A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

…but I will still add a few additional words. Forward Head Posture is primarily caused by the weakening and lengthening of the upper-back and neck muscles, and  tightening and shortening of the anterior muscles in the neck and chest. It takes time to develop either good or bad posture.  Over time muscles and ligaments shorten on one side and lengthen on the opposite. 

“For every inch of Forward Head Posture, it can increase the weight of the head on the spine by an additional 10 pounds.” -Kapandji, Physiology of Joints, Vol. 3.

Massage can help with this type of imbalance.

My Sterno-whody-whatdy?

There is a powerful influence contributing to your headaches, neck and shoulder tension and you may have been ignoring  her for many years; the Sternocleidomastoid. Named for her attachment sites, she originates at the sternum and medial portion of the clavicle, inserts at the mastoid process of the temporal bone and exists to among other things,  flex and rotate the head and neck. The bilateral pair are readily visible, go to the mirror and take a deep breath, you can  see the belly and proximal attachment of this graceful and commanding muscle. You can also begin to understand that when this muscle is hypertonic, it pulls the head and neck forward causing strain and imbalance.

Thoroughly addressing the SCM is often critical in resolving headaches, neck and shoulder pain, forward head posture (military neck), and even restricted respiration. Trigger Points in the SCM primarily refer pain into the head, jaw, and sternum, but can distress many functions including hearing, coordination, and vision.

Treating the SCM can be uncomfortable and even painful, but the results are off the charts! And while there are those who suggest stretching the SCM by tilting your neck from side to side, I find this can cause a lot of pressure; it fails to elongate the central fibers and aggravates the attachment points. I prefer tactilely stretching the muscle fibers specifically while working within my client’s tolerance to release tension and trigger points.

Make sure you request your trained and capable body worker to address this powerhouse pair when you get your next massage!

Antagonizing Antagonists and the Therapists Who….

…love them? Antagonize them? Probably both.  I am not referring to the times on family car rides when your brother taunted you to the point of tears; flicking you, staring at you, quietly calling you names, you remember.  Finally, your frustration reaches its apex, culminating in your moment of reckoning. At that very moment, your dad glances in the rearview mirror to find you exacting your vengeance by driving your tiny fist into that one vulnerable area of your brothers’ knee; sending your brother into tears and you into the penalty box. I am not necessarily referring to this kind of antagonist, but we’ll come back to this later. What I am referring to is the specific way that muscles function.

 Muscle Function 101-muscles only pull, they never push.

All muscles must work in pairs. This is because they can contract (shorten) and relax but cannot push or stretch themselves. When your biceps contracts, it flexes and bends the elbow joint. At the same time it also pulls the triceps to make it longer. So the triceps must relax while stretched by the biceps pulling it. When the triceps contracts, it extends (straightens) the elbow joint, and at the same time it pulls the biceps and makes it longer. So these two muscles work together. Neither muscle can stretch itself; it must be stretched by its antagonist (partner).

All of this to address the importance of working opposing muscles groups. When a client complains of pain or dysfunction in a particular area, a therapist should not only address that area, but often more importantly, the antagonists, which as we can see in the story of our family, is often the problem in the first place. We can apply this approach to most areas of the body.  If the issue is your low back and SI joint, just spending 30 minutes digging into inflamed areas may simply exacerbate the problem. Keeping in mind the rule that muscles never push, your back is being pulled by something, so addressing your hip flexors is often an important key to finding relief. After a long flight or sitting for extended periods of time your hip flexors become shortened causing your back muscles to compensate trying to correct the problem. Working to open up and elongate the muscles of the anterior hip will bring about balance, reducing pain and the dysfunction that causes it.  Surprisingly, you may even find these antagonists extremely tender to the touch, making the bodywork difficult to endure, which is why you should always seek a trusted therapist, clearly communicating your needs.

So, dads, while saying, “He’s trying to antagonize you, just ignore him,” may have worked to diffuse the situation, is an ultimately not a good strategy when it comes to parenting or bodywork; no, don’t ignore them, help make them accountable, balanced and functioning members.

Repetitive Stress Injury Pain is like a bad party guest; the last to arrive, and the first to leave…

With repetitive stress injuries such as carpel tunnel syndrome and plantar fasciitis, typically pain is the last symptom to present and the first symptom to diminish. When the pain is gone, we are tempted to stop treating the issue, don’t make that mistake! If you are treating repetitive use injury with PT, stretching or massage and the pain is gone, continue doing the therapy to completion even after your pain is gone, as the dysfunction may still be embedded within the tissue. Note: In this great stretch for plantar fasciitis and that the person is wearing soft soled shoes and is stretching the toes back as well and the entire foot. This elongates the flexor hallicus longus, which is involved in plantar flexion of  the foot, and  is often the culprit in this repetitive stress injury. Check out the action Here , I can’t wait for you to see this incredible  BodySmart website!

