Subacromial Bursitis and Shoulder Pain Subacromial Bursitis is just one of the many conditions that can cause shoulder pain. The shoulder complex is no doubt the most complicated set of joint structures within the body. Hence, no wonder there is such a wide variety of conditions that impact shoulder mobility. The human body makes various tradeoffs, including mobility over stability. Shoulders are highly mobile yet at the cost of a wide range of joints and supportive structures. Although there are many types of Bursitis, the subacromial bursa of the shoulder is one of the most common. The bursa is a small fluid-filled cushion, which reduces friction between bones and other tissues. Bursae can become inflamed for many reasons, resulting in pain and reduced mobility. It is also easy to further irritate an inflamed bursa, especially in the shoulder. Hence, the condition can easily become chronic if left or if the wrong treatment strategy is applied. The full article on  Subacromial Bur...

Chronic Pain and Treatment  Chronic Pain can arise for many reasons and is not fully understood. Many types of injury can become chronic in that symptoms persist for longer than three months and sometimes years. In most cases, tissues heal as "normal" after trauma, and we are not likely to notice the subtle changes an injury may create. After all, tissue healing is a repair and not new or regenerated tissue, equivalent to the original uninjured tissue. However, the body and other tissues naturally adapt to these changes. Tissues can only correctly heal if they have the right healing environment, including protection from further injury. It is relatively easy for conditions to worsen and become chronic if a healing environment does not exist. Trauma can impact many tissues and structures, and one area can affect others (biotensegrity). Although one area may heal, it may not function as well as it should, affecting the healing of other regions. Although the human body is extrem...

Bursitis Pain Treatment Bursitis is an MSK condition involving the inflammation of a bursa and named after the involved bursa, such as Trochanteric Bursitis affecting the hip. Bursae exist throughout the body and near joint structures and cushion or reduce the friction between tissues and structures during movement. There are many reasons why a bursa and the surrounding tissues can become inflamed and painful. Once inflamed, it is easy to irritate tissues further, leading to more inflammation, pain and restricted movement. Besides the hip, Subacromial Bursitis of the shoulder is extremely common. Bursitis can resolve quickly enough with the right MSK treatment strategy, though it can easily become chronic if left. The full article about Bursitis pain explains more about the anatomy, possible causes, symptoms and treatment options. Bursitis Pain - an MSK Therapy Perspective . The information on this page was written by Terry Davis MChiro, GradCertMentHlth, BSc. (Hons), Adv. Dip. Re...

Massage Stick - Muscle Roller Stick Self-Myofascial Release - Quadriceps Although self-myofascial release (SMR) techniques can make a great addition to one self-maintenance routine, they will never replace a trained professional. SMR tools work in different ways according to design and how one uses them. One such tool is a massage stick or muscle roller stick. There are limitations on what one can achieve in a self-treatment context, partially due to applying tools. One can get the best results by using the right tool in the proper context and not expecting one tool to do everything. Even a combination of tools will not treat everything due to the limitations mentioned. The full article on Myofascial release using a Massage Stick / Muscle Roller Stick covers using such a tool to treat the quadriceps muscles in a self-treatment context. The information on this page was written by Terry Davis MChiro, GradCertMentHlth, BSc. (Hons), Adv. Dip. Rem. Massag., Cert. WHS. TotalMSK Clinic...

Treating the legs with self myofascial release (SMR) tools - a myotherapist's perspective Self-myofascial release (SMR) has grown hugely in popularity and partly due to social media. Just as there are many forms of myofascial release (MFR), there is a huge variety of myofascial release tools on the market. As with most tools, each tool has a specific purpose by design. Equally, it is possible to use particular tools in different ways to achieve different intended outcomes. Professionals using soft-tissue therapy techniques, including (MFR) have historically used specific parts of the body to perform techniques on patients/clients. The development of many SMR tools came about by professionals looking to reduce loads and wear and tear on their bodies. However, the market for such tools within the professional therapist field is relatively small compared to the entire population. Hence, it is essential to understand the origins of such tools and the knowledge base behind their use and...

Proprioceptive foot and ankle rehabilitation Ankle injuries can cause a multitude of other problems later. Even seemingly minor ankle injuries can have an impact on proprioception (a kind of human GPS). The human GPS has particular relevance to the placement of the foot and ankle when walking or more involved activities like running and jumping. As the ankles are weight-bearing joints, how the foot plants when moving is critical to injury avoidance and sure footing. Ankle injuries can effectively mean that the human GPS needs recalibrating post-injury. Proprioceptive ankle rehabilitation is a good way of recalibrating the human GPS. However, before embarking on any form of self-treatment or rehabilitation, one should seek professional guidance in the first instance. There are occasions where it may not be safe or contraindicated for one to embark on self-treatment, and equally, there may be underlying issues that require treatment first. The full article on proprioceptive rehabilitatio...

Finding a good, ethical, MSK professional Finding a good, ethical, and morale musculoskeletal professional or therapist can prove challenging. There is a vast area of therapists working within the musculoskeletal field of health, often with vastly differing training, education and experience. Although areas of the Musculoskeletal (MSK) field are regulated, and professional associations offer a form of voluntary regulation, virtually anybody can set themselves up to work with the general public. The author has worked in the Musculoskeletal (MSK) health sector for over fifteen years and is aware of some unethical and dubious practices at play within the field. Some of those practices have related to individuals operating within regulated areas, under voluntary regulation or practitioners with no form of regulation. The author wrote this article for several reasons and in part to help patients make better-informed decisions regarding the behaviours, characteristics, training and education...