As a follow up to a previous post that I made, I want to present an analogy for scapular region pain. A situation presented itself again today that brought this to mind. “Knots” in the rhomboid and scapular region seem to get all sorts of interventions. Massage, trigger point therapy, injections, stretching, heat, ice, etc… Continue Reading
New Seminar Date
Foundations in Myofascial Release I will be held in Rochester, NY on September 17-19, 2010. This class is newly updated and 20 contact hours. Approved for New York State CEU’s for physical therapists and NCBTMB credits. For full information, to download a brochure, and to sign up, please go to the Seminars Page of my… Continue Reading
Itching and Body Work
A common aftermath of body work in general can be redness and itching of the skin. I have seen this especially evident in the trunk and ribcage area and can sometimes be rather pronounced. I was taught that this was a reaction to histamine released from the cells, creating an itching sensation. What have you… Continue Reading
Leveling the Landscape
Much of Myofascial Release is about landscape. I look at posture to see deviations from mid line. I palpate tissue quality to determine tightness or restriction. I move into the rib cage to feel for areas that lack movement. These rib issues are what I want to address today. Working into the osseous structures has… Continue Reading
Putting It All Together
So let me assume you’ve taken a seminar or two in Myofascial Release. You’ve gotten “the touch” of what a release feels like. You’ve learned a course book full of techniques. Now what to do with it? You may have been led to believe that taking more and more seminars is the only way to… Continue Reading
49th State
I want to send out a thanks to all of the folks in Anchorage and Seward Alaska who made my recent visit a success. All of the folks at Providence Alaska made for an excellent weekend of learning and exchange. My wife and I found beautiful surroundings and warm hearts in all that we met.… Continue Reading
Osteoarthritis and Leg Length Inequality
A study has been published by the Annals of Internal Medicine that directly pertains to Myofascial Release treatment. This study, with over 3000 participants, demonstrated a positive correlation between having a leg length discrepancy, or one leg longer than the other, and the prevalence of osteoarthritis in the knee. Older studies have shown that the… Continue Reading
When is it time to alter our beliefs?
An article came to my attention within the past few days, one that really challenges what I have been taught and practice. Titled “The fall of the postural-structural-biomechanical model in manual and physical therapies: Exemplified by lower back pain”. I’ve posted the link on my website Research page, #210. I am aware that there always… Continue Reading
Emotion and Touch
I came across a study from 2009 titled “The Communication of Emotion and Touch“. This study shows is how touch can accurately convey emotion from one person to another, as well as how a certain type of touch is specific to certain emotions. This is really a fascinating step toward understanding how body work, such… Continue Reading
Can we really do it all?
Myofascial Release is a powerful treatment modality when it comes to eliminating pain. But can we do it all? During my MFR training, I remember hearing a line stating something to the effect that talk therapy is ineffective, that until one reaches into the tissues where the trauma and emotions are held, one will never… Continue Reading
Why Didn’t My Physican Recommend Myofascial Release?
This is a common question I get from clients: How could something that helped them so much go unnoticed by their doctor? From your physician’s standpoint, I truly believe that they are inundated with “miracle cures” on a daily basis. From pharmaceutical representatives selling the newest medication, the dozens of medical journals they receive each… Continue Reading
The Limitations of Diagnostic Findings
“positive MRI results do not definitively point to the findings as the cause of the pain” Continue Reading
