What Specifically is wrong with you?

My name is Jacqui Yates and I’m a Remedial Massage therapist. Before seeing working on my clients i often ask myself what specifically is wrong with them. Often without realizing my clients find themselves in front of a computer for long periods of time. The effect of poor at desk posture and long periods of time in front of a computer screen can create pain within muscles and joints. As part of my Remedial Massage treatments I conduct functional movement assessments (FMA) these help me to identify specific muscle imbalances within the body and help me to create a treatment plan based on the results. From conducting these FMA’s I have discovered that my clients gain a better understanding about what is specifically wrong with them. For example “Neck Pain” may specially be related to tension held with the arms, jaw or mid back
Posture, Posture, Posture. It’s something that I talk about all day everyday with clients. I believe posture to be so important and therefore I include it in each and every FMA that I do and I will always spend 1-2min discussing with clients how they rate compared to the average person

Trapezius Muscle, Mr T-man

Mr. T-Man is Mr. Trapezius muscle. He is a big beefy muscle on your back. He is a muscles’ Super Hero, he is shaped like a kite on your back and if he could he would fly high in the sky. He spends his whole day moving your shoulders around, keeping your head in position and moving your head from side to side.

Your exercise activity

Wall posture exercise, 1min once a day for 7 days. Take a before and after photo for a bit of fun. Get a friend or stand facing a mirror to take two photos of you one facing forward and one facing side on.
We would love to see your before and after pictures. Send them via email jacqui@totalremedialtherapy.com.au or post them to our Facebook page facebook.com/trtherapy

The 20 Year Headache, a Successful Nasty Mini Arni Campaign

One of my clients is 40 years old. She is an office manager in charge of 30 staff. She has been dedicated to progressing her career ever since she began working in administration in her early 20’s. Her staff at work know that she is plagued by headaches. Because of the headaches she has become absolute pillow connoisseur. Like a food connoisseur that competes and believes passionately in pursuit of good food on Master Chef, she also believes and pursuits the best pillow. She dreams that she will find relief from her headaches by finding the “right” pillow. The headaches become so bad that every couple of months she awakes unable to move her neck and rendered unable to work….
Before we continue I have one question, “Do you grind your teeth?”
“Yes” I reply.
“Is it painful when I press here?”
I nearly jump off the couch and my head lurches in the opposite direction to which the therapist is pressing.
“Extremely painful!” Pause. “I had no idea that it was painful there.”
The therapist explains that the Masseter is the strongest muscle in the body and that this little muscle has been campaigning against her own body for many years

Seeking Help

A client suffering from neck pain sees her doctor who checks her bone structures and assesses the soft tissue. He rules out damage to the boney structures. He refers her to a remedial therapist that will conduct a thorough set of assessments with her. He is confident in his referral, as he has been to see the remedial therapist himself. He faxes the same referral to the remedial therapist. The patient doesn’t even need to phone to book the appointment, as the doctor is getting the therapist to call her!
Later that afternoon her phone rings. She explains the trouble that she has been having with her neck.
Functional Movement Assessment
Finger Flexion: Restricted, extremely painful. Left hand pain on top of the hand near the wrist.

Hip Flexor and Adductors

There is a relationship happening between hip flexor and adductor. Lexy Flexy and Addam Add. They both realized that they had special powers together. Addam Add is an immovable force. He can hold anything in place. They realized that they had strong powers when they were young kids together trying to climb a tree. Together working in combination Addam Add would hold the bottom leg stable on one side while Flexy Lexy reached a high notch in the tree with the other leg. Then they would swap positions. Addam Add would stabilize the higher leg while Flexy Lexy brings the lower leg to another higher notch. They summonsed all their strength and persisted in taking turns to stabilize and reach higher.