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Healthy Nerves, Healthy Body

9/21/2015

9 Comments

 
Central Nervous System
Do you know what it takes to have healthy nerves? 
Our nervous system is comprised of 3 parts:
  • The central nervous system: brain and spinal cord.
  • The peripheral nervous system: nerves that exit the spinal cord and go to the head, torso and extremities.
  • The autonomic nervous system: responsible for control of the bodily functions not consciously directed, such as breathing, digestion, etc.
The brain, spinal cord and nerves are protected and encased in connective tissue. There are 3 membranes that line the skull and vertebral canal and enclose the brain and spinal cord.  These layers are called the meninges: pia mater, arachnoid mater and dura mater.
Dura surrounding the brain
The falx cerebri and the tentorium cerebelli are folds of the dura mater that separate the hemispheres and the cerebellum.
Dural Tube
The dura mater surrounding the spinal cord. The dura mater is the outer most layer and is the strongest of the membranes.
The filum terminale
The end of the spinal cord comes to a cone and then a fine strand (the filum terminale) attaches to the coccyx.
The outermost membrane, the dura mater extends from the base of the skull to the sacrum and coccyx.  The dura is attached to the lining of the base of the skull and the upper cervical vertebra. Through the remainder of the vertebral canal, the dura does not attach to the vertebra until the end of the dural sac at the second sacral vertebrae. Extensions of the dura surround the nerve roots and continue into the connective tissue coverings of the spinal nerves.  So this tube that protects the brain, spinal cord and the spinal nerves is pretty important!  In order to have healthy dura and healthy nerves we need proper movement, hydration, nutrition and sleep to keep the connective tissue vital.  A lot of our days are full of stress, spent in static positions that lead to neck or sacral compression (sitting at the computer, driving in the car) or repetitive movements that can stress and dehydrate the tissues.  Try these movements to keep your nervous system healthy.

Exercises To Mobilize Your Nervous System

Susan McLaughlin is a physical therapist who specializes in the management of pelvic floor and orthopedic dysfunctions. She is the owner of ALIGN integration|movement in Salt Lake City, UT.  Helpful tips and other self care strategies can be found at www.alignforhealth.com.
9 Comments

Healthy Hands, Wrists, Elbows and Shoulders

5/15/2015

2 Comments

 
Self Myofascial Release of Forearm
There are many muscles that make up the forearm. The pic on the left is the superficial layer of the back of the forearm. The pic on the right shows the deep layer of muscles on the back of the forearm.
Did you know that there are 20 muscles within the small real estate of the forearm?  That's a lot of muscle packed into a little space. The forearm is divided into 2 compartments: anterior (front) and posterior (back). Generally the anterior compartment (8 muscles) flexes the fingers, the wrist, and pronates the forearm. Pronation is the internal rotation of the forearm resulting in the palm moving down or back. The posterior compartment (12 muscles) generally extends the wrist and fingers, and supinates the forearm. Supination is the external rotation of the forearm resulting in the palm moving up or forward. 
Think of all of our daily tasks, sports and workouts that require forearm activation: computing, gripping, holding, lifting, turning. pulling, pushing, reaching overhead, etc.  
Repetitive movements and forearm tension can lead to stuck tissues, decreased blood flow and less motion to the fingers, wrists, elbows, and even the shoulder. Eventually, this may lead to pain....
Do yourself a favor and spend some time to improve the health of the tissues in the forearm, and feel good while you are at it!
Below I share with you a self release to the forearm using 2 rubber balls, and a couple simple exercises to improve the mobility of the shoulder and shoulder girdle.

Myofascial release of the forearm


Exercises for shoulder mobility

Susan McLaughlin is a physical therapist who specializes in the management of pelvic floor and orthopedic dysfunctions. She is the owner of ALIGN integration|movement in Salt Lake City, UT.  Helpful tips and other self care strategies can be found at www.alignforhealth.com.
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Exercises For Computer Posture 

1/12/2015

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Computer Posture Exercises
A common computer position
Computer posture:
  • Forward head 
  • Upper cervical extension
  • Round (internally rotated and forward) shoulders
  • Hyperkyphosis of the thoracic spine
  • Flexion of the lumbar spine
  • Tucked pelvis
  • Stiffness in the entire  body from long-term sitting

Does this look familiar?  Look around your office...  Let's face it, it is prevalent, and we all do it to some extent. Hopefully you know that this position over time is hazardous to your health.... Just say "no".  This post is dedicated to beating the slump: 2 exercises to de-slouch the spine, and free up the neck, arm and shoulder girdle.
STEP 1:  Get some stimulus to the lats and the muscles between the shoulder blades.  As the arms have moved forward to type on the keyboard, these muscles are now resting in a lengthened position.  This active shoulder girdle stretch takes the muscles into more of a stretch, just like a sling shot, so they can contract back into resting position.

