Last week we discussed the Paleo Lifestyle but also indicated proper nutrition is important to help the body move properly. I believe that animal protein is necessary but I also believe that every individual needs to be comfortable with it. Part of any protocol is exercise or controlled movement with purpose. At Chagrin Valley Wellness Center we are proponents of Fundamental Movement Therapy(SM). This type of movement calls for the brain to isolate specific muscles so that the proper Tensegrity may be obtained and that proper tension on the specific joints is maintained. This helps to re-program the brain so that in everyday movement the proper musculature fires that will insure that efficient movement is maintained. The individual moves slowly and controlled so the brain can handoff to the proper muscles to have a supported pattern of movement. This is a critical component to exercise so that injury may be avoided.

A good friend of mine Josh Trentine, owns a company called Overload Fitness (www.overloadfitness.com) . At Overload you generate movement under load and the focus is on specific musculature and move until exhaustion is met. Because of the design of the equipment and the proper positioning of the body, the brain needs to fire the proper muscles and the ability to recruit other fibers is minimized. So they accomplish at Overload what we accomplish on the Pilates equipment that we use here at the Wellness Center. I personally incorporate this method of 'exercise' along with two 1/2 hour sessions of Fundamental Movement Therapy(SM) per week. With the holidays and complications in scheduling I have missed and can tell the difference in both my mental and physical well-being.

Why is this so important? We have talked about movement of the lower extremities, the spine, and how that all comes into play with physiological conditions such as Scoliosis and how improper recruitment of muscle fibers will exaccerbate postural issues. Most individuals "work out" way to much and do not allow the body to recover enough. This leads to fatigue and improper form which ultimately brings them to our office for therapy. If you are going to include an exercise regiment to your eating lifestyle it is important to understand the following information.

The body needs proper nutrition to support the firing of the nerves, ligaments, tendons and muscles. These are the generators of movement, what actually creates the movement is the skeletal system. The bones also need proper nutrition, especially as we age and go through our hormonal changes. Another item most individuals are short on is water. The body excretes on a normal day almost a gallon of water, how much do you drink? I recommend that we all drink a minimum of one gallon per day. Other liquids really do not count towards our quota, and in many cases help deplete our reserves.

The Fascia or connective tissue system of the body needs to stay hydrated, and it does so at the cellular level. That lack of flexibility, burning sensation when we move quickly, or just the inability to turn our head could come from dehydration of the tissue. When exercising everyone wants that proverbial burn, that burn is actually not a good thing but an indicator oftentimes of the lack of fluids in the cells that are being stressed. Remember stress creates a fatigued or weak point and it is at that point that injury results.

We will continue this discussion over the next few blogs and if you have questions or comments please make sure you let us know. You can comment right on this page or email us at appointments@chagrinvalleywellness.com.  

Also if anyone is interested in the video we took of correcting Keri's scoliosis, please contact Kathy at (216)364-0156 or kathy@chagrinvalleywellness.com. The cost is $8.95 plus shipping and handling. Fifty cents of each video sold will be donated to the Make-a-Wish Foundation. The video is a little over one hour long. Our next video will be on Migraine Headaches and we will let you know when that will be available.

A Reason to HOPE!

Dennis Gibbons LMT

I want to thank each and every one of you that commented and enjoyed last weeks' blog. At the conclusion of the video I talked about continuing on with the skull and how it affects Scoliosis. In my practice we look at the whole body and not just if one shoulder is higher than another, or if one leg is shorter or longer than the other. In proper assessment we must look at the bio-mechanics of the body and how it is not moving properly, the imbalances to the puppet strings of tensegrity, and also how the body is off of its foundation. Forward head posture in today's world is pandemic as far as I am concerned. The second most common complaint is "my shoulders and upper back are killing me!" The first item everyone looks at is shoulder level and its improprieties. The shoulder joint/girdle has somewhere in the neighborhood of 144 means of compensation and alters itself in many different formats. Why? It needs to support the skull which weighs approximately 9 to 12 pounds. I use this analogy with people, if I give you a bowling ball and ask you to hold it in your hands with your arms outstretched, how long do you think you could withstand the pain that would ensue? The same for our shoulders, it is holding up our skull.

