Erythema Nodosum One of my newer clients has erythema nodosum, a condition in which any pressure through touch on the lower leg causes tender nodules in the subcutaneous fat that can take weeks to resolve. Typically this condition resolves itself in a few weeks. This client has had it for years. Her pain complaints are […]
Hips & Legs the SMRT Way Yesterday I saw an elderly gentleman (a very active 81-year-old) complaining of weakness in his left leg. He said it all began when he had open heart surgery over a decade ago. At first, it was his right leg that felt weak and would not support his weight. But, […]
Some days I really love what I do. I recently worked on a woman having knee pain. There was a mass, for lack of a better term, of bound up tissue in her lateral gastroc. I touched it. She yelped. It was very, very tender. I gently assessed it and then used an SMRT position […]
I met a therapist in a class last year who, at only 26 years old, was bent at the hip. I attempted to help her with body mechanics, and she explained that it had been 2 years since she had stood up straight. She had given up on getting rid of the lower back pain […]
One of my regulars presented a few weeks back with pain in her right hip. She pointed to the pain in the right hip and pointed out the pain as I worked on that hip. I only spent a few minute on the hip before I moved to her left knee, lower leg, & foot. […]
In May, I became a certified personal trainer. I did this mainly to add value to my teaching and the SMRT video streaming service. I also did this because several states have prohibited bodyworkers from giving clients stretches or exercises and I think more will follow suit. I feel like the exercise piece is the […]
Have you ever worked on someone with a knee replacement? I’m full body trained in SMRT, so I know how to work on a knee. From the bones to the most superficial tissues, I got this! But what do you do when ligaments have been removed? When muscles have been cut and tendons stretched? When […]
By Dawn Lewis Tibialis posterior is located deep in the posterior compartment of the lower leg. It originates from the lateral side of the posterior tibia, the medial aspect of the posterior fibula, and the interosseous membrane between the tibia and the fibula. It inserts on the plantar surface of four of the tarsal bones […]
By Dawn Lewis What do we know about the iliotibial band? It is a thick band of fibers that originates at the anterior superior iliac spine and the anterior aspect of the inferior lip of the iliac crest, and inserts on the lateral condyle of the tibia and Gerdy’s tubercle (which is slightly distal and […]
Muscles that attach to the fibula include: extensor digitorum longus ibularis (peroneus) longus fibularis (peroneus) brevis fibularis (peroneus) tertius tibialis anterior tibialis posterior extensor hallucis longus flexor hallucis longus and tibialis posterior. Tension in the muscles in the lateral compartment of the lower leg can pull the fibula closer to the tibia. More tension […]
Join Full Circle in Lake Elmo, MN and learn this incredible bodywork modality. We will be teaching Spontaneous Muscle Release Technique (SMRT): Thigh & Knee and Lower Leg & Foot from August 7-9, 2015. Each class is NCBTMB approved for 12 CE’s. Register now at https://efullcircle.com/workshop-schedule/ One of the ways to alleviate lower back pain […]
By Dawn Lewis The posterior sling is comprised of the latissimus dorsi muscle on one side of the body, the ipsilateral or same side thoracolumbar fascia and then transferring to the opposite side or contralateral thoracolumbar fascia and the opposite side gluteus maximus. We will explore the implications of this in 3 ways: 1) Latissimus […]
So, after teaching SMRT: Thigh & Knee and SMRT: Lower Leg & Foot in Tucson last weekend (which was a class filled with fantastic people who made the experience absolutely wonderful), I spent the week working on these very areas. It was a lower extremity week. From the woman who had burning down the lateral […]
One of the principles of Spontaneous Muscle Release Technique (SMRT) is that muscles may feel tight for a variety of reasons, one of which is that the bone the muscle either attaches to or crosses is out of its natural pocket. In our anatomy courses we generally learn the adage “muscles move bones at […]