What is fascia? Fascia is a type of connective tissue found within the body. It is mostly made up of collagen, making it somewhat pliable but also very good at resisting tensile (pulling) forces. The body’s fascial system is continuous throughout the body, connecting your head all the way to your toes! What does fascia do? Fascia is basically the support system for all of the body’s soft tissue structures (muscle, tendon, organ, blood vessels, nerves, etc). For example, fascia envelopes the individual muscles and organs and keeps them where they belong while still allowing for movement. Fascia also plays […]
Have you had your alignment checked lately?
Have you had your alignment checked lately? Usually when you hear this question, the first thing that comes to mind is when the last time you had your car serviced. More importantly is when you last took a look at yourself. For most people, when they think about personal alignment they simply think “posture” – Sitting posture, standing posture – and they acknowledge that they know it could be better. This is probably true for most of us as the demands of our lives force us to assume positions out of convenience, comfort or ease. The truth of the matter […]
Balance needing improvement?
Balance: not what it used to be? Have you noticed that your walking or balance is just a little different than it used to be? Gait is the manner in which a person walks and can tell us a lot about certain strengths, weaknesses, balance impairments, flexibility deficits or other dysfunctions that one should address to prevent falls or other injuries. Balance is the ability to maintain body equilibrium and is made up of the sensory and motor systems. The sensory systems include visual, vestibular and somatosensory systems which help tell your brain where you are in space and then […]
Managing TMJD
TMJD, or temporomandibular joint dysfunction, can be quite the mouthful! An estimated 10 million Americans suffer from TMJD due to hereditary and environmental contributing factors such as posture, hormones, occupation, and stress. Only 5 to 10 percent of those affected seek medical treatment, and on average wait more than 4 years to do so! What can we do? Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction (TMJD): First, let’s get acquainted with the key players: the temporomandibular joint (the TMJ of TMJD) acts like a hinge to connect your jawbone to your skull. Dysfunctions (the D in TMJD) can cause pain in the joint […]
Do Gratitude Activities Increase Mental Wellbeing in Healthy Adults?
Do Gratitude Activities Increase Mental Wellbeing in Healthy Adults? A study by Brianna Munson, PT, DPT My family has a tradition that every year at Thanksgiving we go around the table and share what we are thankful for. My dad was grateful for his current passion for the guitar, my brother for the new Fallout 4 video game and my mom for her upcoming retirement. High on my list was sleep, having just finished my Doctorate in Physical Therapy (DPT). As part of this doctorate I completed a systematic review and meta-analysis exploring the practice of gratitude. My ultimate goal […]