Dr. Sutherland, D.O. realized many years ago the importance of the Cranium and how it truly affects many of the physical and pathological issues our bodies face. The importance of good balance can not be overstated. In Muscle Release Therapy, MRTh® we look at the skull in many different ways also. I often ask the question, "Did you ever experience head trauma?" The answer at first normally comes back as "NO!" Once we continue our investigation instances always come up where there was some form; dental work, Orthodontia, hard sneezes, coughs, bumping our head on the cupboard, or some friend coming up behind us and giving us a solid pat on the back. It comes in many shapes and forms and as a therapist we need to recognize it. I have even gone back to the birthing process, where you born breech or went through the process of Caesarean birth. The natural birthing process helps shape the skull as it passes through the birth canal.

Over the next couple of weeks we will be demonstrating some of the Muscle Release Therapy, MRTh® techniques that I have developed. We will also be showing other alternative forms of therapy that address different areas and problems. How does an Acupuncturist view the skull and its many points? How does Reiki and Reflexology affect the energy levels of the skull? How do we get the spine to stabilize and strengthen the muscles that form the foundation and support the skull?

In Keri's case there is a drastic occlusion issue that contributes to the Scoliosis and every time she bites down or chews or talks there is a disruption to the spine. What causes this? There are many causes but one major issue is how the ligaments hold the structure in place. The distortion also causes major stress points in the face and can create disturbances in the skin and underlying tissue. On February 15th our very own Acupuncturist, Allison Bower will be discussing Facial Rejuvenation at our Wellness Center. Some believe it is only cosmetic, but the underlying benefits out weigh the good aesthetic appearance it leaves you with. It will also help with "holding" the tensegral balancing that Muscle Release Therapy, MRTh® provides. I would highly recommend you come to the discussion to learn more about and ask all those questions you have. If you can't come to the presentation check out our website for more information.

Please let me know if you have any questions or comments, you can contact me at
dennislmt@chagrinvalleywellness.com.

Until next time.
Peace.
Dennis Gibbons LMT

This weeks' blog will consist of a hands on video blog. We are continuing our treatment on Keri and her Scoliosis.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions or comments I can be reached at
dennislmt@chagrinvalleywellness.com.

Until next week, there is a Reason to HOPE!
Peace,
Dennis Gibbons LMT

I am going to start this blog off a little different then usual. I am going to show you the finished product first, then progress to the start of my treatment...
Notice both legs are now straight and this was accomplished by stabilizing with the ligaments of the ankle, knee, and hip joints.

Progressing through our session...
Worked completed on his left side.

Continue reading further for the complete detail of this treatment.

This is how we started, (notice the position of the lower extremities). The original complaint was pain in the left lower back and radiation down the left leg. This individual is a professional musician who is required to sit and play an instrument. The position of the supporting structures to the spine were unstable, therefore creating an unstable spine. The first segment of therapy was to create a normal tension, which reduced the pain but certain positions re-created the problem. The second session addressed instability in the foot and ankle, which again improved the situation. These pictures show the disparity in the structures prior to the third session. At the completion of this session the individual was able to sit and stand with proper support. The tension on the skeleton is proper and the integrity of the skeleton and its joints should now support the spine. Further treatments will be able to help correct improper movement patterns and allow the muscle fibers to strengthen adequately to minimize the incident of discomfort.

My years as a Pipefitter helped me better understand support and stability of systems. Without proper support and foundational stability; any object above will not be able to transfer the weight and movement properly.

Many times when the lower back hurts, or the neck, even the shoulders, there is a lack of stability from the foundation upward. The interconnection of the spine to the lower extremities determines the necessity of always balancing one to the other.

One other area that we need to discuss here is the forward head posture and how it affects the spine and lower extremities. When the above individual first came in it was for lower left back pain that radiated into the Gluteal area as well as down the leg. There was occasional lateral calf pain and because of the amount of sitting required, it would aggravate the situation. My original assessment indicated that there was considerable forward head posture with a right to left cervical spine rotation. The Upper Thoracic was rotated from left to right (remember the violin) and the lower Thoracic was rotated from right to left. The Pelvic Girdle was rotated left to right with right side anterior posture.

