Academy of Clinical Massage
Whitney Lowe's high quality, science-based continuing education in advanced clinical and orthopedic massage.
The shoulder has the greatest range of motion of any joint in the body and shoulder abduction is an essential component of many upper extremity activities. Shoulder abduction is one of the few joint motions that has a normal range of at least 180 degrees. One of the reasons for this extensive range is that […]
Shoulder impingement and rotator cuff disorders are a common cause of pain and disability for people in all kinds of occupations and activities. For many people, conservative treatment may not be successful and they will need to have surgery to address the condition. It is very helpful to understand what occurs in some of the […]
Research Review: Pelletier R, Higgins J, Bourbonnais D. Is neuroplasticity in the central nervous system the missing link to our understanding of chronic musculoskeletal disorders? BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2015;16(1):25. The treatment of musculoskeletal disorders has historically focused on a structural-pathology paradigm where the primary source of dysfunction (and consequently pain) is caused by some local […]
The quadriceps group contains some of the largest muscles in the body. They are highly active during lower extremity locomotion, such as running, jumping, and even in simple activities like walking. Problems in the quadriceps group can often lead to numerous disorder such as patellar tendinosis, chondromalacia, or the elusive anterior knee pain of patellofemoral […]
Have you ever heard the term, Trigger Finger, and wondered what is really occurring? The condition gets its name for the locking and snapping motion of the finger that is caused by finger tendons binding against an adjacent retinaculum. Tendons in the hand and fingers must bend around sharp angles in the numerous joints they […]
The Achilles tendon is the largest and strongest tendon in the body. It has to be very strong because of the powerful contraction forces of the gastrocnemius and soleus (triceps surae) muscles. The triceps surae group is active in forward propulsion of the body during normal gait as well as being a primary decelerator of […]
Identifying the location of nerve entrapment can be very challenging. Even high tech diagnostic tests such as nerve conduction studies are not always reliable in determining the primary location of nerve pathology. Yet, physical examination can be very helpful for locating potential regions of nerve pathology. One of the more effective physical examination methods for […]
We’ve probably all had heard someone say before that they “blew out a disc.” In most cases there is some prior acute injury that led to the symptoms or the determination of disc involvement. This phrase leads to an interesting, but somewhat inaccurate, perception about disc protrusions and the role they play in pain and […]
One of the unique mechanical properties of our musculotendinous structure is the presence of a retinaculum (plural: retinacula) around many of the body’s joints. A retinaculum is a band or membrane that holds an organ or part in its place. It may also be defined as a thickening of the deep fascia in distal portions […]
Research Review: Chang, C.-Y., Wu, Y.-T., Chen, L.-C., Chan, R.-C., Chang, S.-T., & Chiang, S.-L. (2014). Massage-Induced Brachial Plexus Injury. Physical Therapy. Neck pain is one of the most common reasons for people to seek the care of a massage therapist. Whether it is whiplash from a motor vehicle accident or the chronic neck pain from […]