Manual therapists routinely use bones as levers to reduce tension and protective spasm in hypertonic muscles. For example, the femur and humerus are excellent tools for stretching tight hip and shoulder girdle muscles, and we commonly rotate and sidebend a client’s head to relieve neck tension.
Recent studies highlight the efficacy of Pain Neuroscience Education (PNE) in understanding and managing pain. But can PNE and manual therapy coexist? Dive deep into the positive impacts of touch therapy on our hormonal system and the innate bond that starts between a mother and child. Discover how touch can be a powerful tool in regulating our body’s homeostasis and how it can influence our hormones for better health and well-being.
A “crick in the neck” is a common complaint among clients seeking manual therapy. This informal umbrella term can refer to symptoms that range from general cervical stiffness to complete immobility and unrelenting pain. When assessing cricks…
Pelvic floor muscles such as levator ani, coccygeus and obturator internus attach to the front, back and sides of the pelvis and sacrum and form the bottom of the core. These muscles must be able to contract to maintain continence, and to relax allowing for urination and bowel movements, and in women, sexual intercourse.
A fundamental feature of the foot often missed in our assessments is first-toe mobility, specifically the metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint. The first MTP joint should be
Both professional and recreational athletes depend on their hands, wrists and fingers for proper strength, grip and range of motion for optimal performance. Sprains commonly occur during active sports or household falls…
Addressing Postural Plasticity by Erik Dalton In the early 1990s, I had the opportunity to study with legendary neurologist and physiotherapist Vladimir Janda, M.D. He and
The primary role of the iliolumbar ligaments is to prevent excessive lumbar sidebending, but these ligaments can contribute to sciatic nerve entrapment when injured. A traumatic event such as a bending and twisting maneuver while attempting to lift a heavy object, may strain the iliolumbar ligaments and their multifidi neighbors. As the ligaments weaken, they lose the ability to
Everything designed to move has a built-in factor of “play” to promote efficient functional movement. For example, an automobile piston and cylinder, a wheel on an axle, and even a simple hinge all have calculated play between their moving parts to allow efficiency of movement. Why not in a human joint?…
The term Arthro (joint) Kinetic (motion) Reflex was coined by University of Pittsburg researchers to describe how sensory input from joint movement reflexively activates or inhibits muscles – and no other place in the body is this concept more applicable than in the joints and connective tissues of the shoulder girdle.
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