The fact that there was forward head posture, created a forward tension in the ankle joint which forced posture to balance on the phalanges of the feet, not a good thing. This altered the positioning of both the knee and hip joints and radically changed the curvature of the spine. Our first session corrected this situation and brought about a balance to the skeleton, so the pain that was first described was reduced and changed. The second session addressed the compensatory pattern that had developed in the ankle and feet, and the third session corrected the column stability that the lower extremities provide.

So when we talk about the stability of the Spine we need to look at all of the distortions and determine best how to bring back that normal tension so the integrity of the skeleton is not compromised. As we further discuss the Scoliosis issue that Keri has, remembering these past two blogs will help us better understand what is needed to change in order to reduce the lateral curvatures of the spine.

There is also a video for you to review, to see how Reflexology continues the healing process. Please note the video below.

Till next week, enjoy the blessings you receive and if you have any questions, please send them to dennislmt@chagrinvalleywellness.com. We will be sharing many of the comments and questions on our web site.

Peace and Blessings to All!

Dennis

In the last article I talked about the interconnection of the lower extremity and the spine and how this could complicate evaluation of chronic pain. A couple of the questions and comments that came back to me showed how therapist were able to reconform their protocol to help their clients. Many clients also commented to me about how this made sense to them.

Without acutally counting them, there are probably 80 joints or articulations in the human spine. This is not only looking at the joints, or disc space between each vertebrae, but also the joining together of the rib cage to the spine. Many individuals that come to our center with chronic back pain, actually have an immobile vertebral column that stresses the surrounding muscles. This will eventually lead to many other problems and create an environment for chronic discomfort.

The attached video will show the interconnection of the spine with the rotator cuff, triceps, and hamstring muscles. The rotator cuff is used to assist in spinal rotation and is often only treated in shoulder pain. To prevent rotator cuff dilemma's treat the paraspinal they match up and more often than not you will remove the abnormal strain at the rotator cuff attachments. In Muscle Release Therapy, MRTh® and Fundamental Movement Therapy(SM) we address these issues.

In these videos we will show how by contracting specific muscles the spine will react to the neurological connection and generate the movement. The video will also show someone with lifelong scolosis and how that creates the associated pain that these individuals often show and express.

Enjoy the video and remember, we appreciate all comments, appointments@chagrinvalleywellness.com or dennislmt@chagrinvalleywellness.com. For other videos you can go to our web site where we have over 50 archived. Thank you, until next week...

A Reason to HOPE!

Dennis

Happy New Year - truly a Reason to HOPE!
In recent writings I have talked about hip pain and from the response I received there seems to be an epidemic of this problem. In the last article I wrote about the necessity of the ankle joint and its use to reduce pressure on the hip region. I have talked how the knee joint acts as the turnbuckle joint. That allows the ankle to accomodate any oddities that the foot encounters and minimizes stress to the hip joint. One area that is often overlooked but is critical in the assessment for Muscle Release Therapy, MRTh® is the lower thoracic and lumbar paraspinals. The lower thoracic is directly related to the Gluteus Medius, while the lumbar paraspinals to the short head of the Biceps Femoris of the Hamstring muscle group. This interaction of the tensegrity of the skeleton is crtical to resolving issues of the hip joint and also to help reverse some of the unnatural tension on the lower veretbrae.

The verebral column consists of the most articulations in the skeleton, therefore it has the most range of motion of any portion of the skelton. This fact is often overlooked when someone has a complaint such as hip or knee pain, plantar fascitis, or a penchant for turning their ankle. When the interconnection of the vertebral column and the lower extremity is in an unnatural tension there is an adaptive quality that needs to happen to allow movement to take place. It is important to remember that the brain will do what is necessary to protect the integrity of its lifeline, the spine. This is the most intrical part of the anatomy as it carries the nerve energy needed to move.

So how does the spine play into hip joint pain? I wish the answer was an easy explanation but I will do my best to simplfy it for all of us. This picture show the movement of the spine during inspiration and expiration.

