There are many explanatory models for memories and emotions that sometimes surface during hands-on work. The (now somewhat quaint) Reichian explanation was that since we tend to contract our musculature and hold our breath against the expression and experience of unpleasant emotions, over time, this immobilization would “armor” the body into a chronically immobile and unfeeling
One of our previous blog post articles discussed whether fascia or musculature holds somatic memories of the body. This topic is important because many manual therapists have experienced that when they touch on a particular area of the client’s body during a therapeutic session, it provokes memories or traumatic events from the client’s life. Many
Understanding The Placebo Effect by Brian Fulton RMT Some therapists shudder at the mention of the term placebo effect, others are curious as to what it might be, still others embrace the concept. Where do you lie on this spectrum? Sticking one’s head in the sand and denying that it exists in your treatments is
In the past 20 years, the number of disabled athletes, in other words, para-athletes, competing at elite levels has increased, as witnessed by the number of participants at the 2016 Rio Summer Paralympics (4328) compared to the number at the 1996 Summer Paralympics in Atlanta (3255). Para-athletes also have higher incidence and prevalence of injures
Foam rolling as a form of self-massage has been shown to increase range of motion and decrease pain pressure threshold. However, it is unclear whether the roller-induced increases can be attributed to changes in neural responses or muscle responses. A study from Canada was conducted to evaluate the effect on spinal excitability of altered sensory
Walking is commonly recommended to relieve pain and improve function in patients with chronic lower back pain. A systematic review by Italian researchers addressed the effectiveness of walking interventions by looking into published randomized controlled trials which compared walking to other physical activity exercises to reduce pain, disability, and fear-avoidance, as well as increase
Shin splints is one of the most common causes of leg pain in runners. The most common cause for shin splints is repetitive running on hard surfaces. Although not all of the mechanisms and risk factors for shin splints are clear, the symptoms could be related to the stress response of the fascia and periosteum
