The psoas is a fascinating muscle, crucial to our movement. Without it, walking would be impossible. It’s so essential that I always assess it in cases of musculoskeletal pain and poor athletic performance—even if you come in with pain in your little finger. That’s how vital the psoas is. Unfortunately, modern sedentary lifestyles often lead […]
Light therapy, or photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT), is a medicinal use of light. The most popular particular kind of photobiomodulation treatment (PBMT) is called “cold” or low-level laser therapy (LLLT), however this is only a colloquial phrase.(1) The photobiomodulation song has several riffs, laser light being only one of them. For example, even tanning beds may […]
Ankle joint dorsiflexion is one of the most talked-about aspects when it comes to joint mobility and achieving optimal movement patterns. Many factors can contribute to restricted mobility in our clients, such as tight soleus and gastrocnemius muscles, heel-toe drop in shoes, flat feet, or high arches. The multitude of potential causes can sometimes feel […]
Hip joint internal rotation, sometimes referred to as medial rotation, involves the femur rotating within the hip joint toward the body’s midline. This movement also occurs when standing with a fixed lower limb while the pelvis rotates, such as when the left anterior superior iliac spine (ASIS) shifts in front of the right, or vice […]
A New Era in Understanding the Human Body Our comprehension of the human body’s mechanics is on the brink of a revolutionary transformation. The traditional model, which posits that we have 600 muscles functioning through tendons over separate ligaments that restrict joint movement, has long been our best explanation. However, this model is now outdated, […]
Studies looking at muscle activation often rely on surface electromyography (sEMG) readings to determine muscle functionality. New technology, however, enables scientists to get a more accurate picture of muscle contractions. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) provides a better measurement of muscle activation by recording the T2 relaxation time of tissue water. Scientists from Australia used […]
A “window of opportunity” (WOO) refers to a timeframe during which pain relief and/or increased confidence facilitate engaging in normal activities and therapeutic exercises. This concept is widely recognized in physical therapy and rehabilitation. To illustrate this principle, consider the example of frozen shoulder — although it applies broadly to various conditions. The WOO can […]
When I began researching this article , I was quite taken aback by the scarcity of available studies. At the time, every scientific paper on ultrasound (US) therapy noted the lack of sufficient research, particularly high-quality research. Unfortunately, not much has changed since then. A 2015 review of ultrasound for rotator cuff tendinopathy (referenced below) […]
Understanding the Effectiveness of TENS Units When exploring the use of TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) units, people often ask, “How do TENS units work?” However, a more critical question is, “Do TENS machines actually work?” The Evidence on TENS Units for Pain Relief There is some evidence suggesting that TENS units can help alleviate […]
There has been a periodic discussion on social media for a number of years on whether pain is a “sensation” or a “perception.” These are the many angles as I understand them: Few people have made the case that pain is a sensation rather than a perception. Many people have reacted by saying that this […]