The lumbosacral spine should have a healthy anterior pelvic tilt and lumbar lordosis. If they are excessive, the client has lower crossed syndrome.
Scoliosis
Scoliosis is a lateral flexion deformity of the spine. The spine should have curves in the sagittal plane, but a frontal plane curve is a scoliosis.
Piriformis Syndrome
Piriformis syndrome is a condition in which the piriformis muscle compresses the sciatic nerve, causing symptoms of sciatica into the lower extremity.
Degenerative Joint Disease (Osteoarthritis) of the Low Back
Degenerative joint disease (DJD) is also known as osteoarthritis (OA); when this condition occurs in the spine, it may also be called spondylosis.
Myofascial Techniques…Â Working with the Sternocleidomastoid –Â by Til Luchau
SCM Differentiation Technique: delicate, comfortable, finger placement around the medial border of SCM, feeling for fascial elasticity & differentiation.
Is myofascial meridian “remote stretching” as effective as local stretching?
According to a recent study, remote stretching the lower limb is as effective as local neck stretching in cervical spine range of motion improvement.
Can the Iliotibial Band (ITB) be stretched?
There seems to be a belief that the iliotibial band (ITB) cannot be stretched and thus manual treatment on the ITB is futile.
FASCIA – What It Is and Why It Matters… A New Book by David Lesondak
For me, fascia is the big picture. It’s a tissue and a system and it has connections from each individual cell all the way to the brain.
FREE DCOMT video – The Shoulder Corset
The shoulder girdle is probably better described as a shoulder corset. This Digital COMT by Dr. Joe Muscolino video describes why.Â
How do we treat rotator cuff pathology with manual therapy?
Manual therapy treatment for a pathologic rotator cuff tendon depends on which tendon is affected and the specific pathology of the tendon.
What are the self-care and medical approaches to rotator cuff pathology?
Self-care for the client/patient with rotator cuff pathology depends on the specific muscle that is affected and the specific pathology that is present.
Spondylolisthesis
Spondylolisthesis is a condition of the spine in which one vertebra slips on the vertebra below it. This condition usually occurs in the lumbar spine.
FREE DCOMT video – Stretching the Rectus Femoris Hip Flexor
Stretching all hip flexors, including the rectus femoris of the quadriceps group, is extremely important for clients with lower crossed syndrome.
Feeling back stiffness may be all in the head, not in the back
Feelings of back stiffness may be a subjective protective construct of the mind, rather than reflecting objective biomechanical properties of the back.
Does stretching change the myofascial tissue itself?
Long-term stretching seems to occur mostly at a sensory level of the nervous system versus the mechanical properties of the muscle-tendon complex itself.
What are the signs and symptoms of and how do we assess (diagnose) rotator cuff pathology?
Signs and symptoms of rotator cuff pathology include pain, joint crepitus, weakness, and decreased range of motion when moving the shoulder (glenohumeral) joint.
Cardiovascular Responses to Skeletal Muscle Stretching
Emerging evidence suggests that short-term or long-term stretching exercise may have beneficial cardiovascular responses.
Can massage lessen pain at myofascial trigger points?
The authors concluded that single and multiple massage treatment applications can decrease a client’s pain at myofascial trigger points.
Pathologic Disc Conditions of the Lumbar Spine and Sciatica
A pathologic disc can compress the sciatic nerve resulting in sciatica. Although any pathologic disc is potentially serious.
What are the causes of rotator cuff pathology?
The two most common types of rotator cuff pathology are rotator cuff tendinitis and rotator cuff tear, most often of the supraspinatus and infraspinatus.
Sprains and Strains of the Low Back and Pelvis
Sprains and strains are similar in nature. When a ligament or joint capsule is torn, it is termed a sprain; when a muscle is torn, it is termed a strain.
Sacroiliac Joint Injury
The SIJ is subjected to a great deal of physical stresses both from below and above. A sacroiliac joint injury can be inflammation, sprain, and/or strain.
Lumbar Spine Joint Dysfunction
The two most common causes of a hypomobile joint dysfunction are tight muscles, especially smaller, deeper intrinsic muscles, and fibrous adhesions.
Myofascial Trigger Points (Muscle Knots)
The four most common causes of a myofascial trigger point are: overuse of the muscle, chronic stretch, prolonged immobility, and trauma to the muscle.
Hypertonic / Tight Muscles of the Low Back and Pelvis
Four of the most common causes of tight muscles of the low back (or anywhere in the body) are: overuse, splinting, adaptive shortening, and overstretching.
Can manual therapy alter the thoracolumbar fascia?
To believe that manual therapy cannot affect the structure of thoracolumbar fascia is to deny the fundamental characteristic of soft tissue known as creep!
What are the self-care and medical approaches to plantar fasciitis?
For the long term treatment of plantar fasciitis, the underlying cause of the overpronation (collapsed arch structure), if present, must be addressed.
Evidence of both systemic and neural inflammation in fibromyalgia patients
This study provides a concrete evidence for an extensive inflammatory profile in fibromyalgia patients. This dispels the myth that it is all psychogenic.
Real-World Massage Therapy is Effective for Treating Lower Back Pain
After 12 weeks, more than half of the patients reported improved outcomes in terms of pain reduction, and meaningful physical and mental improvement.
Watching your back being massaged improves outcomes
A study from Germany investigated whether watching one’s back during massage increases the analgesic effect of this treatment for lower back pain patients.