It's official.....I made it to Virginia.
I have been in the state for 2 days now. I can't even begin to describe what has been running through my head these last couple days. This experience is unbelievable. Being out of my comfort zone is the understatement of the year. I literally have zero comfort zone left. Surprisingly enough, i am in good spirits. I am learning massive amounts about myself, my goals, my surroundings, and my strength.
Being out of Michigan is bittersweet. I find myself savoring the familiar. Even something as small as the blanket i use at night or the restaurant i go to for lunch. That could have something to do with not having our home yet. The hotel we are staying is nice, but it's not our own. Hopefully we will have our own place in a week or two. My cat, Danny, is done traveling too.
Then comes the hard part, where do i want to work? I m learning the differences in culture from Michigan to Virginia. In VA everyone is friendly and everyone says "hello" if they catch your eye and i have gotten the door held for me more in the last 2 days than an entire year in Michigan. They move a little slower and i am learning that i need to slow down too. I got a few looks when i was speed walking through Walmart yesterday. The drivers never seem to be in a hurry either. There was a line up of cars behind a mail truck today because nobody would pass him! I have a lot to learn and a lot to get used to i guess. I believe these differences will effect my practice and are things i need to be aware of.
Surviving the move down here has occupied 100% of my brain space lately, hopefully i will have more anatomy related thoughts soon. Stay tuned for that. :)
Have a great day today!
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
Thursday, July 17, 2014
Monday, July 14, 2014
Trouble Maker Iliacus
Today we are going to look at an often overlooked muscle. It can be a problem child muscle sometimes, but mostly because it's trying to do more than its fair share of work for the body. It's a brother of another muscle called the psoas, and sometimes people mash them together and call them one muscle. I think, however, it's special enough all by itself and should be treated as it's own.
Todays muscle is the Iliacus!
The Iliacus is found in the lower portion of the trunk. It's attached to the inside part of the hip bones and fits into a depression called the iliac fossa. The iliacus is a flat, triangular-ish muscle, and runs down to attach down onto the lesser trochanter of the inside part of the femur.
The Iliacus is a powerful hip flexor. It is important when you lift your leg forward, as well as when you bend your trunk forward, like in doing a sit up.
The iliacus is one of the first muscle that i look at when there is hip dysfunction or pain.
In my practice, Mr. Iliacus is caught overworking often. It's important to make sure it's not pulling the pelvis forward. In the rare occasion that he's underworking, it's really bad news for the hips and low back too. An underworking Iliacus causes much difficulty in hip flexion and stability of the hips and back.
If you are having trouble with your hips or low back your iliacus may be involved!
Stay healthy and have a great night!
Todays muscle is the Iliacus!
The Iliacus is found in the lower portion of the trunk. It's attached to the inside part of the hip bones and fits into a depression called the iliac fossa. The iliacus is a flat, triangular-ish muscle, and runs down to attach down onto the lesser trochanter of the inside part of the femur.
The Iliacus is a powerful hip flexor. It is important when you lift your leg forward, as well as when you bend your trunk forward, like in doing a sit up.
The iliacus is one of the first muscle that i look at when there is hip dysfunction or pain.
In my practice, Mr. Iliacus is caught overworking often. It's important to make sure it's not pulling the pelvis forward. In the rare occasion that he's underworking, it's really bad news for the hips and low back too. An underworking Iliacus causes much difficulty in hip flexion and stability of the hips and back.
If you are having trouble with your hips or low back your iliacus may be involved!
Stay healthy and have a great night!
Sunday, July 13, 2014
Self Discovery
My husband and i just found out that we are moving to Virginia. The move has been looming for a while we just never expected it to come up so soon. We have spent the last couple of days bouncing between sheer excitement and utter terror. One of the things that has been plaguing my mind is how i want to re-invent myself professionally.
I have been an massage therapist for about 2 and a half years. My focus is slowly developing. I have this opportunity to be whatever i want to be now after this move. I love helping people move better. I love seeing their ROM improve after working on them.
These past 2 and a half years have been a blur. I started off at a chiropractors office that was small and dysfunctional. I learned a huge amount there. I was doing between 25 and 30 massages a week there. I always came home at night sore as hell but so excited that i had found my career. That office ended up being shut down a year later, but that experience for me is something i will always appreciate. I learned about how to structure a massage, i learned palpation, and most importantly i learned patient management. This first year set me up for success.
After chiro #1, i was immediately hired by another chiro in the area. This office was so impressive to me. After a previous year of drama, uncertainty, and stress this new office seemed like a safe haven for me. There, i was pretty much independent in my work. I could make my own schedule and my only responsibilities were to give awesome massages and keep up with my massage notes. Here is where i really honed in on my skills. I took NKT(tm) and began incorporating that into my normal massage work. I refine, refine, refine, everyday.