STEP 2:  Stretch the neck and arm.  Lengthen the tissues in the entire arm and neck by holding onto a door jam and leaning away.  This provides a traction stimulus to the wrist and shoulder, which is a wonderful reprieve after sitting hunched in a ball at the computer.

STEP 3:  Get up out of your chair every 30 minutes.  Walk to the water cooler, stretch your arms to the ceiling, stretch your legs, something simple before sitting down again. 

Susan McLaughlin is a physical therapist who specializes in the management of pelvic floor and orthopedic dysfunctions. She is the owner of ALIGN integration|movement in Salt Lake City, UT.  Helpful tips and other self care strategies can be found at www.alignintegrationandmovement.com.
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Improve Neck Mobility and Stiffness Within Seconds

11/9/2014

20 Comments

 
We have all been there... the debilitating stiff neck that occurs after:
  • Waking up in the morning and somehow in the middle of the night you "tweaked" your neck.
  • Long hours sitting cramming for finals or finishing a big project in front of the computer.
  • An intense workout of pull ups, lifting overhead, etc.
  • Not so roomy airplane seats and carrying luggage around the airport.

In times like these you feel that you are never going to be able to turn your head without pain again..... Until now.  Here  is a quick trick to get more rotation motion in your neck.  

  • Assess your neck motion, rotate your head to the right and to the left.  Find a landmark in your field of vision at the end range to mark your initial motion.  Also notice the quality of motion: is it painful and tight? where do you feel the pulling?:
Improve neck mobility
Assessing neck range of motion
Neck mobility

  • Cross your arms out in front of you like "I dream of Genie".  To gain right rotation at shown in this example, you are going to rotate your trunk to the left.  Make sure to keep your head and eye gaze facing forward.  Keep your pelvis steady as you rotate your trunk to the left 10-15 times.
Treatment for neck pain
Treatment for neck stiffness

  • Now reassess your motion.  Rotate your head to the right and notice if you gained more motion.  Notice if it feels differently than before.  99.9 % of the time you will gain more motion and it will feel better.  Repeat this process for left neck rotation by moving your trunk to the right.
Treatment for neck pain
Treatment for neck stiffness
This is a simple and effective strategy to improve neck range of motion within seconds.  Whether you are in pain, or just have a stiff neck, use this exercise often for ongoing benefit!
Susan McLaughlin is a physical therapist who specializes in the management of pelvic floor and orthopedic dysfunctions. She is the owner of ALIGN integration|movement in Salt Lake City, UT.  Helpful tips and other self care strategies can be found at www.alignintegrationandmovement.com.
20 Comments

Relieve Upper Back Tension

3/4/2014

16 Comments

 
Below is a video sequence to address spinal mobility and upper back tension.  Before you begin, lie on your back with your legs out straight.  Notice the contact of the back of your legs, your low back, lower ribs and shoulder blades to the floor. After you complete the sequence, lie on the floor again and notice the change of your muscles and your connection with the floor.  Enjoy!
Susan McLaughlin is a physical therapist who specializes in the management of pelvic floor and orthopedic dysfunctions. She is the owner of ALIGN integration|movement in Salt Lake City, UT.  Helpful tips and other self care strategies can be found at www.alignintegrationandmovement.com.
16 Comments

A Simple Solution for Rounded Shoulders

11/11/2013

9 Comments

 
PicturePectoralis Minor on the left. Pectoralis Major on the right.
Almost a year ago I wrote about the pectoralis minor's referral pattern into the shoulder blade and shared a lovely release using a tennis ball (you can read about that here).  I am back at it again with another post highlighting the pectoralis minor and pectoralis major.  Due to the location of their attachment sites on the skeleton, they can affect the function of the head, neck, shoulder and arm.
Pectoralis Minor attaches to the coracoid process of the scapula  and to the outer surfaces of the third, fourth and fifth ribs. Restriction here can pull the shoulder blade forward (you will see the bottom/inferior portion of your shoulder blade lift away from your body wall), potentially bringing the entire arm with it).
Pectoralis Major is a big fan shaped muscle that is attached to the chest at the sternum (breast bone) and clavicle (collar bone) .  The fan shaped fibers coverge at the arm and attach into the bicipital groove of the humerus.  Restriction in this muscle will pull the arm in front of the body and rotate your arm into internal rotation (with your arms at rest at your sides, look in the mirror: where are your elbow creases facing?  If they are turned toward your body, that is called internal rotation.  In neutral, the arms should rest at the sides of the body with the elbow creases facing forward).

Just get it off your chest and feel more free!

