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I get referrals from other people for tough cases.
Case I was one of these.
Case I
Band teacher for the last 25 or so years. Very nice woman. Very dedicated. Four years away from retirement. Spends up to four hours a day waving a baton (right handed) in a room full of school children learning to play instruments.
Her problem: pain right shoulder.
ROM restricted in shoulder, elbow, neck. Also, OA in middle and ring finger right hand.
Hmmm.
Already had months of treatment and time off work. Started out with pain in both shoulders, left side resolved, right side didn't.
It's the beginning of a new school year.
First session: mostly examination, attention to neck, shoulder. Result: zip.
Second session: Lots of pain/nervous system education, lots of attention to elbow; palpation revealed massive amount of neural tension in biceps. Shown how to do "hand on the wall" exercise. To be done daily, about a minute per arm. Result: "I really do feel looser."
Case II
Mother (who is a teacher) brought in her son (grade 9).
His problem: One day about a month ago, he simply couldn't turn his head to the right. It hurt to try.
ROM neck very restricted in right rotation, all the way down his back. Tended to stand on left leg.
Hmmm.
First session: mostly examination of neck, some skin stretch along T spine, encouraged to stand on right leg. Result: he could turn about halfway post treatment. Homework: encouraged to practice turning head to right every single day, frequently.
Second session: Almost full range, still a bit of pain on full rotation to right. Much better ROM though. Treatment, more DNM. After he stood up and tested his ROM again, it suddenly jumped out at me that the kid seemed very right-eye dominant. He literally turns his head left slightly so his right eye comes forward.
I tested this idea (two fingers held up, lined up in front of nose, to appear overlapped; close one eye, then the other, whichever eye the fingers still appear overlapped is dominant eye. Whichever eye fingers appear separated is non-dominant eye), and it was definitely so. The mom was there, and commented that her other son had had to wear an eye-patch for awhile for something similar. Ah-ha. Genetic? Discussion re: superior colliculus, control vision has over neck muscles.. Anyway, homework was to look at life through the non-dominant eye as frequently as possible. Mother will consult ophthalmologist, look into possible eye-patch wearing/training for this other son.
Case I was one of these.
Case I
Band teacher for the last 25 or so years. Very nice woman. Very dedicated. Four years away from retirement. Spends up to four hours a day waving a baton (right handed) in a room full of school children learning to play instruments.
Her problem: pain right shoulder.
ROM restricted in shoulder, elbow, neck. Also, OA in middle and ring finger right hand.
Hmmm.
Already had months of treatment and time off work. Started out with pain in both shoulders, left side resolved, right side didn't.
It's the beginning of a new school year.
First session: mostly examination, attention to neck, shoulder. Result: zip.
Second session: Lots of pain/nervous system education, lots of attention to elbow; palpation revealed massive amount of neural tension in biceps. Shown how to do "hand on the wall" exercise. To be done daily, about a minute per arm. Result: "I really do feel looser."
Case II
Mother (who is a teacher) brought in her son (grade 9).
His problem: One day about a month ago, he simply couldn't turn his head to the right. It hurt to try.
ROM neck very restricted in right rotation, all the way down his back. Tended to stand on left leg.
Hmmm.
First session: mostly examination of neck, some skin stretch along T spine, encouraged to stand on right leg. Result: he could turn about halfway post treatment. Homework: encouraged to practice turning head to right every single day, frequently.
Second session: Almost full range, still a bit of pain on full rotation to right. Much better ROM though. Treatment, more DNM. After he stood up and tested his ROM again, it suddenly jumped out at me that the kid seemed very right-eye dominant. He literally turns his head left slightly so his right eye comes forward.
I tested this idea (two fingers held up, lined up in front of nose, to appear overlapped; close one eye, then the other, whichever eye the fingers still appear overlapped is dominant eye. Whichever eye fingers appear separated is non-dominant eye), and it was definitely so. The mom was there, and commented that her other son had had to wear an eye-patch for awhile for something similar. Ah-ha. Genetic? Discussion re: superior colliculus, control vision has over neck muscles.. Anyway, homework was to look at life through the non-dominant eye as frequently as possible. Mother will consult ophthalmologist, look into possible eye-patch wearing/training for this other son.