Pathology

Introduction As your time in clinical practice grows, you will inevitably encounter a wide range of compromised health conditions among your clients. Although some cases—such as tendinosis or carpal tunnel syndrome—may be exactly what they appear, it is crucial not to assume that familiar symptoms always indicate a common condition. Systemic nerve disorders, in particular, … Read more

Massage therapy is highly effective for managing many soft-tissue pathologies. However, some conditions may closely mimic more common issues but fail to respond to standard treatment approaches. A prime example is synovial plica syndrome, a knee disorder frequently misdiagnosed due to its resemblance to other common knee pathologies. What is a Synovial Plica? During embryological … Read more

The sacroiliac (SI) joint is one of the most interesting joints in the body. There actually isn’t a single sacroiliac joint, but rather a left and right SI joint. This joint is the articulation on the posterior side of the pelvis between the sacrum and the ilium. The sacrum is essentially a wedge held in … Read more

The shoulder is the most mobile joint in the body. The challenge with such extensive mobility, however, is that mechanical support and function relies heavily on the soft tissues. Consequently there are more soft-tissue disorders in this region. Bursitis and rotator cuff pathology are common diagnoses for soft-tissue shoulder pain. While both of these occur, … Read more

Ankle sprains are the most common soft-tissue injury of the lower extremity. Approximately 85% of all ankle injuries involve ligament sprains. Among the various ligaments surrounding the ankle, the majority of injuries affect the ligaments on the lateral side, particularly the anterior talofibular ligament. Severe lateral ankle injuries may also involve the calcaneofibular ligament. While … Read more

The phrase “blown-out disc” is commonly used to describe intervertebral disc herniations or protrusions. However, this term can be misleading and perpetuate inaccurate perceptions about the underlying pathophysiology of disc degeneration and herniation. As massage therapists, it is valuable to understand the biomechanics of intervertebral discs and the processes that lead to disc pathology to … Read more

Introduction One of the most common upper extremity overuse problems is lateral epicondylitis (LE), commonly called tennis elbow. LE affects roughly 1 – 3% of the general population in the U.S. each year. Despite its common name of tennis elbow, only about 5% of the people with LE developed the condition from playing tennis.(1) Due … Read more

More people than ever before are using massage for a wide variety of ailments, especially back pain. Low back pain is one of the most challenging medical conditions as it is still very difficult to make a direct cause between many low back pain complaints and specific tissue pathology. Massage can be of great benefit … Read more