Guillain–Barré syndrome (GBS) is a neurological disorder which leads to a rapid onset of muscle weakness caused by the immune system damaging the peripheral nervous system. The first symptoms of GBS are numbness, tingling, and pain, either on their own or in combination. The weakness can take from half a day to over two weeks to reach maximum severity, and then becomes steady. The underlying mechanism involves an autoimmune disorder in which the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks the peripheral nerves and damages their myelin insulation, thus impairing nerve conduction
An interesting critical review on core stability has drawn my attention lately.The myth of core stability is a critical review written by the Osteopath and Physiotherapist Eyal Lederman specialised in functional neuromuscular rehabilitation and functional stretching.
As we live longer and tend to have a sedentary life our body starts to lose muscle strength. Lack of exercise makes us weaker and more prone to injury. I came across a review article by MD Frank Myer about the benefits and effects of strength training in the elderly. It seems that strength training is effective in increasing bone density, thus reducing the risks of recurring fractures, and reducing symptoms of fibromyalgia in an elderly population. Of 1500 published articles written between 2005 and 2010 only 33 were included in the review.
One of the targets of manual therapies is to treat dysfunction of the body by working the fascia. In the previous post I wrote about fascia, I discussed its properties and its relation to muscles and organs.
Scoliosis is a medical condition in which the vertebral column (spine) of a person is bent in an unnatural shape. It usually develops during adolescence and it is more present in females rather than males.
This is my story
I am a 40 year old osteopath – personal trainer – sport & deep tissue massage therapist. I used to be a dancer for over 10 years teaching classes in many gyms and enjoying an active lifestyle. Despite never having undertaken intensive weight training, in 2010 I was diagnosed with bilateral hip osteoarthritis.
Physical rehabilitation is a therapeutic program designed to assist people who have suffered an accident, traumas or injuries.
It is a step-by-step process toward recovery. The main goal of the program is to give the patient physical independence in order to carry on with his/her daily life activities. The other goal is to address and reduce the physical limitations and compensation mechanisms caused by the accident, traumas or injuries.
Fascia is a band or a sheet of fibrous tissue that encompasses the entirety of the body. All muscles, organs and even bones are covered by it (the fascia of the bones is actually called periosteum and is slightly different on a cellular level to the fascia covering the muscles and inner organs). Its ability to stretch and move without restriction allows our body to perform fluid movements in all directions. If we can run, jump, swim, dance and do squats at the gym it is because fascia allows our muscles to flex and bones to move. When the fascia becomes restricted because of trauma and injuries we are impaired in our performance of those movements.
Motion of the body incorporates the individual biomechanical properties of soft and hard tissues and kinematic aspects of the individual articulations into complicated movement processes.
The human gait is a good example of this integration. It can be described as a controlled falling with propulsion movement. The energy used for the gait is distributed over many muscles groups of the body.
