Osteoarthritis is one of the most common health conditions that affects seniors. It is commonly confused with osteoporosis, however the 2 conditions are vastly different. One thing that they do have in common however is that they can both be managed through appropriate exercise. What is osteoarthritis? Osteoarthritis is a condition that affects the…
A common postural fault that we see in clinic is an increase in the upper back curve, also known as an increased kyphosis. This increased kyphosis is also associated with rounding of the shoulders.
One of the most common approaches given is a “row” or pullback type of exercise. The theory here is that by strengthening the muscles that pull the shoulder blades back, the upper back curve will reduce and posture will return to normal. However there is a fundamental error in this approach
While we often hear of the importance of having strong core muscles to prevent and lessen lower back pain, we rarely here about the deep muscles in our neck that can prevent and lessen neck pain despite the fact that pain here can be just as debilitating, with the possibility of neck problems leading to altered sensation in the arms and finger and even headaches. It is important that we strengthen these muscles as research has suggested that individuals with weak deep neck flexors have a higher probability of experiencing neck pain.
When talking about the effects of stress on the body people often think about heart conditions, diabetes and other metabolic outcomes associated with high stress levels. One area that is little talked about is the effect of stress on the musculoskeletal system. Stress can cause some quite strange manifestations to this system that seem almost implausible.
Shoulders are a common problem area for many people. Is easy to see why when you look at the anatomy of the shoulder. Our shoulders are designed to move….. ALOT!! However this comes at the cost of stability.
When looking at rehabilitation for the shoulder, the rotator cuff often takes the spotlight. While it is an important stabiliser of the shoulder it is not the only one, and it shouldn’t be the only focus of rehabilitation programs. One area that IS often neglected however is grip strength.
Fascia is a special type of tissue called connective tissue and as the tissue name suggests its primary role is to connect different areas of the body. Fascia has an important role in helping us to understand how the body moves as a result of such connections.
Unfortunately many traditional anatomists removed the fascia when they were dissecting human bodies and as such the simplistic view that each muscle has an individual action based on where it attaches to bone is still a common misnomer. What really happens is that the body is connected along different pathways via the fascia, and when we move we shift all of the tissues that create this connected pathway. These pathways extend from head to toe and can help to explain why we often find that the true cause of a problem is not where we feel pain.
The hip joints are 2 very important joints that can often be the source of pain. The ball and socket of the hip joint is very similar in shape to the shoulder joint except that the socket of the hip is much deeper than that of the shoulder. The shape of both joints really promotes their roles in creating and allowing or movement of the limbs. While the shoulder is capable of more movement, it is also inherently more unstable and tends to have issues with excessive movement. The hip on the other hand is not quite as mobile as the shoulder and often becomes problematic when it doesn’t move enough.
Our feet are amazing things. In fact not many people realise that they house a quarter of our bodies bones, contain over 100,000 receptors in each foot and have a very large role in movement.
So why does such a small area of our body contain so many bones and receptors? It’s because our feet are designed to move and interact with the environment around us to guide our movement. As with any area in the body, when its job is no longer being done, other areas of the body need to compensate and take extra load – and the foot is no exception!
The squat is one of the most basic positions we as humans assume from a very young age. As we learn how to get up from the ground, we instinctively squat before we raise up. However at some point in most of our lives, this simple behaviour that we had so much flexibility for as a child becomes increasingly difficult.
We start sitting in chairs far too much and wear shoes that elevate our heels which limits the amount our hips and ankles need to bend. Over time these joints become stiff which restricts our ability to squat and we causes us to miss out on the great benefits we can get from being able to perform a squat.