Just read Christopher McDougall's article in NY Times about barefoot running training. I like the exercise he mentions in the article to train your body to run barefoot better. His general recommendation seems to be that we should be running on our forefeet. I agree with this mechanically but rea
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Training to Run Barefoot
On Nov 13, 2011
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Rehabbing the Shoulder
On Sep 29, 2011
My shoulder and elbow pain book was just mentioned in a nice article in the Denver Post by Linda Buch. I love Linda's holistic approach to her answers. This article answered a question by a gentleman recovering from shoulder surgery (biceps tendon and rotator cuff repaired; bone spur and arthritis
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There's No Miracle in Fixing Chronic Pain
On Sep 21, 2011
I was just working with a gentleman yesterday with chronic pain. During and after our treatment he commented that, "I don't feel the miracle yet". Fixing chronic pain will not be a one-time miracle shot most of the time (although it happens occasionally). This is because fixing chronic pain is not
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Somatics and Chronic Pain
On Aug 11, 2011
Currently I'm attending a fascinating course in Somatics. The heart of Somatics, developed by Dr. Thomas Hanna, lies in the fact that we suffer from Sensory Motor Amnesia (SMA). This essentially means our muscles and brain have forgotten how to work together to optimize muscular function. We must
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Yoga Pose Decreases Rotator Cuff Stress
On Aug 02, 2011
An interesting article in the NY Times mentioned a yoga-practicing physiatrist using a yoga pose to help decrease use of the supraspinatus muscle (the primary muscle implicated in rotator cuff injuries) and increase pain-free range of motion (ROM) of the shoulder. The physiatrist, Dr. Loren Fishman, regularly p
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The Obliques and Back Pain
On Jul 22, 2011
This past year I've been exploring the role of the internal and external obliques in back pain. I believe it's significant. Both sets of muscles work together to flex and rotate our spine. In many people with chronic back pain, these muscles have become chronically contracted on one or both sides.
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Why Is Knee Pain So Hard to Solve?
On Jul 16, 2011
Knee pain is one of the most common problems in athletes and non-athletes. What could be so tough about a simple looking joint like the knee? After all it just bends and straightens right?
The problem with most knee rehabilitation is that it focusses on the knee. Huh? What I mean by this is that
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Toning Shoes
On Jul 13, 2011
I've been asked by many people whether toning shoes, the kind with a rocker-like bottom, work. I never knew what to tell them as the mechanics of these shoes never really made sense according to what I felt should be happening with the feet during walking. But many people love them.
So I was happy to
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Chronic Pain and Habits
On Jul 01, 2011
The more I work with people with chronic pain, the more I realize there is more to treatment than performing the stretching, strengthening, or even movement corrections to fix their pain. What I continually run into are deep-seated motor planning patterns or habits which undo the work we've accom
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Hip Pain and the Feet
On Jun 14, 2011
I've been working with a man who has had a history of chronic back, pelvic, and knee pain. His back would develop a lateral shift every so often to the point where he couldn't stand up straight. The shift, his back, and knee pain have resolved and we are left with his hip pain which has been difficult
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