If you’ve been stretching your lower back for months with zero relief, you’re likely looking at the symptom, not the source. In this episode of Dementia Decoded, I sit down with movement expert Eileen Kopp to discuss why your ankles are the literal foundation of your entire body’s alignment. If the foundation is “cracked,” the roof (your back, hips, and even your neck) is guaranteed to slide.
[What’s Inside] We dive into the mechanics of how we age and why we often lose mobility simply because we’ve stopped moving in all three planes of motion. Eileen shares her “5-Minute Foundation” approach—a simple, daily routine to “grease the wheels” of your joints and stop the chain reaction of chronic pain.
Key Highlights:
- The Ankle-Back Connection: Why a stiff heel bone is often the culprit behind lower back agony.
- The “Elbow” Mystery: The bizarre true story of how Eileen fixed a client’s chronic elbow pain by adjusting her feet.
- 3-Plane Motion: Why standard “up and down” movement isn’t enough to keep you mobile as you age.
- The 5-Minute Fix: How to implement a foundational movement practice that fits into even the busiest caregiver’s schedule.
[Timestamps]
- 00:00 – Intro: The “Rusty Knee” phenomenon.
- 02:45 – Why the site of the pain is rarely the source of the problem.
- 06:15 – The Ankle-Back Connection & The Foundation Metaphor.
- 10:30 – How fixing an ankle cured chronic elbow pain.
- 13:45 – Explaining 3-Plane Motion and why it matters for Longevity.
- 19:20 – Closing: Simple steps to start your 5-Minute Foundation today.
[About Our Guest] Eileen Koppstofis is a specialist in lifelong wellbeing. She helps people navigate the “Aging culprits” that steal mobility, using biomechanics to resolve pain and keep people moving confidently through all stages of life.
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After helping care for her grandmother who had vascular dementia, Jennifer realized her Mother was showing signs of early onset Alzheimer’s. After the death of her father in 2017 Jennifer went searching for answers to many of the common questions and Alzheimer’s caregiver faces. Being a busy entrepreneur Jennifer realized that a podcast would be the easiest way to learn more about caregiving while completing other tasks.
Sadly, in late 2017 she only found one and it didn’t quite address what she was looking for, so she did the next best thing, and started her own. The Fading Memories podcast is now in it’s fourth year and despite the death of her Mom in March 2020, Jennifer is still talking to caregivers and still learning how to be an excellent caregiver. On the podcast she discusses caregiving, brain health, self-care and how to age well.
