Sciatica pain puzzle: A checklist of causes, Part 2


Back pain, Bursitis, Buttock pain, Chronic pain, Leg pain, Low back pain, Sciatic pain

When “sciatic” type of symptoms won’t go away, what else can be considered as causes? Travell and Simons emphatically state that “Sciatica is a symptom, not a diagnosis; it’s cause should be identified.” (Vol II, p. 173) Here’s Part 2 of a list of things you can check. Sacroiliac joint dysfunction or arthritis: These conditions […]

June 18, 2010

Sciatica pain puzzle: A checklist of causes, Part 1


Arthritis pain, Back pain, Buttock pain, Chronic pain, Hip pain, Leg pain, Low back pain, Scoliosis, Structural asymmetry

When “sciatic” type of symptoms won’t go away, what else can be considered as causes? Travell and Simons emphatically state that “Sciatica is a symptom, not a diagnosis; it’s cause should be identified.” (Vol II, p. 173) Here’s a list of things you can check. Structural asymmetries: Anything that makes one hip higher will cause […]

June 15, 2010

Arm and hand pain: Self-treatment for flexors


Arm pain, Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), Hand pain, Neuromuscular therapy, Repetitive strain injury (RSI), Self-treatment tips

Sometimes stretching isn’t enough and you need manual treatment to relieve pain in your forearm and hand. If you have hand strength, here are a few self-treatment tips that I give patients in my Neuromuscular Therapy center near Boston. More tips will be included in the following posts. This one is for the finger and […]

May 30, 2010

Arm and hand pain: Pectoralis minor entrapment


Arm pain, Backpacks, Chest pain, Hand pain, Nerve entrapment, Shoulder pain, Stretches, Stretching (Active Isolated method)

Entrapment by the pectoralis minor muscle can block blood and nerve flow to the arms causing pain, tingling, numbness (dysesthesia) and unusual sensations (parasthesias). The pectoralis minor’s very strong tendon overlies the brachial plexus of nerves and the axillary artery that make up the neurovascular bundle that serves the arm. When the muscle is tight […]

May 21, 2010

Arm and hand pain: Stretches for tennis elbow


Arm pain, Buttock pain, Elbow pain, Muscle information, Pilates, Stretches, Stretching (Active Isolated method)

The hard-hitting repetitive moves of tennis cause pain at the lateral epicondyle of the elbow. The pain comes from one or both of two muscle sources, the supinator muscle and the extensor muscles of the hand and fingers. Effective stretching using Active Isolated Stretching methods is an important treatment for maintenance, prevention and pain relief. […]

May 3, 2010

Arm and hand pain: Voice recognition software


Arm pain, Chronic pain, Hand pain, Repetitive strain, Repetitive strain injury (RSI)

Voice recognition software may be necessary for those who have sustained a damaging Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI). Effective treatment soon after arm and hand pain symptoms appear can prevent a long lasting chronic pain condition, but since this injury is increasing alarmingly with the widespread everyday use of computers, voice recognition software may become more […]

April 30, 2010