About a year ago Melissa was involved in a car accident where she sustained a moderate whiplash injury. She had pretty serious pain in her neck for several weeks, but then it subsided. Recently she’s been having a very similar pain sensation, although she has not had any recent injury that would appear to aggravate […]
Confronting the Challenges of a Major Paradigm Shift
I’m not sure when it really happened. I guess these things don’t often happen with a sudden event, but with a gradual period of change when you look around and notice that things look different than they used to. For me I think it began several years ago when I started running across some articles […]
Dupuytren’s Contracture
Introduction As the population of the country ages, massage practitioners should be aware of various diseases and conditions that are increasingly common in an older age group. One such condition is a connective tissue disorder that affects the palmar fascia of the hand, called Dupuytren’s contracture. The primary structure affected in Dupuytren’s contracture is the […]
Unraveling the Complexities of Piriformis Syndrome
Introduction Cultural colloquialisms develop from real world experiences. When something is very difficult or annoying we characteristically refer to it as a real “pain in the butt”. And, well that is the perfect description for this syndrome. Sciatica is a poorly defined condition that generally refers to any pain sensation felt in the gluteal region […]
Fantasy Physiology and the Post Hoc Fallacy
I have been around this field for three decades now. In many ways it has been quite astonishing to watch the tremendous progress in acceptance of massage therapy as a valid healthcare option. Obviously, we still have a long way to go but we have certainly come a long way in just a short period […]
The Potential and Challenge of Online Learning
Introduction In the last decade, the popularity, availability, and complexity of internet-based learning increased dramatically. The most noteworthy and significant changes are in the educational and technological strategies created by developers working in advanced online education platforms. While the massage profession may be slow to adopt advanced forms of online learning, the influence of online […]
The Double Crush
Orthopedic injuries to the nervous system are one of the more complex areas to understand. The nervous system is so pervasive throughout our body that there is hardly any tissue that is not affected by it in some way or another. While certain peripheral nerve conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome get a great deal of […]
Calcific Tendinitis
BACKGROUND Calcific tendinitis in the shoulder is a soft-tissue pain complaint that may be acute but is usually chronic, and affects the rotator cuff tendons. Its symptoms somewhat mimic other conditions such as adhesive capsulitis, rotator cuff disorders, shoulder impingement syndrome, or traditional tendinitis characterized by tendon fiber inflammation. Because of these similar symptoms, knowing […]
Why Should I Learn Assessment?
Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are one of the most pervasive health care issues in the United States. These conditions include a wide array of soft-tissue problems such as strains, tendinosis, sprains, myofascial trigger points, nerve entrapment, and the ever-present host of biomechanical problems resulting from chronic muscle tightness. MSDs are the second most common reason for […]
Detrimental Effects of Muscular Disuse
Observations from clinical practice have indicated that one of the most significant detrimental effects of disuse on the body is muscular atrophy. Disuse atrophy may occur from an injury that forces the individual to keep an area immobilized for a prolonged period. It may also occur in situations where bed rest or non-weight-bearing is mandated […]