Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been tagged as “posture”
Shoulder impingement syndrome is a condition in which the distal tendon of the supraspinatus and the subacromial bursa become impinged between the head of the humerus and the acromion process of the scapula. Following are the six major causes of shoulder impingement syndrome.
Two opposing muscle groups, the “facilitated” muscles that are locked short and the “inhibited” muscles that are locked long.
Thoracic dishing is a postural distortion pattern in which a part of the thoracic spine has a reverse curve of lordosis (extension) instead of the usual kyphosis (flexion). In this free Digital COMT video, Dr. Joe Muscolino explains this condition and how to treat it with manual therapy. Enjoy!
Elongation of the spine is often spoken of by Pilates instructors. But what exactly is elongation of the spine and how is it achieved biomechanically?
If consistent manual therapy care is given, including heat, massage, and stretching, lower crossed syndrome responds very well to treatment.
Vladimir Janda’s lower crossed syndrome is characterized by increased anterior tilt of the pelvis and a hyperlordotic lumbar spine.
Case Study: Kori is a 30-year-old store clerk. Her low back has been tight for as long as she can remember, but she never had any pain until recently.
For the client with lower crossed syndrome, it is also important to recommend moist heat followed by stretching of the low back and hip flexor musculature.
Facet syndrome is a condition in which the facet joints of the spine (usually lumbar spine) are overloaded and become irritated, inflamed, and painful.
There is an old saying that no posture is bad unless you get stuck in it. The problem is that the thoracic spine often does get stuck in bad posture.
Upper crossed syndrome describes the characteristic pattern of dysfunctional tone of the musculature of the shoulder girdle/cervicothoracic region of the body.
I am creating a new blog post feature to my content called Ask Dr. Joe, or perhaps better put, Ask Me Anything*. With Ask Me Anything, you can write to me by email (joseph.e.muscolino@gmail.com) and ask me any question about: …
A proposed biomechanical explanation is that restricted ankle joint dorsiflexion directly results in overpronation of the foot, which causes internal rotation of the lower extremity, which strains the external/abductor musculature, which can then no longer prevent femoral adduction; hence genu valgus.
For most of our clients who present with the postural distortion pattern known as upper crossed syndrome, it is important, perhaps absolutely necessary, to include thoracic spinal joint mobilization technique into extension as part of the treatment plan to address the thoracic hyperkyphosis.
An excellent demonstration of the force that can be generated by using body weight is to lean down onto a bathroom weight scale that is placed on a table that is positioned as various heights. Simply relax and lean into the scale with your body weight and notice the force that you generate.
That people aged 18-21 in this study have not yet begun to experience pain as a result of text neck posture does not surprise me at all. They are simply still too young to experience what the physical stress of the overuse of text neck posture will eventually do to them.
The truth is, back problems rarely come out of nowhere. They build quietly. Tiny habits. Tiny shortcuts. Tiny moments repeated hundreds of times until your body finally decides it’s had enough.
The therapist performed a static assessment of the client’s posture and noted the typical upper crossed syndrome with a hyperkyphotic thoracic spine, a hypolordotic lower cervical spine, a hyperlordotic upper cervical spine, protracted head, protracted scapulae, and medially (internally) rotated arms.
Following are ten of the most common dysfunctional postural patterns and injuries that may occur with smart phone (cell/mobile phone) use.
Muscle memory describes the concept that musculature contracts in patterns for both posture and motion, and these patterns reside in the nervous system.
A weighted vest is far more than just a leg training tool. It acts as a comprehensive, full-body resistance system that simultaneously challenges your core, posture, lower body, and cardiovascular health.
Postural assessment: Good posture is balanced and symmetrical & does not place excessive stress on the body. Bad posture is asymmetrical and/or imbalanced.
A tension headache is caused by excessive pulling force of tight muscles in the back of the neck that exert tension on their attachments on the head.
By learning the principles of spinal biomechanics, patients and healthcare professionals can better identify the causes of pain and develop strategies that support lasting relief.
Self care for a herniated disc: avoid postures/activities that increase stress upon the disc and stretching/strengthening the musculature around the disc.
The gluteus medius is an incredibly important muscle. It is functionally important at the hip joint, especially with frontal-plane mechanics. And this can have implications with dysfunctional movement patterns (e.g., Trendelenburg gait) as well as postural distortion patterns of scoliosis. And just as fascinating is to see the relationship between glute medius structure and function at the hip joint and compare it to the structure and function of the deltoid at the shoulder joint. Indeed, the gluteus medius can be described as the deltoid of the hip.
The rhomboids are unusually important to be assessed and appropriately treated because of their involvement in what is likely the most common postural distortion pattern in the human body, upper crossed syndrome.
Learn everything about the pectoralis minor muscle — its anatomy, attachments, scapular functions, role in upper crossed syndrome, pectoralis minor syndrome (thoracic outlet syndrome), palpation technique, and stretching. Essential for massage therapists and manual therapy clinicians.
Especially effective for the pectoralis musculature is to use pin and stretch technique. With the client/patient supine and positioned toward the side of the table, pin the musculature with your finger pads as you bring the client/patient’s abducted arm off the side of the table and down into horizontal extension.
When stretching the pectoralis musculature in a doorway, it is helpful to place the hand/forearm against the doorframe at various heights so that different aspects of the pectoralis musculature are preferentially stretched.
