Although chronic inflammation progresses silently, it is the cause of most chronic diseases and presents a major threat to the health and longevity of individuals. Inflammation is considered a major contributor to several diseases, such as: Cardiovascular diseases Diabetes Rheumatoid Arthritis Cancer Allergic Asthma Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Alzheimers Chronic Kidney Disease Inflammatory Bowel […]
How often do you work on the abdominal muscles? What do you do? When using SMRT, we teach therapists to balance left and right abdominal muscle tone by working directly with each of the abdominal muscles. The Respiratory Diaphragm We begin with releases for the respiratory diaphragm. The respiratory diaphragm is of major importance to […]
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 […]
Recently I read an article about a woman suing a massage therapist and Massage Envy. The woman believes that the massage therapist was aggressive enough on her anterior neck that it lead to a stroke. I do not know if this is possible, but I do not know that it is impossible. Since that article […]
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 […]
Here is an interesting blog post from the Upledger Institute by Tim Hutton Ph.D., CST-D. on recent research on CSF and the Upledger Pressurestat Model. https://www.facebook.com/notes/upledger-institute-craniosacral-therapy-study-group/a-comment-from-tim-hutton-phd-cst-d-recent-researchon-csf-and-the-upledger-pres/10151575767747856
I want to explore tension in the suboccipital muscles and what the causes of that tension may be. First, let’s make a direct connection between the position of the occiput on the atlas (C1) and tension in the suboccipital triangle muscles (namely: rectus capitis posterior major, rectus capitis posterior minor, obliquus capitis inferior, and […]
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 […]
The iliotibial band (ITB) or tract (ITT) is for some of us impenetrable. I have clients who use foam rollers, percussers, heavy stretching with bands, etc. and still cannot effectively soften the ITT. I have students who use t-bars, elbows, stretches, deep pressure, etc. and, after all that work, simply do not get the […]
A few months ago I told you all about a man I had done 2 minutes of iliopsoas releases on in my chiropractors office. I have been seeing this man every 2 weeks for the past 4 months. His wife told me today that his hip pain has not been this good in over 15 […]
Let’s examine the omohyoid muscle. Omohyoid, or omohyoideus, is a muscle with two bellies. The inferior belly originates from the superior border of the scapula and runs from posterior to anterior across the superior shoulder toward the clavicle. The central tendon of omohyoid (i.e., the tendon between the inferior and superior bellies) is attached […]
Today I worked on a gentleman whose adductors were incredibly tight and painful to the touch. There was a moment when I did a release and all of his tenderness dissipated. The tissue then allowed me to sink several inches deeper into his inner thigh. The release I did was specifically for adductor magnus. Adductor […]
This week I worked on a new client, who happens to be a fellow massage therapist. She presented with an issue that I have written about in the past. Her upper right rib cage was posterior and it was immobile. Her scapula was shifted lateral, into abduction, because of the rib position. Her pain radiated […]
This week seems to be knee week. I have one client who has had her left ACL replaced twice. Her ACL appears to have stretched again and she is choosing to not undergo surgery again, but is coupling massage with a personal trainer to maintain functional biomechanics while building the muscle strength in her left leg. Another client, fell […]
Today I had a new client. When I first saw her, I knew that I wanted to work on her neck, head, and upper back. I asked her what she would like to have worked on and she told me she was having pain on the inside of her right leg each time she brought […]
Beth’s right knee hurts so bad she can hardly walk, she told me when she arrived for her appointment. Thankfully, Beth had scheduled a 2-hour session. I begin by assessing the alignment and mobility of Beth’s right femur. The femur was fairly immobile and out of its natural placement. It was anterior at the hip […]
Aurora, CO – Full Circle School, Inc. will be teaching in several new locations in 2014. New locations include Couer d’Alene, ID, Hot Springs, AR, Watford City, ND, and Rochester, MN. We will also be returning to Winter Park, FL and Seattle, WA, as well as teaching in Colorado and Texas. All courses are Spontaneous […]
(Published in Massage Magazine April, 2013) I once had a women in the Tennessee government tell me that as a massage therapist I was not legally allowed to touch bones. I asked her how I was supposed to give a massage without touching bones, and she replied, "I don't know, but you have to find […]
Deep-Tissue Work with Less Pain and Effort Deep-tissue massage could be defined as a set of moves designed to guide the therapist into deeper tissues, or as a variety of strokes meant to treat a specific area of pain. Then again, deep-tissue massage could be defined as any technique that allows the therapist to contact […]
Continue Reading...Issue: Chronic neck pain, continued….. Solution: The 66 year old client I am working on is an avid book reader. He drives for a living and reads in the car while waiting for customers. He cannot, however, lift the book up for any length of time because of his shoulder injuries. So, he lays the […]
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