The piriformis stretch is for piriformis syndrome, sciatica, low back pain, deep buttock pain, sacroiliac joint pain and restless leg syndrome. 1) This Active Isolated Stretch (AIS) is absolutely the most effective: Stretch the gluteus maximus first by lying on your back and bringing your right knee to your left shoulder. To do this you […]
This is a series on low back pain. If you missed the summary of causes, go back to Part 1. For those of you who consider your low back the part below your waist across your sacrum and into the top of your buttocks and the back of your hips, the piriformis muscle could be […]
Knowledge is power. The better you understand the muscles of your knee the more empowered you will be to keep them out of pain. The last post discussed the quadriceps in the front of the thigh. The “hamstrings” are in the back of the thigh. Guys refer to them affectionately as “hammies” at the gym. […]
For anyone with piriformis syndrome, restless leg syndrome, low back pain, hip pain, buttock pain, sciatica pain, thigh pain and back leg pain, these 5 specific stretches will help. If you feel discomfort or pain when you stretch, that’s the place that needs it. You won’t harm yourself even if it hurts if you stretch […]
According to Travell & Simons in their Trigger Point Manual, “In patients with chronic myofascial pain, attention to perpetuating factors often spells the difference between sucessful and failed therapy.” Perpetuating factors in the case of Krystal S. were an important consideration in reducing the need for continued treatment for restless leg syndrome at my Neuromuscular […]
When muscle tension and hyperactivity from Trigger Points are the cause of RLS, Neuromuscular Therapy is very successful in relieving symptoms and sometimes eliminating this disturbing condition. When an initial series of appointments works, but symptoms return, underlying or perpetuating factors need to be discovered. Treatment in the case of Krystal S. in my Neuromuscular […]
So how do I think about RLS? What jumps out at me is the “restless” part. The muscles are hyperactive. What can cause that? Well, I’m a Neuromuscular Therapist and when you’re a hammer everything looks like a nail, so I go right to Trigger Points! Trigger points are hyperactive. They are working 24/7. They […]
As a Neuromuscular Therapist, how do I think about the muscle pain and numbness caused by a herniated disc? Whenever there is a problem in the low back such as a herniated disc, the nerve signals generated by the irritation there can cause symptoms down into the muscles along the nerve pathway that can persist long […]
The symptoms of butt and leg pain, numbness and burning in the foot and “foot drop” that were caused by muscles in Pablo’s case were treated with Neuromuscular Therapy techniques in my clinic West of Boston. Trigger Points, nerve entrapment (piriformis syndrome), and local muscle inflammation were all addressed. Treatment included NMT locally in his […]