When sciatica type symptoms get the better of you and nothing you do seems to make it better, here is something to think about from my checklist for corrective actions and treatments Part 1. Correct structural asymmetries with a heel lift, butt lift, foot orthotics, and make changes in misfitting furniture. This is more important […]
This is a series on low back pain. If you missed the summary of causes, go back to Part 1. Running all the way down your back are two sets of muscles, together called the erector spinae. They keep the spine erect. With the prevalence of postural issues at all age levels, these muscles are […]
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 […]
A young woman in her thirties found my Neuromuscular Therapy center Southwest of Boston on the internet, desperate to find a treatment for the wide-ranging RLS pains and other symptoms that had disrupted her life. Over the previous seven years Krystal had been to doctors who had variously tested for Multiple Sclerosis, Fibromyalgia and Restless […]
Back pain from a Lower Limb Length Inequality (LLLI) is a very common phenomenon, but since it is poorly understood medically, it doesn’t get much credence. In my practice I see it all the time. Just this month I’ve seen 5 patients with LLLI in my Neuromuscular Therapy center near Boston. The treatment usually involves […]
Pain from a curvature of the spine caused by LLLI (Lower Limb Length Inequality) is a common condition usually overlooked in medical evaluations. Having LLLI doesn’t always cause a problem, but when Trigger Points have formed, even one-eighth inch difference in the length of the legs can perpetuate pain if left uncorrected. (MDs Travell and […]
As a Neuromuscular Therapist, how do I think about chronic headache pain? If medical reasons for headaches have been ruled out, the cause is probably muscular Trigger Points. Examining the muscles in the neck and shoulders usually turns up at least one cause. But finding unhealthy muscles with Trigger Points is only targeting the symptoms. […]
Back pain often continues even when surgery to correct a herniated disc has been performed. Sally S., a woman in her early 40’s, was referred to my Boston area Neuromuscular Therapy center by her psychotherapist for treatment of ten years of chronic low back pain. There had been no initiating accident or injury. She described the pain […]