Talking about the ankle warrants a discussion of the foot as well, since the ankle exists to move the foot. But, you’ll have to tune in to the next newsletter for that story …

If asked to point to your ankle, you’d probably indicate the knobby bumps just above your feet. Anatomically, these are called malleoli (malleolus is singular) and they are simply the bottom part of the lower leg bones. These malleoli function like pulleys allowing muscles in the lower leg to move the foot.The ankle joint itself is the junction of three bones: the bottom of the fibula, the bottom of the tibia (shin bone) and the talus (a foot bone). The joint acts like a hinge – meaning it only moves up and down. The side to side motion you make is really a movement of the foot. Numerous ligaments bind the bones of the leg and foot together while allowing some movement.

By far the most common ankle injury is a sprain, in which a ligament is torn or overstretched. Other conditions in the neighborhood include shin splints and muscle cramps in the calves, both of which can respond well to massage treatment. A ruptured Achilles tendon is extremely painful and debilitating. After surgery and physical therapy, skilled massage can enhance the recovery.

Maintaining or regaining the function of your ankles allows you to safely propel yourself forward up Dog Mountain, take a jump shot, and pick up your (small) kids.

Originally published by Marsha Hansen, LMT in 2/06 newsletter.

The front part of this muscle starts under the skin where your eyebrows are located. It then travels back to the top of the head, blending into a layer of thick connective tissue which then blends into the back (occipital) portion of the muscle. This portion rests at the occipital ridge, the bony part of the skull where the neck starts.

The occipitofrontalis is one of thirty mimetic muscles – muscles that express emotion. Prolonged stress, concentration, or fear can exhaust this muscle.

Tension can set up trigger points which can cause headaches and eye pain. It’s easy to access this muscle to massage it; you probably do it often without even realizing.

In this depiction by Primal Pictures you can see the frontal and occipital bellies, but not the connecting tissue. The muscle belly at the side of the skull is the temporalis muscle.

The gemellus, along with the piriformis, are part of the “deep six”, a group of hip muscles responsible for external rotation. If you can kick a soccer ball with the inside part of your foot it’s because you can externally rotate your hip. Sitting cross legged also requires the strength to externally rotate. (It also requires flexibility in the adductors, another topic.)

Trigger points that develop in the gemellus can be expected to behave like trigger points in the piriformis. Hip pain and a pain in the butt would be common. Lost range of motion (hip rotation) could follow if treatment was incomplete. In order for a massage therapist to access the gemellus, she’ll have to work through the gluteus maximus, a large muscle that lays superfically on top of the deep six.

When performing bicep curls with dumbells you would call the supinator into play as you curl the weights toward your chest. See the position of the palms? They’re supinated. Using a (manual) screwdriver requires strength and stamina in the supinator. Turning some doorknobs require the use of the supinator.

Trigger points in the supinator can be dificult to distinguish from trigger points in other forearm muscles. Pain is felt near the lateral part of the elbow and at the base of the thumb. The thumb may also present with a vague numbness.

Individual rotatore muscles attach the transverse process of one vertebra to the spinous process of another; this gives it a diagonal placement which causes the rotation when the muscle is put to use. The whole group of rotatores are placed from the lumbar to the cervical vetebrae. Along with two other groups of small spinal muscles, they make up the transversospinalis group.

People with very tight or contracted rotatores may appear to have a stiff back with very limited ability to make minute, subtle spinal movements. Trigger points in the rotatores refer pain close to the source; generally a client will describe pain right next to the spine. Often releasing tension in the deep spinal muscles can make chiropractic adjustment easier. Occasionally, a client will have a “spontaneous adjustment” after trigger points are released.

With its two short tendons attaching to the bottom end of the femur (thigh bone), the gastroc allows you to bend (flex) your knee. The long, inferior tendon was made rather famous by stories about a Greek warrior name Achilles. The Achilles tendon (more properly called the calcaneal tendon) crosses the ankle to attach to the heal bone (the calcaneus), allowing you to point your toe, also known as plantar flexion.

Many activities this holiday season may cause overuse in the gastrocs. Walking up stairs and escalators at the mall, inching along in traffic unable to use cruise control, and standing in line at the post office can create conditions that trigger points find attractive. Trigger points in the gastroc usually cause localized pain and pain in the arch of the foot.

Flying long distances can cause calf trouble for people at risk for deep vien throbmosis (DVT). Cramping in the calves can be caused by trigger points, poor circulation, or inadequate nutrition, especially calcium and magnesium.

1. lymph and the lymph system

2. benefits of and contraindications for LDT

3. what to expect during & after a session

The lymph system is a very important component of the immune system. The fluid (lymph fluid) that moves through the system starts from the watery environment outside of tissue cells where cellular waste accumulates. After leaving this area (the interstitial environment), the lymph fluid carries the waste products – including dead cell fragments, proteins, lipids (fats), immune cells, hormones, and junk your body doesn’t use (like food coloring or preservatives) – through a series of vessels.

These vessels gently move the lymph through lymph nodes where the fluid is filtered and concentrated (some of the liquid is reabsorbed by the body). This is also where toxins can be captured and destroyed by the immune cells. The lymph fluid is eventually dumped into the the circulatory system near the heart. From here it is mixed with the blood and circulated to the organs of elimination. You then release the waste products and toxins from your body by urinating, sweating, etc.

When lymph tissues are damaged – by injury, disease, or even some disease treatments (radiation, surgery)- their ability to clear their interstitial areas of waste can be compromised. Cells, in a sense, begin to drown in their own waste which can cause toxicity, edema (swelling), and pain.

LDT helps improve lymph flow by stimulating the lymph vessel contractions. The treatment improves the strength and speed of these contractions. In the next post we’ll look at some of the many, many conditions which can be improved by the use of LDT. Stay tuned…

Contracting the SC on one side will rotate and/or laterally flex (bring ear to shoulder) your neck on that same side. Looking up (extension) requires contraction of both SC simultaneously.

As a neck muscle the splenius capitis is susceptible to injuries such as whiplash. Trauma involving the neck or head can allow trigger points to develop in this muscle. Over or misuse of the muscle (especially related to posture) can also set the stage for trigger points.

Trigger points in the splenius capitis generally refer pain to the top of the head. Headaches of this nature can be relieved if trigger points are causing them and can be deactivated.

Adducting the thumb allows us to enjoy our opposable thumb status. Because of the AP you can use utensils to eat and tools to build. You use this muscle to open jars and doors, throw a Frisbee, text your friends, and hold a brush to paint the house. Overusing, underusing, or injuring the AP can set up trigger points in the muscle.

Trigger points in the AP can refer pain to the base of the thumb, complicating or intensifying pain associated with arthritis. Deactivating the trigger points can reduce the “pain load” carried in the thumb.

Taking 10 or 15 minutes to walk through your neighborhood seems to allow for more natural neck movements than deliberately stretching. Rotate your head head to look at houses and safely cross the street; flex to admire new blooms or the dog walking past; tilt to catch the tattoo of a woodpecker; and extend to look up – yeah that was a raindrop (welcome to Portland). This seems to give you the opportunity to feel where you are gaining more freedom in motion.