Understanding human movement is crucial for massage therapists, especially those specializing in pain and injury. This scientific study of movement, known as kinesiology, forms the foundation of orthopedics, the medical field dedicated to addressing issues within the body’s movement system. In school, your kinesiology study may have focused on memorizing muscle actions. The value of […]
Archive | Orthopedic Massage
Is That A Supraspinatus Or Subscapularis Issue?
Introduction Rotator cuff pathology is one of the most common causes of shoulder pain. However, it is common for someone to get a diagnosis of a rotator cuff tear or dysfunction without specifying which rotator cuff muscle(s) is/are involved. The rotator cuff comprises four muscles: supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis. These muscles are regularly […]
An Inside Look at Bicipital Tendinopathy
Introduction Bicipital tendinopathy is a frequent source of anterior shoulder pain. The condition usually arises from overuse or adverse forces affecting the tendon. It is common with overhead shoulder movements like swimming, tennis, or throwing. It can also stem from work-related motions. Distinguishing its pain from similar shoulder issues requires thorough assessment for accurate recognition. […]
What You Should Know About Cartilage Injuries
Here we look at cartilage injuries that you may encounter in your practice and some key things you should know about these injuries. Massage may not play a primary role in correcting these problems, but it can be ani integral part of the pain management process in addressing them.
Exploring Plantar Foot Pain
Introduction Plantar foot pain can be a debilitating condition that severely impacts a client’s quality of life. There are numerous causes of foot pain, and the ideal treatment for each condition varies depending on the nature of the problem. In this post we explore several potential causes of plantar foot pain. In a future post, […]
Simple Guide to Trigger Finger Treatment
One of the more debilitating conditions in the hand is trigger finger. In this painful condition, the tendons of the finger or thumb cannot bend or straighten smoothly due to thickening, swelling, or nodules in the tendon, its synovial sheath, or the connective tissue bands around the finger. Trigger finger can be an overuse syndrome or a […]
The Thinking Practitioner Episode 18: Ann Blair Kennedy and Kemi Balogun: Project COPE
Whitney Lowe: Welcome to The Thinking Practitioner podcast. Til Luchau: A podcast where we dig into the fascinating issues, conditions, and quandaries in the massage and manual therapy world today. Whitney Lowe: I’m Whitney Lowe. Til Luchau: And I’m Til Luchau. Welcome to The Thinking Practitioner. Whitney Lowe: Welcome to The Thinking Practitioner. Til Luchau: […]
The Thinking Practitioner Episode 13: Inflammation: Hands-On
Whitney Lowe: And thanks to Andrew Biel and the whole team at Books of Discovery. We certainly do appreciate their support. And do be sure to check out that great offer from them as well. All right. So good afternoon, or actually, good morning. It’s still morning time here. Good morning to you Til […]
The Thinking Practitioner Episode 10: When Does the Tissue Matter?
Listen to the audio podcast of the episode by clicking here. Whitney Lowe: So, good morning Til, we’re actually recording this episode just after the first of the year, it was the New Years day, after New Years today, so how are things happening for your new year out there in Colorado? Til Luchau: New […]
The Thinking Practitioner Episode 09: Descending Modulation in Manual Therapy
Listen to the audio podcast of the episode by clicking here. Til Luchau: Happy spring everybody. Whitney Lowe: Yeah. Very good. Okay. It’s still wintertime while we’re recording this. A good day for us to be diving into some neurophysiology today. I think something like that. Is that what we’re doing today? Til Luchau: Always […]