The capacity of fascia to soften or harden in response to mechanical stimuli has attracted new research interest. For example, isometric stretching could alter the water content of fascia and can have an impact on the viscoelasticity of tissues. It was hypothesised that a healthy ground substance in fascia contains abundant proportion of water “bound” to glycosaminoglycan (GAG).
The effectiveness of manual therapy is a combination of a therapist’s technical skill, verbal and non-verbal communication, trust, and a sense of empathy. These factors can influence a patient’s pain resolution and therapeutic outcomes. A clinical ritual usually involves history taking and physical assessment. A study by a group of physical therapists from the US
Forward head posture (FHP) is a common posture on the neck which can be found almost everywhere in the modern world. Traditionally, forward head posture is believed to lead to neck pain; however, this view has been challenged in recent years. Another belief is that all posture is normal, and human has adapted to various
There is a debate on the role of posture on musculoskeletal health. The conventional view is that normal posture with straight cervical spine alignment is important for maintaining efficiency and pain-free movement while another view is that all postures are normal. Posture can also affect cervical sensorimotor control and the functioning of the autonomic nervous
We usually assume that people with chronic neck or back pain will exhibit increased stiffness on related muscles. Manual therapists working with people with chronic neck pain will try to “loosen” those tight neck and shoulder muscles. Recently there is also another view that pain is not be related to muscle stiffness. For example, some
We usually assume that people with chronic neck pain will exhibit increased stiffness of their neck muscles. Manual therapists working with people with chronic neck pain tend to work on loosening those tight neck and shoulder muscles. Recently there is also another view that neck pain may not be related to muscle stiffness. While some
Scar forms quickly after an injury. This rapid formation of fibrotic tissue to patch wounds is a key to our survival, scars prevent infection and bleeding. But in some cases of deep wound, abnormal scarring can occur which can create non-healing chronic wounds or fibrosis. In a study published in the Nature, researchers from Helmholtz
Tensor fascia latae (TFL) muscle is often implicated in many musculoskeletal disorders of the lower limbs TFL is attached to the ITB, and it has been suggested that dysfunction of TFL could increase hip internal rotation, increased ITB tension, and inhibition leading to a weakening of gluteal muscles. These conditions could result in suboptimal patellofemoral
Chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS) shows pelvic pain with common symptoms on the anterior abdominal wall, and the lumbosacral back or the buttocks. It is multifactorial pain disorder which could be due to structural and functional muscular abnormalities, dysfunctional pain systems, and psychological distress. Myofascial Therapy on the pelvic floor is commonly applied to improving
Muscle strain is one of the most common musculoskeletal injuries in sports athletes. Skeletal muscles and their tendons are not the only structures transmitting and bearing loads. Fascia has been demonstrated to have a role in force transmission with a close connection to the muscles. It is commonly assumed that strains in the soft tissue