Oh man, this self discovery thing is more complex than i thought. I guess i will continue this another day. :)
I have been an massage therapist for about 2 and a half years. My focus is slowly developing. I have this opportunity to be whatever i want to be now after this move. I love helping people move better. I love seeing their ROM improve after working on them.
These past 2 and a half years have been a blur. I started off at a chiropractors office that was small and dysfunctional. I learned a huge amount there. I was doing between 25 and 30 massages a week there. I always came home at night sore as hell but so excited that i had found my career. That office ended up being shut down a year later, but that experience for me is something i will always appreciate. I learned about how to structure a massage, i learned palpation, and most importantly i learned patient management. This first year set me up for success.
After chiro #1, i was immediately hired by another chiro in the area. This office was so impressive to me. After a previous year of drama, uncertainty, and stress this new office seemed like a safe haven for me. There, i was pretty much independent in my work. I could make my own schedule and my only responsibilities were to give awesome massages and keep up with my massage notes. Here is where i really honed in on my skills. I took NKT(tm) and began incorporating that into my normal massage work. I refine, refine, refine, everyday.
Oh man, this self discovery thing is more complex than i thought. I guess i will continue this another day. :)
Rhomboids
This muscle is one that seems to bother
everybody. People see me on a daily basis with problems in this area,
and most people want very deep work, but is that really necessary?
That muscle is the Rhomboids! The rhomboids are actually two muscles, the rhomboid major and the rhomboid minor, but i tend to lump them together because they perform the same function. They are muscles of the shoulder that lie under the trapizus and run in between the shoulder blades.
The rhomboids attach on the spinous processes of the vertebrae from about C-7 down to T- 4 and run on a diagonal down to attach on the medial boarder of the scapula. This muscle is responsible for pulling the scapula towards the spine, keeping the scapula against the ribcage, elevating the scapula and rotating the scapula downward.
Posture is a hot word today. Rhomboids are often lumped into conversations about postural issues. Sometimes getting into the rhomboids and releasing the tension is necessary, but sometimes the rhomboids are not working properly and need to be strengthened. That is why i like to know what is going on before i release anything. Pain is tricky sometimes and doesn't always show up where the problem is.
That muscle is the Rhomboids! The rhomboids are actually two muscles, the rhomboid major and the rhomboid minor, but i tend to lump them together because they perform the same function. They are muscles of the shoulder that lie under the trapizus and run in between the shoulder blades.
The rhomboids attach on the spinous processes of the vertebrae from about C-7 down to T- 4 and run on a diagonal down to attach on the medial boarder of the scapula. This muscle is responsible for pulling the scapula towards the spine, keeping the scapula against the ribcage, elevating the scapula and rotating the scapula downward.
Posture is a hot word today. Rhomboids are often lumped into conversations about postural issues. Sometimes getting into the rhomboids and releasing the tension is necessary, but sometimes the rhomboids are not working properly and need to be strengthened. That is why i like to know what is going on before i release anything. Pain is tricky sometimes and doesn't always show up where the problem is.
My favorite: The Deltoid
Today i have decided to post about my one of my most favorite muscle. This muscle has been my favorite ever since i took my first anatomy class in high school, and it has stuck with me all these years. That muscle is the deltoid. The deltoid muscle covers the upper part of the shoulder joint and attaches on to the middle of the upper arm bone or the humerus. It's a big muscle and does many functions, so many that it is actually classified into 3 sections, anterior, middle, and posterior.
The delts are the heavy lifter of the shoulder, it is responsible for most of the abduction of the shoulder and helps to prevent dislocation of the shoulder when we carry heavy loads. Like when i carry my groceries to the house from the car in only one trip, and also helps hold those grocery bags away from the body enough so they don't hit my thighs when i walk.
The anterior fibers of the delts are responsible for moving the arm upwards and to the front of the body, also, they medially rotate the arm.
The middle fibers abduct the arm, meaning they move the arm out to the side, like you are forming an T with your body.
And lastly, the posterior fibers extend the shoulder, moving the arm down and behind you and also, outward rotation of the arm.
Without the deltoid muscles our shoulders would be in big trouble, that's why it's so important to keep your delts functioning correctly in conjunction with the smaller muscles of the shoulder.
Pec Minor
This next anatomy post i'm going to tackle is a big one. It's a muscle that i see causing shoulder, back, and neck problems on a daily basis. It's a tiny muscle but this little guy knows how to throw its weight around.
