Recently I spent an entire day working on arms. The first woman I worked on was a client I have seen for about the past 6 months for an ankle break that required 3 metal plates. She had a second accident and broke her proximal radius about a year ago. That required an L shaped […]
While at the AMTA convention, we did free 15 minute SMRT sessions at our booth to promote the technique, videos, and classes. I spent quite a bit of time working on lower extremities while there. One of the therapists I worked on (who also happened to be a CE instructor) had a chronic hip problem. […]
I recently did several 15 minute sessions at the AMTA Convention. One of the sessions that stood out to me was a man who asked specifically for subscap work. He had been struggling with shoulder pain and tension during movement in his left shoulder for a few years. He said, “I still have full range […]
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 the student therapists in my last class asked me to look at her left shoulder. She had limited flexion and abduction. With palpation and assessment, I believed that she had a facilitated latissimus dorsi on her left side. Assessing the Shoulder As I began to work on her, most of the class gathered […]
A new client of mine is a woman who had throat cancer and had 6 lymph nodes removed from her neck. She was sent to a physical therapist after the surgery to teach her to do lymphatic drainage on herself and to receive this treatment. The physical therapist told her that her scars were creating […]
I recently worked on a client who has chronic neck pain. We were focused on her legs. She broke her left tibial plateau a few years ago and the hardware was giving her grief, plus she had hurt her right foot about a month ago and it still had residual tension. How the Body Connects […]
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. […]
After working with my clients, I’m often asked to explain to them what it is I do and how SMRT works. I received this message from one of my clients: “I don’t know what you do. I tried to explain it to my physical therapist, but I don’t know how. I ended up telling him […]
I recently taught an advanced SMRT arm & hand course. We were exploring how to increase our knowledge of the hand, working with muscles, connective tissues, and bones. One of the therapists fell into a deep state of relaxation while on the table. Her partner was working on her left thumb. Specifically working to increase […]
I recently was teaching a class on the lower extremities, and many of the therapists were focused on the hip. We were changing the hip balance by working on the lower extremities. One therapist came in with TFL pain that he had been foam rolling constantly for months without lasting pain relief. He was working […]
Before we get into the ligaments and muscles of the elbow, I want to relate an experience I had yesterday. Recently I began to work with a fellow massage therapist. She has been booking 2-hour sessions, which is fabulous for me. The index finger on her right hand has developed some arthritis. It is swollen, stiff, and the range of motion is fairly limited. She has had these symptoms for two years! I said something to her about how she should have had it worked on before now (because massage therapists chronically do not get enough bodywork!), and she responded that she had tried a few times, but she couldn’t find a therapist that knew what to do with her arm and hand.
Continue Reading...Anatomy of the Elbow The elbow is a joint that, although we all learn about it in anatomy, most massage therapists do not do much with. To release tension in the elbow we work the forearm muscles or the upper arm muscles, both of which will give some relieve to the elbow. At times, however, […]
Stylohyoid O: Styloid process of the Temporal bone I: Hyoid bone A: Draws the hyoid bone posterior Omohyoideus O: Superior Border of the Scapula I: Hyoid Bone A: Depresses the hyoid bone Longus Colli O: Anterior Aspects of C3 through T3 I: Anterior Aspect of C1 through C7 A: Flexion of […]
Continue Reading...Longissimus Capitis O: transverse processes of about T2 thru about C5 I: Mastoid process of the temporal bone A: rotates, extends, and laterally flexes the head Spinalis Cervicis O: spinous process of C7 and ligamentum nuchae I: spinous processes of C2 – C4 A: extends the vertebrae and laterally flexes the head Spinalis […]
Continue Reading...The sphenoid bone, part 1 A bone can be influenced by any bone that articulates with it. For example, the scapula is influenced in its alignment and articulations by the humerus. Taking this a step further, the humerus is influenced in its alignment and articulations by the ulna and the radius. Which means that the […]
Continue Reading...Question: How do I relieve the pressure in my hands, particularly my thumbs? Answer: This question came from my esthetician. Her hands are beginning to hurt because of her job and her posture while doing that job. And also because of lack of stretching or moving her hands in the opposite direction. Showing her some […]
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