Before you begin with the exercises, do a motion assessment first.  Stand with your elbow creases and palms facing forward.  Lift your arms up and see how far you can lift without arching your back or letting your lower ribs lift away from your body wall.  Complete the movements as show below and then repeat the assessment.  For the first exercise you can use a tennis ball, but I prefer the high grip rubber of the Yoga Tune Up massage balls.
Picture
Place the ball at the groove, just under the clavicle.
pectoral release with a tennis ball at the wall
Lean into the wall. You can add more pressure by shifting your weight forward into a lunge. Find a tender spot and allow your muscles to release. Come down farther onto the ribs and find another spot. Work 2-3 minutes.
sidelying thoracic mobility
Lie down on your side. You may want to have a pillow under your head. Bend your hips and knees to 90 degrees, arms straight out from your shoulder.
Sidelying arm reach
Lie down on your side, bring your hip and knee to 90 degrees. Let your leg completely rest on the ground. Reach your left arm to the ceiling stretching your shoulder blades wide, then begin to reach toward your face/over your head. Then begin to sweep your arm in an arc of motion keeping your palm and elbow toward the ceiling from your head down to your side.
Sidelying pectoral stretch
Keeping your knees stacked on top of each other, begin to open up your chest by reaching your top arm toward the floor. The driver of this movement is thoracic rotation. Try to increase the motion by using your breath to get deeper. Take a breath into your ribcage and on the exhale try to get your shoulder closer to the floor. Repeat on other side. Hold for 1-2 minutes or until tolerable.
Sidelying pectoral stretch windmill
Once your arm gets to your side, turn the palm down sweeping back up in an arc of motion toward your face. You will complete a full 360 degree circle. Repeat the process 5-10 times on each side.

Reassess your arm motion:  Hopefully you have more freedom in your movement!

Susan McLaughlin is a physical therapist who specializes in the management of pelvic floor and orthopedic dysfunctions. She is the owner of ALIGN integration|movement in Salt Lake City, UT.  Helpful tips and other self care strategies can be found at www.alignintegrationandmovement.com.
9 Comments

The New Science of Self-Empowerment: Epigenetics

5/22/2012

7 Comments

 
Picture
I have been reading The Biology of Belief by Bruce Lipton.  Last night's chapter title: “It’s the environment, stupid” really struck a cord with my current consciousness on a physical, mental, spiritual and emotional level.  

Lipton is a cellular biologist and as a researcher has examined the mechanisms by which cells receive and process information.  He writes, “When I provided a healthy environment for my cells they thrived; when the environment was less than optimal, the cells faltered.  When I adjusted the environment, these ‘sick’ cells revitalized.”

He goes on to share how scientists started to veer from the environment model after Watson and Crick‘s revelation of DNA’s genetic code.  Genetic determinism has since become the belief of our modern culture: genes determine biology.  

Succumbing to the hypothesis that genes control our lives, we have an “excuse” to become victims of heredity.
Today’s diseases, like heart disease, diabetes, arthritis and cancer are not the result of a single gene, but a complex interaction of many genes and environmental factors.

The latest scientific research has debunked the hypothesis of gene control to show that “when a gene product is needed, a signal from its environment, not the emergent property of the gene itself activates the expression of that gene.” The birth of epigenetics (control above genetics) is the forefront of science.  What we now know is that "the DNA blueprints passed down through genes are not set in concrete at birth.  Environmental influences, including nutrition, stress and emotions can modify those genes."

The question I have asked myself is:  How can I create an environment within my being to allow my cells to be vital and healthy?

In my own personal quest, in the last two years I have directed my focus on creating an optimal environment for my wellbeing through alignment principles.  Consistent practice of alignment, and observation of my movement habits has lain the foundation for me to be more efficient in the use of my muscles and joints, to the lovely benefit of getting out of chronic low back and sacroiliac pain.

Here are some suggestions to optimize your environment:
  • Stand more and sit less
  • Get adequate sleep
  • Hydrate: At least 8 glasses of water
  • Notice your habits: change those that aren't serving you and continue the habits that enhance
  • Get nutrition
  • Avoid alcohol, caffeine and processed foods
  • Meditate
  • Walk
  • Laugh
  • Attend my Restorative Exercise class
In Restorative classes this week our focus is on the shoulder girdle. Here is an alignment tidbit from class:  What is the relationship of the motion of your forearm and your entire arm?  When our arms are resting at our sides, the elbow pits should be facing forward.  Are yours?  We should be able to maintain the position of said elbow pit as we move our forearm so the palm is facing down (this is called pronation).  Did you notice that your elbow pit moved?

Try this: hold arm so your elbow pit is facing the ceiling, pronate your forearm.  How far can you go?

Picture
Starting position: elbow pit and palm up. The arm is in neutral.
Forearm range of motion
Elbow pit in same position. Pronation of forearm. Can you see that I don't have full motion? Due to the tightness of my muscles, I can't get my wrist parallel with the floor. The tension in my forearm can pull my whole arm into internal rotation.
Picture
This picture is taken after my Restorative Exercise class. Now I am able to fully pronate and get my wrist parallel! I love this stuff! Now to maintain it.....
Susan McLaughlin is a physical therapist who specializes in the management of pelvic floor and orthopedic dysfunctions. She is the owner of ALIGN integration|movement in Salt Lake City, UT.  Helpful tips and other self care strategies can be found at www.alignintegrationandmovement.com.
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Contact:  Susan McLaughlin, PT 801.859.4142
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