Stretch/articulation: cat stretch and threading the needle
The cat and needle serve a similar purpose to the figure of 8, but the movements are more exaggerated. This means that you’ll feel more of a stretch, rather than just working through the joints, but also that it’s much less focused. For this reason I generally don’t give this exercise to people with lower […]
Cervicogenic Headaches (Biondi, 2005)
A cervicogenic headache is one that is caused by structures in the neck, such as muscles, joints, nerves, and blood vessels. It is estimated that up to 2.5% of the general population in the USA are experiencing a cervicogenic headache at any one time. Women are four times as likely to experience this than men. […]
The Sacroiliac Joint (SIJ)
The Sacroiliac joint is a controversial one. Some people maintain that it only moves in childbirth, but success in treating it has led me to believe that it does move a very small amount in the general population. Like any other joint that moves, it can be irritated, but I have yet to see evidence […]
Tennis Elbow and Golfer’s Elbow
Tennis Elbow Tennis elbow is the more common of the two, affecting the muscles on the outside of the forearm. The technical term is lateral epicondylitis. Although it’s commonly referred to as “tennis” elbow, it is linked to most racket sports, including squash and badminton, as inefficient technique on backhand swings can overstrain the extensor muscles […]
Sciatica
Sciatica specifically refers to symptoms arising from the sciatic nerve. It is an example of a “trapped nerve”. Symptoms The term is a commonly misused. Technically it only refers to pain in the distribution of the sciatic nerve, which typically presents as a clear line of pain down the back of the thigh (fig. B). […]
Degenerative Disc Disease
The discs in the spine are well attached to the vertebrae directly above and below them. They act as a cushion for shock absorbing, and they can be twisted and squashed to allow for movement through the spine. A good analogy for their anatomy is to imagine a jam doughnut, where the outside is tougher […]