Nicole Drummond, RMT

Have you noticed a sudden, profound muscular fatigue that sets in after only a short period of activity? This is typically due to nerve entrapment affecting those specific muscles. When entrapped, it's almost like those muscles are breathing through a straw -- perhaps enough air when at rest, but very quickly not enough when you start using the muscles.

Flip-flops are famously rough on the body and it's NOT just because they lack support. They encourage flexion of the toes (to hold the shoe to your foot) at a time in gait when you should be EXTENDING the toes. The result is compensation throughout the body, especially the neck.

There's a ligament in the shoulder that commonly adheres to the biceps tendon creating pain and restriction. It's called the coracohumeral ligament. Adhesion here can also impact shoulder mechanics leading to impingement.

The latissimus dorsi muscle has a little pouch at the superior edge that the shoulder blade sits in. This spot is a common area for restriction and spasm. When a problem, it limits the ability of the shoulder blade to rotate and elevate, limiting overhead motion.

Having a functional transversus abdominis muscle (TVA) is key to prevention of back pain. However, the TVA is meant to work automatically, not just when you pull in your belly button. Training it that way doesn't improve its automaticity. For that, improve posture and breathing.

Very interesting!!

There exists, way in the back of your hard palate, a small but consequential little muscle known as the tensor veli palatini. Among it's jobs is opening the eustachian tube. I have found release of this muscle to be wonderfully effective in dealing with all sorts of middle and inner ear problems: ear infections, vertigo, pressure from congestion, hearing loss and more. I had a case once where a client came in with a severe ear infection. Releasing this muscle resulted in an audible hissing sound as the pressure equalized, relieving roughly 75% of her pain along with it. It's not the easiest thing in the world to get to, but it can be done, and you can even do it yourself. With your index finger, slide back on either side of the roof of your mouth (you have a tensor veli palatini on both sides) until you feel a little spiny prominence. Now slide from there a little bit towards the midline of the mouth. This will land you right on the muscle. Massage it with your finger tip as needed. Try it!

Thoracic outlet syndrome is a group of disorders that occur when blood vessels and/or nerves become compressed between the clavicle and the first rib. Symptoms can include aches or pains of the arm, hand, or neck, numbness or tingling in the arm or hand, grip weakness, discoloration of the hand, severe arm fatigue with activity, cold fingers, hands or arms, or a weak/absent pulse in the affected arm. If this sounds like you, here are some good exercises to get you started. https://bdme.ch/9l1Q

Do you notice your jaw shifting to one side when you open/close you mouth? How about clicking of the TMJ? That lateral pterygoid may be part of your issue. Your jaw will typically shift AWAY from the problem side. Here's a good video on how to release it yourself. https://bdme.ch/9j_7

Stiff hips are one of the leading causes of osteoarthritis of the knee. If you want to protect your knees, target your hips. Here are some good hip mobility exercises to get you started. https://bdme.ch/9fbX

There ARE benefits to foam-rolling. Releasing your IT bands isn't really one of them. IT bands generally tighten because of a loss of frontal plane support (left/right movements), mostly from the ankle and/or hips. You address that instability and the ITB's relax instantaneously. No abuse necessary.

A common contributor to rounded shoulders is tightness of the pec minor muscles. The tightness can happen for any number of reasons, including muscle inhibition. When the pec minor is inhibited BILATERALLY, there's often a central cause affecting both. One I find frequently is restriction or over-stimulation of the interclavicular ligament, a ligament at the top of the manubrium that connects both clavicles. Self-massage of the area can help re-activate the muscles.