Erin McKinney ’24, Biology Major, shares about their internship at Biomechanics Lab at Montana State University
“This summer I am doing a research internship at the Neuromuscular Biomechanics Lab at Montana State University. My project revolves around plantar fasciitis, which is the inflammation of the band of tissue that connects the heel bone to the toes (plantar fascia) causing pain in the heels. This injury is common among athletes and people standing and walking on hard surfaces, such as teachers, and one of the issues emerging around plantar fasciitis is a lack of intrinsic foot muscle strength. Intrinsic foot muscles are small muscles that support the arch of the foot and control the toes, and so much of my internship thus far has involved processing data from an eight-week intrinsic foot strengthening program and evaluating its efficacy.
Moving into the rest of the summer I will be involved in evaluating the efficacy of a new treatment, extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT), on treating plantar fasciitis. ESWT is a non-invasive treatment that involves sending acoustic shock waves into bone or soft tissue to break up scarring and revascularize injured areas by triggering the body’s natural healing pathways. This treatment has been used to treat several types of joint 
and tendon disorders, but its efficacy in treating plantar fasciitis has yet to be widely evaluated. To do so, the lab I’m working in is contracting with a chiropractor in Bozeman who will perform the ESWT over a 4-6 week period, and my lab will evaluate the patients pain, muscle quality, and walking/running kinetics before and after treatment via motion capture technology, electromyography, plantar pressure analysis, and patient surveys. Once I have collected all of this data, I will use my analysis to write my senior research thesis for my biology degree. Since this research is subject based, between patients I’ve also had the opportunity to help out with other studies in the lab, including using mocap modeling, lactate thresholds, and VO2 maxes to see analyze how the kinetics and biomechanics of running change when going up hills with and without poles.
Ever since I was young, I knew I wanted to go into a healthcare field. Growing up I dreamed of being an OB/GYN, but over the years my engagement with sports and experience of injuries led me to physical therapy. After Whitman I will pursue a doctorate in physical therapy, and so the biomechanical aspect of this research is of great interest and applicability to me. This internship capitalizes on the base of biology and anatomy and physiology I am gaining at Whitman to deepen my education in anatomy and biomechanics.. Additionally, it is helping me gain an understanding of different tools for biomechanical assessment and treatment, and the dedication of this lab to improving preventative and rehabilitative techniques that I might later use as a PT is a really exciting experience! Without the Whitman Internship Grant this research internship would not be possible, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to combine my passions with my education.”