I'm going to talk about pectoralis minor. Pec minor is a thin, flat muscle found under the pectoralis major. It attaches to ribs 3, 4 and 5 on the front of both sides of the rib cage and goes up to the coracoid process of the scapula.
Pec minor is responsible and helpful in movement and stabilization of the scapula and shoulder. It's a downward rotator of the scapula as well as an internal rotator of the humerus.
A lot of times shoulders that are slumped forward, or what we hear called "poor posture" are caused by a shortened and overworking pec minors.
When i hear people say "i just have bad posture, i always have." I cringe a little. There is a reason for your "bad posture" and sometime pec minor may be a culprit!
Let's release those nastly little pec minors and strengthen some other opposing muscles that aren't working correctly, and allow your body to naturally relax back to where it should be!
Friday, July 11, 2014
SCM
So last week i got a suggestion on what muscle i should research next. This muscle has been a little bit of a challenge for me so i have been putting it off. Today I have decided to suck it up a tackle the thing. It's the Sternocleidomastoid muscle. Say that 10 times fast, or just make it easier on yourself and call it the SCM. The SCM, i have found, both being used too much, as well as not pulling it's weight and both ways causes a great amount of pain in the neck, head, and shoulders.
The SCM are front neck muscles. They are the big muscles that pop out when you turn your head to the opposite side. The SCM attaches on the clavicle and the sternum and then goes up and attaches on the mastoid process of the skull right behind the ear. If you watch an ab work out video, these muscles are often sticking out VERY noticeably. That tells me that the neck and abdominals are very closely related and sometimes if you do too much ab work when your abs are not strong enough, you will use your neck to compensate.
The SCM's flex the neck as well as rotates the head to the opposite side. The SCM is a breathing helper as well.
I have found these very important muscles causing so much trouble and even headaches at times! Keep this muscle in mind if you are having pain because it's very possible that it could be a contributor! Have a wonderful, sunny weekend folks!
Scalenes
I feel like the universes threw this muscle into my lap this week. In my work i will have weeks where all of my clients have problems with the same area. this week for me it's the scalene muscles. I have had some pretty good results this week, but i also realized that i don't know theses muscles as well as i would like to. The scalenes are relatively small muscles, and they aren't common place where people think their pain is coming from, however they are sneaky and can cause numerous problems.
There are three pairs of these muscles and they are along the sides of the neck. these muscles attach on the vertebrae from numbers 2 to 7 and come down and attach onto the first and second ribs.
The function of these muscles are to bend the neck to the side, like you were bringing your eye brow to the shoulder on the same side. They also assist with breathing and elevating the first and second ribs.
In chest breathers, the scalenes can become over working and tight because they are doing too much work. I find that people who are under a lot of stress will breathe primarily into their chest and it in turn causes pain in the neck.
Another important thing about the scalene muscles is they are surrounded and intertwined with many nerves and arteries. The most noteworthy is the brachial plexus which passes through the middle and anterior scalenes. If the scalenes become tight and put extra pressure onto the brachial plexus, numbness, tingling, pain, and loss of strength can result in the arms and hands.
If you are having trouble with your neck, shoulders, arms or hands, your scalenes may be playing a role in the dysfunction!
Stay healthy and enjoy the sunshine today!
The Unstretchables
The Unstetchables
This is a pretty cool article on muscles that are literally impossible to stretch. It seems to me like my industry is OBSESSED with stretching. I get clients on a daily basis whos chiro, PT, MD, Personal trainer, or other MT have told them to stretch their IT band. THIS kills me!!! I respectfully tell them my personal experience and try not to bash their other health care provider. But guys- The IT band CANNOT be stretched! Even if it could, the connective tissue that the IT band is made of is so tough there is no way to lengthen that.
As far as foam rolling, you are probably just punishing the musculature underneath the actual IT band. Find out WHY your muscles are tight. They are just trying to keep you upright and moving.
This is a pretty cool article on muscles that are literally impossible to stretch. It seems to me like my industry is OBSESSED with stretching. I get clients on a daily basis whos chiro, PT, MD, Personal trainer, or other MT have told them to stretch their IT band. THIS kills me!!! I respectfully tell them my personal experience and try not to bash their other health care provider. But guys- The IT band CANNOT be stretched! Even if it could, the connective tissue that the IT band is made of is so tough there is no way to lengthen that.
As far as foam rolling, you are probably just punishing the musculature underneath the actual IT band. Find out WHY your muscles are tight. They are just trying to keep you upright and moving.
Monday, July 7, 2014
Crawling Like a Boss
Have a great day!
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