This movement needs to happen each and every time we breath or an uneven pull to the bony structure develops. When the lower thoracic vertebrae (at the base of the rib cage) becomes constricted it does not allow the vertebrae to move. What will follow is an adaptative movement lower that will move the pelvis up and down. This movement will create an uneven pull to the rib cage and does not permit the proper expansion and contraction of the ribs when breathing. That is one of the primary reasons it is important to breath properly when exercising. If you are working out faster than your body's musculature system can keep up to your breathing, injury of some form normally happens. 

The above action will now force the lumbar spine to over compensate for the reduced movement of the verebrae above it. This will alter the Sacrum (large tailbone) and will cause many issues with that joint and one of the side effects is Sciatic nerve discomfort. That is how the short head of the Hamstring muscle becomes involved.

This sets up trigger points in the muscles and forces fibers to move in different formats to avoid discomfort. These trigger points, often thought of as acupressure points, will interfere with the normal nerve transmissions and interrupt proper sensory to motor movement. When trigger points are imbedded in the muscle fiber the fiber's ability to function is inhibited and normally this is when the action potential, or the fibers ability to fully contract, is limited. Muscle Release Therapy, MRTh® premise is to locate these areas, assist the brain in relieving and balancing the proper tension to bring about a natural tension to the skeleton.

Fundamental Movement Therapy(SM) helps the brain re-program proper movement and helps to re-inforce the neurological activity between the ligaments, tendons, and muscles.

In my next blog, I will continue to investigate the movement of the spine in relationship to lower leg, hip, knee and ankle discomfort and dysfunction. So, next time you have hip pain make sure the interconnection of the movement in the spine is balanced to the tension of the lower extremity skeleton.

If you have questions, or would like a free consultation, please call 216-364-0152 or email us at appointments@chagrinvalleywellness.com. One of our therapists or instructors will be glad to discuss how we might be able to help.

Happy 2012 and there is...a Reason to HOPE!

Dennis

In my last article I talked about some of the issues that would compromise an individual's hip joint. The picture to the left shows an artifical hip and in many cases when an individual has suffered from pain for many years this is probably the only true solution. I believe most people that have had the artifical hip implanted will all agree that it was worth it.

This blog though is to help us that haven't started down that path, and even for some who have, prevent or prolong the surgery. Click on the following link to our Fundamental Movement Therapy(SM) site to see some of the movement therapy's we teach to help with hip joint and low back issues.
http://www.chagrinvalleywellness.com/fundamental-movement-therapy.html

Most individuals that come to us with hip problems do so because of a bio-mechanical issue. Almost always this same bio-mechanical problem is the instigator for low back pain. If you or someone you know suffers from hip joint discomfort or incurs low back pain after walking, standing or sitting for a prolong period of time, you or encourage them, to make an appointment for a free consultation to help determine the cause. You can contact our Keri or Amanda, our Client Care Specialist, to set up an appointment (216) 364-0152 or email them at appointments@chagrinvalleywellness.com.

What are some of the most common bio-mechanical issues that we see? Probably the most common is the inability of the ankle joint to move properly. In medical terminology the joint is to plantar flex or when the toes point downward and dorsi flexion or when the toes move upward toward the knee. The problem lies in the fact that it is the ankle joint that is supposed to create the movement, not the foot. In many instances the ankle joint is locked and does not move in both directions. This causes a problem as the center of gravity traverses through the ankle joint into the heel and when that center is moved forward a multitude of sins happens.

These imbalances come in many different formats; tight hamstrings, leg cramps, soreness in the knee joints when walking up and down stairs, pain in the hip and leg when getting into or out of a car, difficulty walking any distance and other everyday calamaties. 

If the ankle does not flex correctly it forces other joints in the lower extremity to compensate and when this happens the vertebral column needs to become more rigid. Very few people realize that the spine has the largest amount of joints or articulations in the human body. This spine needs to articulate to ensure proper movement throughtout the mechanical body. It is this restriction in movement that contributes to the plethora of other problems. It is also this restriction of movement that forces the hip joint to become more than a point of pivot for lower and upper extremity movement. It forces the head of the Femur to become a focus of dynamics and that places an unusual amount of stress on the cartlidge that lines the joint and this is what eventually wears out and causes the arthritic pain that eventually drives individuals to get their hip replaced.