Sweet Relief

Do you suffer from typical headaches or neck pain/tension? Barring any serious medical condition, try this simple technique between massages for sweet relief; take a few minutes and lie down or recline in a supportive high back chair and place a cold beverage can comfortably behind your neck. The cold will help reduce inflammation and also tells your brain that the area is ‘cold’ and not tight or painful, this interrupts the pain/spasm/pain cycle. The shape of the can will help encourage the natural ‘c’ curve in your cervical spine, benefitting you in many ways. The stillness will calm you body, mind, and spirit.

Pectoral Health

 One of the most common problem areas clients need me to address are, drum roll please, neck and shoulders. Whether you’re driving, doing dishes, computer work, or nursing your baby, many of us find ourselves laboring over our work. Your back hurts, but your pectoral muscles may be to blame. These muscles become short and want to stay in their shortened position, causing rounded shoulders and postural deficiencies.

Occasionally you may try and sit up straight, but 3 seconds into it, it, you realize it’s too difficult. By passively elongating your upper chest muscles, you can bring about balance to you upper body, helping to relieve your upper back and neck tension!

Simply place your hand comfortably on a wall or door jam at about shoulder height, with a slight bend in your elbow, and pivot away. Breath deeply into the stretch, and take the stretch further as it releases.  This stretch should always feel good, like a morning stretch, and in no way compromising to the joint.  Play with the stretch and modify it to suit your own body, and be sure to do both sides. If you feel pain, please stop immediately.

You may do this several times a day, and experience the great results!

Everyone has TMJ

In fact, we all have two TMJs, one in front of each ear, connecting the lower jaw bone (the mandible) to the skull.    TemporoMandibular Joints, or the TMJ’s are the hinges that  allow us to open and close our mouths.  These joints allow for all biting, chewing and swallowing food, for speaking and for making facial expressions.

For those whose joints or muscles of the jaw mechanism are not functioning properly, pain is no stranger.  Many symptoms can arise, among them,  neck and shoulder tension, migraine and/or chronic headaches, jaw muscle stiffness, limited movement or locking of the jaw, painful clicking, popping or grating in the jaw joint when opening or closing the mouth, and pain and ringing in the ears.

Working these powerful muscles requires specialized training, and Neuromuscular Therapy has equipped me with the skill to address the muscles of the jaw, inside the mouth and out, often relieving the headaches,  tension, pain and other gripping effects associated with TMJ dysfunction. The protocol for anterior neck and intraoral work can be uncomfortable, so good communication and trust between client and therapist is vital.

Oooh! Games!

I did pretty good on this, did not get 100%, but it is  a good refresher!

See how you fare in this Bony Landmark Quiz, no cheating!

What causes the noise when you crack a joint?

As a massage therapist, I am not trained in adjusting and manipulating joints, yet one of the most common questions I receive as a bodyworker is , “ What causes the noise when you crack a joint?”.  I found this great resource  that uses common non-medical language, and they have an answer to this frequently asked question.

Do you Neti?

Cold and flu season is upon us. As a massage therapist, I take many precautions to stay healthy. I wash my hands (obsessively), clean the surfaces in my office,  restroom and waiting area, get adaquate rest and take supplements that help encourage and promote immune function. About seven years ago, I added a new item to my regime; the Neti Pot.

The Neti Pot is a nasal irrigation device that has been around for centuries, and works by thinning mucus to help flush it out of the nasal passages, thus diminishing the frequency and severity of chronic sinus symptoms from bacterial infections, to allergies, and environmental irritants. The Neti pot has helped me to ward off illness, reduce the severity of headaches and facial pain and pressure, and alleviate congestion. When I have mentioned the practice and benefits of nasal irrigation to certain clients and family who suffer from sinus issues, they recoil and say, ‘Never! Never will I try that, don’t even talk to me about it”. So they continue to suffer.

Recently, I came across this (hopefully innocuous) NetiTreatment instructional video outlining the benefits of nasal irrigation and demonstrating Neti protocol. Hopefully, this will take away any mystery surrounding this treatment. Enjoy!

Leave a comment and share your experiences with us!