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 […]
Author Archive | Whitney Lowe
The Slump Test
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 […]
The Myth of the Blown-Out Disc
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 […]
The Mechanical Function of Retinacula
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 […]
Massage Therapy and Brachial Plexus Injury
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 […]
Top 10 advantages for online learning in massage therapy continuing education.
I have been exploring online education in the massage therapy field since the late 1990s and have become a huge advocate of this approach. I frequently get asked about the key benefits for online learning in continuing education so I thought it would be helpful to share what I think are the top 10 advantages […]
Welcome to the Academy of Clinical Massage
It has been a long time coming, but I am very excited to announce the launch of the Academy of Clinical Massage. This is the next step in the evolution of my efforts to bring high-quality learning experiences to the massage and manual therapy professions. So how did we get here? In 1994 I packed […]