In our future blogs I will be writing and showing techniques on how to correct and avoid these issues that will help prevent hip pain in your future. If you experience hip or leg pain and would like to talk with one of our experts, give us a call at 216-364-0152 or email at appoinments@chagrinvalleywellness.com. For more information on our Wellness Center go to www.chagrinvalleywellness.com and learn more about our Fundamental Movement Therapy(SM).

In the last blog we talked about the lower extremity as a whole and in today's we will discuss the hip joint itself and some of the reasons why we experience hip joint pain. Below is a picture of the hip joint. Sometimes we or our clients say I have hip pain but oftentimes it is because it is in the vicinity and not the actual hip joint. That pain will also be discussed as we go through this area of the anatomy.

Hip Joint consisting of the Femur and Pelvic bone

This joint has the capability of moving in 8 different directions and because of inappropriate use often gives us an area of pain that is unnecessary. The many methodologies used in PT, MT, and most forms of physical medicine address the pain but rarely the cause. How I like to explain this joint to my clients is that it is meant to pivot around an axis. By that I mean the hip joint is not meant to be the primary joint of walking, standing and/or running. It is meant to be the transitional joint when moving to a standing position or bending forward, it really is not made for any significant amount of torsion.

In this picture of a student on the Reformer, an apparatus that we use in our Fundamental Movement Therapy(SM), (for more info on Pilates go to our website www.chagrinvalleywellness.com) the feet are placed on the bar and there is minimal spring tension for resistance. The normal inclination for the student is to generate the force down through the hip joint and use the larger bone to create the impetus. What this does is engage the low back in such a way that a dynamic thrust is used to raise the Femur, by the Psoas or hip flexor, and eventually creates a stress point in the lower back. This will explain why people have back pain after they walk for awhile. This is because many people walk, powering down from the hip through the knee into the ankle and foot. Instead of the hip joint pivoting  and the head of the Femur staying centered it is forced up and down in the socket. This constant compression of the cartilage will eventually wear the padding down. As this wearing takes place the compression against the sensory nerve endings will create the pain symptoms. Once we are able to balance the joint, the client is informed to shorten the stride and focus on one joint, the knee. This will force the individual to bio-mechanically move correctly.

The hip is a delicate joint that is often overworked and because of the musculature that surrounds it can create many problems. The Piriformis muscle  attaches to the Femur and when that muscle is involved the Sciatic nerve can be involved. The Psoas Major muscle if compromised by an imbalance to the hip joint can also encumber the Lumbar spine. The Gluteal muscles also connect here and with the interconnection of the Lattismus Dorsi with the Gluteus Maximus shoulder issues could be possible. Once again we strengthen muscles that create an unnatural tensegral pull on the skeleton that eventually creates a stress point that will contribute to pain. As you can see there are many areas that come into play if the hip joint is wrongly used.

So if you are treating someone with hip discomfort, or are someone who is suffering from long term hip pain, remember you have altered movement patterns that have created compensation. It is important that we prevent chronic hip pain by maintaining a positive tension on the skeletal structures and we are cautious with our movement patterns. On our web site we have archived You Tube videos of our Movement of the Month (www.chagrinvalleywellness.com) that shows how we reprogram the neurological system to educate the body into properly moving. Many times the pain will continue to reappear until we change the movement pattern, that is what our Fundamental Movement Therapy(SM) accomplishes.

I encourage individuals who suffer from chronic hip pain or therapists that struggle treating this painful condition to contact us at appointments@chagrinvalleywellness.com. If you know someone who suffers from this and would benefit from a consultation session, either at our office or on the phone, forward this blog to them. In the next few blogs I will be including videos that further show how to determine the proper Q angle and how to help recreate it. We will also be continuing on with the knee, ankle and foot and some tips on how to prevent these painful happenings. Thank you and please enjoy the holiday season.

A Reason and Season of HOPE!

Dennis