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 [email protected]. 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, [email protected] or [email protected]. 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 [email protected]. 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 [email protected].

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 [email protected]. For more information on our Wellness Center go to www.chagrinvalleywellness.com and learn more about our Fundamental Movement Therapy(SM).