The masseter muscle is located at the angle of your jaw. As you clench your jaw you can feel this muscle contract. it’s primary action is to close the jaw but can also contribute to retracting (pulling the jaw backwards) the jaw. Pain can refer to the ear, TMJ, over the eye and into the…
If you’re dealing with back pain, even simple tasks can feel uncomfortable. Something as routine as brushing your teeth can suddenly become a challenge. Many people notice their lower back pain increases when they lean over the sink. If brushing your teeth, plucking your eyebrows, or shaving causes discomfort, try adjusting how you move. If…
The deltoid muscle, capping the shoulder joint, is made up of three parts. There is an anterior (front) part, lateral (middle) part and posterior (back) part. It is used in all forms of movement of the shoulder Action of the deltoid The anterior deltoid flexes the shoulder forward while the posterior deltoid extends the shoulder. The…
Movement is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. Sadly, many of my low back pain patients are suffering with adisc injury because they sit for long periods of time. For these patients I often recommend they move more, get out of their seat more, going for walks, performing back bends, etc. To keep them…
About the infraspinatus The infraspinatus muscle is one of 4 muscles that make of the rotator cuff muscles. It aids with external rotation of the shoulder (turning the front of the arm out to the side), horizontal abduction (moving the arm away from the body when the arm is out in front of you), and…
To prepare your body for more vigorous activity a warmup is necessary. Performance improves with a proper warm up. I find as I get older a more thorough warm up is needed. So what is a good warm up? Start with a simple activity like walking, jogging, rowing, cycling to get the blood flowing. Work…
The teres minor muscle is one of 4 muscles that make of the rotator cuff muscles. It aids in stabilizing the shoulder joint and externally rotating the shoulder outwards Often when this is a problem you will experience discomfort in the back of the shoulder. Reaching up and backwards can aggravate your symptoms. This muscle…
The supraspinatus muscle is one of 4 muscles that make of the rotator cuff muscles. It aids in abducting the arm along with the deltoid and trapezius. The supraspinatus also pulls the humerus into the shoulder aiding in stabilizing the shoulder joint. It is responsible for preventing the shoulder from displacing downwards and is active…
The shoulder blades or scapulae have muscles that extend to the neck, thoracic spine, ribs and shoulder. The shoulder blades, therefore, can influence these other regions. Having control/mobility over the scapula would thus be a potential area to work on if you are having problems in these other areas. I often have my athletes and…
“Nonspecific LBP represents about 85% of LBP patients seen in primary care. About 10% will go on to develop chronic, disabling LBP. It is this group of LBP that uses the majority of healthcare and socioeconomic costs.” Most of the studies concerned about the therapeutic effects of SM investigated these effects only for a short…
