When a client presents with a set of familiar symptoms it is easy to jump to the conclusion that we know what is going on. However, we can often be led astray. As clinicians, we must always consider there may be several possible causes of symptoms that are presented by our clients. Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease […]
Archive | Clinical & Orthopedic Massage
Clarifying the Effects of Topical Analgesics
Helping client’s manage pain is an important role for soft-tissue therapists. Consequently, many look to adjunctive treatments or products for assistance in this pursuit. Some of the most common adjunctive treatments used by massage practitioners and recommended to clients are topical analgesics. Analgesics are substances or agents that relieve pain without causing a loss of […]
The Need for CE and Advanced Credentialing
I have been having some interesting conversations with industry leaders in the last couple of weeks about continuing education and advanced credentialing. I’ve also participated in some lively social media discussions around these same subjects. There are certainly some strong feelings and opinions about continuing education requirements in our field. More than once I have […]
What’s a Pump Bump?
What’s this bump on the back of my heel and why does it hurt so much? This is sometimes called a pump bump and is caused by several key mechanical factors. Let’s take a look… The Achilles tendon is the largest and strongest tendon in the body. It has to be this strong because of […]
Flexor Pulleys of the Fingers
The human hand is critical to our daily activities, especially as massage practitioners. Yet, rarely do we stop and consider what an engineering marvel the hand actually is. The human hand is capable of fine precision movements as well as generating large forces during grasping activities. The skeletal structure of the hand and fingers is […]
Five Myths and Realities of Online Education in Massage
Over the last 100 years, a number of technological innovations took place which forecasters predicted would radically shake up the education world. First it was radio, then television, then videotape recording. In each instance, a revolution of the education environment never materialized. Now many of the same things are being said about online education and […]
Technique Isn’t Enough: The Importance of Clinical Reasoning
Updated 11/30/2023 The Issue In the massage profession, you’ll find a wealth of courses teaching new techniques. Clearly, learning new techniques can enhance your skills and abilities, giving you more ways to address client problems. However, for orthopedic pain and injuries, the emphasis on techniques can be misleading. Even with simple conditions, the treatment technique […]
What in the World Are Back Mice?
Updated 01/31/2024 Introduction Back pain contributes significantly to disability and frequently leads people to seek out massage therapy. Often, back pain is diagnosed as “non-specific” due to the absence of identifiable tissue pathology. However, noted back pain researcher Stuart McGill, PhD, has often advocated that one of the main reasons there are so many diagnoses […]
Putting the Squeeze on Morton’s Neuroma
One of the more common nerve entrapment problems affecting the lower extremity is Morton’s neuroma. The term, neuroma, is a bit of a misnomer because this condition generally does not involve a true neuroma, which is essentially a nerve cyst or tumor, and instead involves nerve impingement in the forefoot region. In most cases it […]
The Hidden Nervous System
Introduction An extensive network of nerves courses throughout virtually every tissue in our bodies. Yet, if you look up information on nerve injuries in medical resources you will find most of the attention on the pathologies associated with the large nerves, such as the sciatic, median, or ulnar nerves. However, there are many small nerves […]