Category: Articles

The Effect of Massage Therapy on Blood Pressure in Prehypertensive Women

Prehypertension, also known as high normal blood pressure, is a condition when a person’s blood pressure is elevated above ideal normal, but not to the level considered hypertension. Lowering the risk of prehypertension developing into hypertension is therefore essential. Massage therapy has been suggested as a treatment to control blood pressure. A study from University

The Effect of Fascia-ReleaZer on Biomechanical and Related Changes in Breakdancers

A self massage device called Fascia-ReleaZer® (FR) was developed for treating myofascial tissue. FR is unique in that it combines a number of features—vibrational oscillation, form edges for leverage, and a vibro-shearing effect. This is unlike foam rolling where the roller is pressed against muscles A randomized controlled trial was conducted to examine the practicality

How To Handle Emotional Release, Q&A with Art Riggs

DEAR ART, I’m taking an advanced continuing education class and the instructors are trying hard to elicit a strong emotional release when demonstrating on models. This upsets me. I feel this is unethical and potentially harmful, and it conflicts with my previous training. What is your opinion? —FRANK DEAR FRANK, I can empathize with your

Pain & Relationships with Your Client

Pain & Relationships with Your Client by Art Riggs A few years ago, Tom Myers wrote an interesting article about pain in which he focused upon the subjective qualities of discomfort that our clients experience in bodywork.  I particularly liked Tom’s metaphor of three kinds of pain: – Pain entering the body—from injury or other

Joe Muscolino on the rediscovery of Interstitium

A new study by researchers from NYU School of Medicine reveals, what we already know, that there is a zone of tissue known as the interstitium that is composed of layers of interconnected, fluid-filled compartments, below the skin’s surface, which surrounds musculature, vessels, and nerves, and lines the digestive tract, lungs, and urinary system. The

Insterstitium, the rediscovery of the connective tissue system of the body

A new study by researchers from NYU School of Medicine pathologist reveals, what we already know, that there are layers of interconnected, fluid-filled compartments  below the skin’s surface, which line the digestive tract, lungs and urinary systems, and surrounding arteries, veins, and surround the muscle. A meshwork of strong (collagen) and flexible (elastin) connective tissue

Texting and Neck Pain… and Neck Dysfunction

The point is, digital devices are not the enemy, it is the tremendous amount of time that we spend in the forward flexed poor craniocervical (head/neck) posture using them that is the enemy! In a previous article, we discussed how we should not draw a conclusion from a survey taken from a snapshot in time

Does Text Neck Exist?

“Text neck” is defined as neck pain caused by the flexed/forward head posture during texting (or reading) on a smart phone. Following are some statements that ostensibly seem to refute the existence of text neck. My Soapbox Speech Comments… When Terra Rosa in Australia asked me if I would like to address this article, I