Sacred Red Lily

16/03/2023

🔊 SCIATICA

WHAT IS SCIATICA?

💡 Sciatica is the result of a neurological problem in the back or an entrapped nerve in the pelvis or buttock. There are a set of neurological symptoms such as:

➡️ Pain (intense pain in the buttock)
➡️ Lumbosacral radicular leg pain
➡️ Numbness
➡️ Muscular weakness
➡️ Gait dysfunction
➡️ Sensory impairment
➡️ Sensory disturbance
➡️ Hot and cold or tinglings or burning sensations in the legs
➡️ Reflex impairment
➡️ Paresthesias or dysesthesias and oedema in the lower extremity that can be caused by the irritation of the sciatic nerves (the lumbar nerve L4 and L5 and the sacral nerves S1,S2 and S3)

CAUSES OF PAIN

💡 Pain is a result of irritation of the sciatic nerve. it can be constant or intermittend. The pain may be worsened by certain movements like coughing or sneezing (these movements increase the intra abdominal pressure). Sitting, bending, prolonged standing or rising from a sitting position can aggravate or increase the pain.

PAIN PATTERNS

💡 In regards to relief the pain, the supine position decreases the pressure on the herniated disc and will subsequently decrease pain. Pain is located along the distribution of the nerve and can be felt in the back, buttocks, knee and leg. It only radiates to one side of the leg and can result in reduced power, reflexes and sensation in the nerve root. Also gait dysfunction (toe walking, foot drop and knee buckling), paresthesias or dysesthesias are frequent neurological symptoms.

SYMPTOMS BASED ON NERVE COMPRESSION

💡 Sciatica can be caused by the compression or irritation of nerve L4, L5, S1, S2 and S3. The sciatica symptoms depend on which nerve is compressed or irritated.

◾ L4: When the L4 nerve is compressed or irritated the patient feels pain, tingling and numbnessiIn the thigh. The patient also feels weak when straightening the leg and may have a diminished knee jerk reflex.

◾ L5: When the L5 nerve is compressed or irritated the pain, tingling and numbness may extend to the foot and big toes.

◾ S1: When the S1 nerve is compressed or irritated the patient feels pain, tingling and numbness on the outer part of the foot. The patient also experiences weakness when elevating the heel off the ground and standing on tiptoes. The ankle jerk reflex may be diminished.

source: B.W Koes, M.W Van Tulder, W.C Peul. Diagnosis and treatment of sciatica. BMJ.

15/02/2021

Experiencing numbness, tingling sensations in the foot reflexology may assist in recovery

Tarsal tunnel syndrome stems from entrapment of the tibial nerve under the flexor retinaculum of the ankle. In addition to numbness, burning and tingling on the inside of the foot and ankle, it's common to get pain on the BOTTOM of the foot as well, leading to this sometimes getting misdiagnosed as plantar fasciitis. My go to for this is release of the retinaculum and tibial nerve using ART (active release) and working on correcting foot/ankle motion and position. Importantly though, I also address the entire sciatic nerve tract, of which the tibial nerve is part. Entrapment or pinching anywhere along the tract can make the tarsal tunnel more vulnerable.

25/07/2020

Support your Immune system. Keep the lymphatic system moving to assist the bodies one way drainage system

23/06/2020

Marvellous Muscles

🔈 SHAPES OF SKELETAL MUSCLES


1. Parallel or fusiform: as their name implies their fibers run parallel to each other. These muscles contract over a great distance and usually have good endurance but are not very strong. Examples: Sartorius muscle and re**us abdominus muscle.

2. Convergent: the muscle fibers converge on the insertion to maximize the force of muscle contraction. Examples: Deltoideus muscle and Pectoralis Major muscle.

3. pennate: many fibers per unit area. These types of muscles are strong but they tie or quickly. There are three types of pennate muscle.

unipennate

bipennate

multipennete

4. Circular: the muscle fibers surrounded opening to act as a sphincter. Examples: Orbicularis oris and Orbicularis oculi muscles.

5. fusiform: some texts classify parallel muscles that are slightly wider in their middle (spindle shaped) as fusiform. This term will not be used in this course.

23/06/2020

Our Awesome feet hold up our entire bodies. Where are your pains? Reflexology Anyone ❤️

🔈 SURFACE ANATOMY OF BONES OF FOOT

The head of the talus is palpable anteromedial to the proximal part of the lateral malleolus when the foot is inverted, and anterior to the medial malleolus when the foot is everted. Eversion of the foot makes the talar head more prominent as it moves away from the navicular. The head of the talus occupies the space between the sustentaculum tali and the navicular tuberosity. If the talar head is difficult to palpate, draw a line from the tip of the medial malleolus to the navicular tuberosity; the head of the talus lies deep to the center of this line. When the foot is plantarflexed, the superior surface of the body of the talus can be palpated on the anterior aspect of the ankle, anterior to the inferior end of the tibia.

The weight-bearing medial tubercle of the calcaneus on the plantar surface of the foot is broad and large, but often, it is not palpable because of the overlying skin and subcutaneous tissue. The sustentaculum tali is the only part of the medial aspect of the calcaneus that may be palpated as a small prominence approximately a finger’s breadth distal to the tip of the medial malleolus. The entire lateral surface of the calcaneus is subcutaneous. The fibular trochlea , a small lateral extension of the calcaneus, may be detectable as a small tubercle on the lateral aspect of the calcaneus, antero-inferior to the tip of the lateral malleolus.

