very real emotional weight of living with a condition that is so often invisible to others.
Many people spend years without answers. Awareness can change that.
If you want to learn more, or think this might sound familiar, the Ehlers-Danlos Society (theedsociety.org) is a brilliant place to start — full of information, support, and a community that truly gets it.
This month, let's keep the conversation going. If this resonates with you, or you know someone who might need to see it, please share 💜