What if bone health deserves a bigger place in the longevity conversation?

In this episode of Root to Rise, Dr. Emily welcomes Rebekah Rotstein, founder of Buff Bones®, to explore bone health beyond the density score. Together, they discuss strength, balance, movement, and the importance of building confidence in your body as you age.

From osteoporosis to the connection between feet and whole-body stability, this conversation explores what it means to build a resilient foundation for lifelong movement—and why caring for your bones is an investment in your future independence.

Connect with Buff Bones®:
Instagram: @gotbuffbones⁠
Website: www.buff-bones.com⁠

👣 Connect with Dr. Emily Splichal:
Consultations: www.dremilysplichal.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/dremilydpm

🎧 Follow & Subscribe for More:
New episodes exploring barefoot science, nervous system health, emotional regulation, and holistic human performance.

Foot pain isn't always a sign of weakness. Sometimes, it's a sign that your foot is being asked to handle more load than it currently has the capacity to manage.

In this episode of Root to Rise, Dr. Emily Splichal breaks down the concept of the overloaded arch and why strengthening alone may not be the answer.

Dr Emily explores how repetitive stress, footwear, movement patterns, tissue capacity, and sensory input influence the way the foot absorbs and responds to load.

Learn how to recognize when an arch is overloaded, why pain can be a signal to change the way we're loading the body, and how to build greater foot resilience without simply adding more support.

Because a strong foot isn't one that never experiences stress — it's one that can sense, adapt, and respond to it.

👣 Connect with Dr. Emily Splichal:
Consultations: www.dremilysplichal.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/dremilydpm

🎧 Follow & Subscribe for More:
New episodes exploring barefoot science, nervous system health, emotional regulation, and holistic human performance.

What really goes into bringing a movie like Stupid Shoes to life?

In this episode, I sit down with Dee Libine the producer of Stupid Shoes for a behind-the-scenes conversation about the making of the film, the story that inspired it, the challenges of production, and what it takes to turn an idea into a finished movie.

We talk about the creative process, memorable moments from the set, the people who helped make the film happen, and what audiences can expect from Stupid Shoes.

🎬 A candid conversation about filmmaking, storytelling, and the journey behind Stupid Shoes.

What the trailer of Stupid Shoes
https://youtu.be/CFCT1IqsVmc?si=-HJNExEpYcTTlrlr

Learn more about Stupid Shoes movie - www.stupidshoesmovie.com

👣 Connect with Dr. Emily Splichal:
Consultations: www.dremilysplichal.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/dremilydpm

🎧 Follow & Subscribe for More:
New episodes exploring barefoot science, nervous system health, emotional regulation, and holistic human performance.

What if one simple exercise could change the way you connect to your feet, stabilize your arch, and build a stronger foundation for movement?

In this episode of Root to Rise, Dr. Emily Splichal breaks down one of the most important exercises she teaches: Short Foot.

More than an arch-strengthening exercise, Short Foot is about learning how to create tension and stability through the intrinsic muscles of the foot while maintaining connection to the ground. Dr. Emily walks through the anatomy behind Short Foot, why foot position and sensory awareness matter, common mistakes that change the exercise, and how to progress Short Foot from an isolated activation into standing and dynamic movement.

You'll learn why Short Foot has remained a cornerstone of Dr. Emily's approach to barefoot training—and why mastering this seemingly simple exercise can change the way you think about foot strength.

In this episode:

What Short Foot actually is
The anatomy behind the exercise
Intrinsic vs. extrinsic foot muscles
Creating the "shortening" action without curling the toes
Why sensory input matters
Common Short Foot mistakes
When and how to use Short Foot
How to progress from activation to integrated movement

Your feet don't just need to be stronger. They need to know how to respond.

👣 Connect with Dr. Emily Splichal:
Consultations: www.dremilysplichal.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/dremilydpm

🎧 Follow & Subscribe for More:
New episodes exploring barefoot science, nervous system health, emotional regulation, and holistic human performance.

What if chronic pain isn't the problem—but the body's request for change?

In this episode of Root to Rise, Dr. Emily Splichal sits down with Dr. Perry Nickelston, internationally recognized as The Lymph Doc, to explore why true healing begins long before symptoms appear. Together, they unpack the remarkable connection between the lymphatic system, fascia, breath, movement, and the nervous system, revealing how these interconnected systems influence inflammation, recovery, resilience, and overall health.

Dr. Perry shares why "stopping the chase" is one of the most powerful shifts clinicians and patients can make, why the lymphatic system may be the missing piece in chronic pain and persistent dysfunction, and how simple daily practices can restore the body's natural ability to heal.

Whether you're a healthcare professional, movement specialist, or someone searching for answers beyond traditional pain management, this conversation will change the way you think about healing—from the inside out.

In this episode you'll discover:
Why pain is often a symptom—not the source—of dysfunction.
The vital role of the lymphatic system in inflammation, immunity, and recovery.
How fascia, breath, and movement work together to create health and resilience.
Simple strategies to improve lymphatic flow and support your body's healing capacity.
Why every system in the body is connected—and why healing should be approached the same way.

Learn more about Dr Perry at www.stopchasingpain.com

👣 Connect with Dr. Emily Splichal:
Consultations: www.dremilysplichal.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/dremilydpm

🎧 Follow & Subscribe for More:
New episodes exploring barefoot science, nervous system health, emotional regulation, and holistic human performance.

