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 […]
Tag Archives | orthopedic massage
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]