Dry Needling and Muscle testing
Do you do manual muscle testing on your patients before needling?
We all evaluate our patients; hopefully on the table as well as observation while weight bearing. Here is some food for thought...
When your patient or client is lying on the table (or wherever you are evaluating them), do you pay attention to where their head is in space (ie the position of their head)? Why should you care?
. . .
Posted in: canalscirculardry needling coursedry needling seminarheadmuscleneedlingpositionsacculesemisemicircularsystemtestingtpdnutriclevestibular
Why do we look down sometimes?
especially when things get challenging....
While working with a patient with runners dystonia the other day, I had one of those epiphanies. I thought I would share it with you here. Here is some food for thought.
We remember that we have 3 systems that keep us upright in the gravitational plane: The visual system, the vestibular system and the proprioceptive system. As . . .
Posted in: balancecleidogaitmastoidscmsternosternocleidomastoidsuboccipitalsuboccipital musclessystemtrapeziusvestibularvision
The Adductor Magnus
Not just for adduction anymore....
Ah yes... the adductor magnus. A commonly implicated muscle in hip dysfunction to include CAM lesions, femoroacetabular impingement, anterior femoral glide, as well as "hamstring insertional tendonitis" like symptoms (which would specifically be referring to the long head).
You will recall that the adductor magnus consists of . . .
Posted in: adductorclinical examdry needlingdry needling instructionexternalgaithiphip extensionhip flexormagnusneedlingpainrotationrotatorthightpdntrigger point dry needling coursestrigger point dry needling seminars
Iliocapsularis update
you know about this guy?
I have written before about one of my favorite muscles for dysfunctional hips, the iliocapsularis. See here and here to catch up.
As you are probably (hopefully?) aware it has its proximal attachment at the anterior-inferior iliac spine and the anterior hip capsule (1), though it does not attach to the labrum (2). Its inserts . . .
Posted in: capsularisdry needlingdry needling coursedry needling seminareducationilioiliocapsularisneedlingtpdntrigger point dry needling instruction
Toe Spacers?
Less pain through better mechanics?
I have been using toe separators (like "correct toes" ) for various foot problems like hallux valgus, hammer toes and flexor dominance/extensor weakness.
My reasoning is that through changing the angle of attachment of the muscle, you alter the mechanical advantage of that muscle and help it to work more efficiently. Think . . .
A QL screen for you...
As I have said in previous posts, though they can’t act independently I like to think to think of the QL as having two divisions. The lower division arises from the medial portion of the iliac crest and adjacent iliolumbar ligament and inserts onto the transverse processes of the lumbar vertebrae, in the coronal plane from . . .
Posted in: clinical testcoronalgaitlumborumplanequadrates lumborumquadratusquadratus lumborumscreenstabilizer
Things often work better in pairs...
The glutes and your....feet?
You may have heard me talk about how the lower kinetic chain is connected, how ankle rocker effects hip extension and how important hallux (great toe) extension is.
What can we conclude from this study?
- toe spreading exercises are important for reducing navicular drop (and thus mid foot pronation, at least . . .
Posted in: ankle rockerbrevisdorsiflexiondysfunctionextensorextensor digitorum longusextensor hallucis brevisflexorflexor digitorum longusgluteus maximusgluteus mediusgluteus minimushallicishallucishamstringhiphip extensorhip flexoriliacusintrinsicsit bandpsoasrehab
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