There are two major reasons why a massage therapist should consider working toward and earning a Continuing Education Certificate in Manual Therapy.
What is Stretching?
Stretching is essentially a mechanical manual/movement therapy that is aimed at making a soft tissue longer so that we can increase flexibility.
Understanding the Difference Between Muscular and Nerve-Related Low Back Pain
Pain that stays in your lower back usually points to a strained muscle. Pain that travels into your leg, especially with tingling or weakness, often points to an irritated nerve.
Self-Care and Medical Approaches to Slumped Spinal Posture
An excellent self-care exercise is to recommend that the client/patient lie supine on an exercise ball to help move the thoracolumbar spine into extension.
Five more Do and Don’t Precautions for Massage Therapists
One precaution is that when we do need to use the thumb or fingers, it is a good guideline to always try to contact the client with the pad of the thumb or fingers, instead of the tips of the fingers. In other words, do not lead with the fingertips.
How to Stretch Your Clients
There are many types of stretching techniques. Following is a guide to the many different types of stretching techniques that exist.
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.
How do we treat lower crossed syndrome with manual therapy?
If consistent manual therapy care is given, including heat, massage, and stretching, lower crossed syndrome responds very well to treatment.
A manual therapy case study on lower crossed syndrome.
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.
What are the self-care and medical approaches to De Quervain’s Syndrome?
Perhaps the most important self-care advice for De Quervain’s syndrome is to avoid as much as possible offending postures and activities of the thumb.
What are the self-care and medical approaches to lower crossed syndrome?
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.
How do we treat iliotibial band friction syndrome with manual therapy?
Manual therapy for iliotibial band friction syndrome is directed toward reducing the inflammation of the condition and correcting its underlying cause.
How do we treat spasmed low back muscles with manual therapy?
Manual therapy treatment for low back muscle tightness involves hot and cold hydrotherapy, soft tissue manipulation, stretching, and joint mobilization.
What are the self-care and medical approaches to adductor strain?
Self-care for the client/patient during the acute stage of an adductor strain (groin pull) is RICE: rest, ice, compression, and elevation.
How do we treat frozen shoulder with manual therapy?
Manual therapy stretching and joint mobilization are two essential treatment modalities when working on a client with frozen shoulder.
How do we treat hamstring strain with manual therapy?
The goal of manual therapy for a chronic hamstring strain is to decrease hamstring hypertonicity and help promote healthy scar formation.
How do we treat spasmed neck muscles with manual therapy?
Manual therapy treatment: Manual therapy treatment for spasmed muscles of the neck (tightness of neck musculature) includes all the major soft tissue technique tools. Heat hydrotherapy, soft tissue manipulation, stretching, and joint mobilization (also known as arthrofascial stretching/AFS). It is …
Self-care and medical approaches to iliotibial band friction syndrome
Self-care for iliotibial band friction syndrome (ITBFS) begins with RICE: rest, ice, compression, and elevation. And offending activities should be avoided.
Effect of Stretching on Fascial Injury and Movement Restriction
Research has shown that fascial injury with resultant movement restriction caused loss of fascial mobility on the opposite side of the body..
What are the self-care and medical approaches to hamstring strain?
Moist heat & stretching are beneficial for chronic hamstring strain to prevent muscular hypertonicity, myofascial trigger points, and myofascial adhesions.
How do we treat low back strains and sprains with manual therapy?
For a low back strain / sprain, because the muscles of the low back are so large and powerful, the first goal of manual therapy is to reduce the spasming.
What are the self-care and medical approaches to meralgia paresthetica?
Self-care for meralgia paresthetica: heat and stretching of the involved muscles, and removing the physical stress factors that contribute to the condition.
How do we assess (diagnose) a client with Adductor Strain?
During the acute phase of an adductor strain, active adduction range of motion and manual resistance to adduction will increase the client/patient’s pain.
How do we treat De Quervain’s syndrome with manual therapy?
Once present, De Quervain’s syndrome (De Quervain’s disease) can be challenging to resolve, but manual therapy treatment can be very beneficial.
How do we treat adductor strain with manual therapy?
Once chronic, manual therapy for an adductor strain is geared toward decreasing muscle tightness, myofascial trigger points, and fascial adhesions.
How do we treat Tennis Elbow with manual therapy?
A good manual therapy protocol for tennis elbow is fascial spreading, longitudinal and cross fiber strokes, and pin and stretch to the posterior forearm.
ASK Dr. Joe – “Ask Me Anything”
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: …
How Exercise and Stretching Improves Sleep Deficiency
Research suggests that moderate aerobic exercise improves the amount we sleep so it can help with sleep deficiency.
Stretching Reduces Cancer Tumor Growth in a Study with Mice
The fact that simple stretching for only 10 minutes per day could reduce cancer tumor growth by 52% in this study involving mice is pretty amazing! Being a manual and movement therapy physician, author, and educator, it is clear to me that the human body needs movement. But to see a 52% improvement was incredible!
Manual Therapy Case Study for Upper Crossed Syndrome
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.