More than 20 million Americans are living with peripheral neuropathy, yet most conversations focus on what has been lost—lost sensation, lost balance, and damaged nerves. But what if the story doesn't end there?

In this episode of Root to Rise, Dr Emily Splichal explores the emerging science of peripheral neuroplasticity—the remarkable ability of the peripheral nervous system and the brain to adapt following nerve injury. While nerve regeneration and neuroplasticity are distinct processes, research suggests rehabilitation, sensory retraining, and meaningful movement can influence how the nervous system reorganizes and supports recovery.

You'll learn:

What peripheral neuropathy really is
Different types of neuropathy and causes
The difference between positive and negative symptoms
Why sensory input is essential for healthy movement
How to safely train your feet with neuropathy
How movement, sensory stimulation, and rehabilitation may support nervous system adaptation

This episode challenges the idea that neuropathy is simply a condition to manage. Instead, you'll discover why the nervous system remains dynamic throughout life and how thoughtful rehabilitation can help you reconnect with your body from the ground up.

👣 Connect with Dr. Emily Splichal:
Consultations: www.dremilysplichal.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/dremilydpm

🎧 Follow & Subscribe for More:
New episodes exploring barefoot science, nervous system health, emotional regulation, and holistic human performance.

Every step you take doubles the energy your body puts into the ground — and fascia is the tissue that makes it possible. In this solo episode, Dr. Emily Splichal breaks down how to build fascial resiliency and why collagen, the structural protein behind your entire connective tissue web, is central to movement longevity. She walks through the science of the catapult effect, the three features every healthy fascia needs to have, and a full step-by-step routine you can do at home to train hydration, tensegrity, and elasticity in your tissue. She closes with a look at the regenerative medicine tools she uses in her own practice to restore fascial integrity after injury.

- Fascia is a sensory organ with over 100 million nerve endings, not just structural tissue — it's how your brain perceives where your body is in space.
- The "catapult effect" means your body can nearly double the energy absorbed at foot contact and release it on push-off, but only if your fascia is healthy.
- Fascial resilience depends on three trainable features: hydration, tensegrity (stiffness/stability), and elasticity (the rubber-band effect).
- Chronically elevated blood sugar oxidizes into free radicals that create inflammation and "stickiness" in connective tissue, accelerating fascial aging.
- A daily fascial routine — tissue mobility, elasticity work, energy transfer drills, and strength through range — can be done at home in a short amount of time.

Chapters:
0:00 Introduction — Fascial Resiliency and Collagen
1:15 What Fascia Really Is and Why It Matters
3:00 The Catapult Effect: How Fascia Multiplies Energy
7:30 Collagen 101: The Structural Protein Behind Fascia
9:00 The Three Pillars: Hydration, Tensegrity, and Elasticity
15:00 Fascia and Aging: Glucose, Stickiness, and Injury Risk
19:45 A Step-by-Step Fascial Resiliency Routine
29:00 Regenerative Medicine for Fascia: Shockwave, Biologics, and Peptides

Subscribe to Root to Rise and check out Dr. Splichal's YouTube channel for the full fascial mobilization and hydration video series referenced in this episode.

👣 Connect with Dr. Emily Splichal:
Consultations: www.dremilysplichal.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/dremilydpm

🎧 Follow & Subscribe for More:
New episodes exploring barefoot science, nervous system health, emotional regulation, and holistic human performance.

What if anxiety, low mood, brain fog, and poor focus are not simply mental health conditions—but signals that your brain is missing the nutrients it needs to function optimally?

In this episode of Root to Rise, Dr. Emily Splichal is joined by functional nutrition therapy practitioner Laurie Hammer for an eye-opening conversation about the relationship between amino acids, neurotransmitters, and brain health. Together, they explore how serotonin, dopamine, GABA, endorphins, and blood sugar regulation influence everything from stress resilience and motivation to emotional well-being and cognitive performance.

You'll learn how chronic stress, menopause, mold exposure, viral illness, and inflammation can contribute to neurotransmitter depletion, why amino acids are the essential building blocks of brain chemistry, and how targeted nutritional support may help restore balance.

The conversation also emphasizes the importance of working with qualified healthcare providers when using nutritional strategies alongside psychiatric medications, highlighting a safe, integrative approach to supporting mental health.

Whether you're looking to better understand your own brain or support the health of those around you, this episode offers a fresh perspective on the powerful connection between nutrition, brain chemistry, and overall well-being.

Sections:
0:00 Introduction — Meet Laurie Hamer
3:30 The Five Core Neurotransmitters and What They Do
9:00 Anxiety as a Nutrient Deficiency, Not a Diagnosis
19:50 Mapping Amino Acids to Neurotransmitters
27:00 Real Client Case Studies and Amino Acid Testing
32:00 Medication, Tapering, and the Amino Acid Conversation
40:00 Hormones, Menopause, Mold Toxicity, and Brain Inflammation
47:00 Where to Find Laurie and Take Back My Brain

Follow Laurie Hamer and the Take Back My Brain podcast to learn more about amino acid therapy and brain health testing, and subscribe to Root to Rise for more conversations on the science of human potential.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/take-back-my-brain/id1684847484

👣 Connect with Dr. Emily Splichal:
Consultations: www.dremilysplichal.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/dremilydpm

🎧 Follow & Subscribe for More:
New episodes exploring barefoot science, nervous system health, emotional regulation, and holistic human performance.