Usually, palpation of bony prominences on the plantar surface of the foot is difficult because of the thick skin, fascia, and pads of fat. The medial and lateral sesamoid bones inferior to the head of the 1st metatarsal can be felt to slide when the great toe is moved passively. The heads of the metatarsals can be palpated by placing the thumb on their plantar surfaces and the index finger on their dorsal surfaces. If callosities (calluses), thickenings of the keratin layer of the epidermis, are present, the metatarsal heads are difficult to palpate.

The tuberosity of the 5th metatarsal forms a prominent landmark on the lateral aspect of the foot that can easily be palpated at the midpoint of the lateral border of the foot. The shafts of the metatarsals and phalanges can be felt on the dorsum of the foot between the extensor tendons.

The cuboid can be felt on the lateral aspect of the foot, posterior to the base of the 5th metatarsal. The medial cuneiform can be palpated between the tuberosity of the navicular and the base of the 1st metatarsal. The head of the 1st metatarsal forms a prominence on the medial aspect of the foot. The tuberosity of the navicular is easily seen and palpated on the medial aspect of the foot, infero-anterior to the tip of the medial malleolus. The cuboid and cuneiforms are difficult to identify individually by palpation.

23/06/2020

Our inner feet

🔈 DEEP FASCIA OF FOOT

A. The skin and subcutaneous tissue have been removed to demonstrate the deep fascia of the leg and dorsum of the foot.

B. The deep plantar fascia consists of the thick plantar aponeurosis and the thinner medial and lateral plantar fascia. Thinner parts of the plantar fascia have been removed, revealing the plantar digital vessels and nerves.

C. The bones and muscles of the foot are surrounded by the deep dorsal and plantar fascia. A large central and smaller medial and lateral compartments of the sole are created by intermuscular septa that extend deeply from the plantar aponeurosis.

23/06/2020

The Pelvis and associated body pain

In order to realign your pelvis, you need to stretch the tight or overactive muscles, strengthen or activate the weak or inhibited muscles and also train your brain to keep the pelvis in the normal…

23/06/2020

Our hands

23/06/2020

The Psoas Muscles season ch a great read

🔈 WHY ARE THE PSOAS MUSCLES CONSTANTLY CONTRACTED DURING PROLONGED PERIODS OF STRESS?

Whether you run, bike, dance, practice yoga, or just hang out on your couch, your psoas muscles are involved. That’s because your psoas muscles are the primary connectors between your torso and your legs. They affect your posture and help to stabilise your spine.

The psoas muscles are made of both slow and fast twitching muscles. Because they are major flexors, weak psoas muscles can cause many of the surrounding muscles to compensate and become overused. That is why a tight or overstretched psoas muscle could be the cause of many or your aches and pains, including low back and pelvic pain.

👩‍🔬 ANATOMY

Structurally, your psoas muscles are the deepest muscles in your core. They attach from your 12th thoracic vertebrae to your 5 lumbar vertebrae, through your pelvis and then finally attach to your femurs. In fact, they are the only muscles that connect your spine to your legs.

Your psoas muscles allow you to bend your hips and legs towards your chest, for example when you are going up stairs. They also help to move your leg forward when you walk or run.

Your psoas muscles are the muscles that flex your trunk forward when bend over to pick up something from the floor. They also stabilize your trunk and spine during movement and sitting.

👩‍🔬 THE PSOAS AND FIGHT OR FLIGHT RESPONSE

The psoas muscles support your internal organs and work like hydraulic pumps allowing blood and lymph to be pushed in and out of your cells.

Your psoas muscles are vital not only to your structural well-being, but also to your psychological well-being because of their connection to your breath.

Here’s why: there are two tendons for the diaphragm (called the crura) that extend down and connect to the spine alongside where the psoas muscles attach. One of the ligaments (the medial arcuate) wraps around the top of each psoas. Also, the diaphragm and the psoas muscles are connected through fascia that also connects the other hip muscles.

These connections between the psoas muscle and the diaphragm literally connect your ability to walk and breathe, and also how you respond to fear and excitement. That’s because, when you are startled or under stress, your psoas contracts.

In other words, your psoas has a direct influence on your fight or flight response!

During prolonged periods of stress, your psoas is constantly contracted. The same contraction occurs when you:

➡️ sit for long periods of time
➡️ engage in excessive running or walking
➡️ sleep in the fetal position
➡️ do a lot of sit-ups

💡 Here are some tips for getting your psoas back in balance:

✔️ Avoid sitting for extended periods
✔️ Add support to your car seat
✔️ Try Resistance Flexibility exercises
✔️ Get a professional massage
✔️ Release stress and past traumas
✔️ Stretch

💡 HOW TO STRETCH

Roller Psoas Stretch
Use a foam roller for this passive, relaxing stretch that lengthens your psoas, one of your deep hip flexors.

1. Place the roller perpendicular to your spine and lie with your sacrum (the back of your pelvis) — not your spine — on the roller.
2. Pull your left knee toward your chest, keeping your right heel on the ground. You should feel a stretch on the front of your right hip.
3. To increase the stretch, reach your right arm over your head and open your left knee slightly out to the left.
Hold for 30 seconds, then switch legs. Repeat as needed.

06/06/2020

Reflexology a nurturing therapy to soothe the soul and create balance within the body systems

Have you ever tried reflexology? Not only does it feel fantastic as a foot massage, but it can also work to soothe other ailments in the body. From tension headaches to supporting your back and spine, discover the massages you can do at home to support your wellbeing.
https://lizearlewellbeing.com/liz-earles-reflexology-home-pedicure/