Bradley Blair Osteopath

Bradley Blair Osteopath Osteopathy
(1)

29/12/2025

Fascia training utter nonsense

29/12/2025

Did you know this?

28/12/2025

Some facts about the human skeleton.

28/12/2025

Hamstrings and Sciatic nerve

Video credit

28/12/2025

During pregnancy, along with abdominal enlargement, the rib cage changes in its volume and placement.

Expansion of the rib cage: the antero-posterior and transverse diameters, as well as the lower thoracic perimeter of the rib cage increase.
Increasement of the subcostal angle (blue) on average, the subcostal angle at the xiphoidal level increases from 68.5 degrees in the initial part of pregnancy to 103.5 degrees at the end of pregnancy.

These rib cage changes occur most likely because of the upward movement (red) of the diaphragm that causes the shortening of the thorax. However, it may also be influenced by accumulation of fatty tissue and fluid, as pulmonary blood circulation increases during pregnancy.

As the uterus size increases, the resting position of the diaphragm moves upward approximately 1.6 - 2 inches (4 - 5 cm), as demonstrated in the 3D model.

Due to enlargement of the abdominal content, the compliance (expandability) of the thoracic wall decreases towards the end of pregnancy by approximately 30%, while lung compliance stays the same.

Animation .app

28/12/2025

Lumbar radiculopathy — what it actually is

Lumbar radiculopathy is not a disc being “out” or a nerve being permanently damaged. It is a condition where a lumbar nerve root becomes irritated or sensitised, most commonly presenting as leg pain, altered sensation, pins and needles, or changes in strength that follow a recognisable nerve distribution. The back itself is not always the main source of symptoms, which is why people often describe the leg as being the problem rather than the spine.

One of the most misunderstood parts of this conversation is disc bulges. Disc bulges, protrusions, and degenerative changes are extremely common and are frequently seen on scans in people with no pain at all. Imaging findings on their own do not equal symptoms. A scan shows structure, not pain. Pain depends on how the nervous system is responding, not simply what a report says.

When symptoms do occur, it is often not because a nerve is being “crushed” in a dramatic mechanical way. Disc material can provoke an inflammatory response around the nerve root. Substances released from the disc, including inflammatory mediators, can chemically irritate the nerve. This chemical irritation lowers the nerve’s tolerance to load and movement, making normal activities feel threatening and painful. This also explains why symptoms can fluctuate, settle, and sometimes improve without anything structurally changing on a scan.

Most people with lumbar radiculopathy improve over time. The spine is not fragile, discs do not simply “slip,” and pain does not automatically mean damage. Understanding what is actually happening reduces fear, improves decision-making, and leads to better outcomes than chasing alignment-based explanations that do not reflect how pain really works.

This is education, not individual medical advice. If symptoms are severe, worsening, or associated with significant neurological changes, appropriate medical assessment is essential.

Touch in manual therapy isn’t about fixing, realigning, or forcing change. It’s about how the nervous system interprets ...
28/12/2025

Touch in manual therapy isn’t about fixing, realigning, or forcing change. It’s about how the nervous system interprets safety, threat, and pain. When touch is applied with intent and clarity, it can reduce sensitivity, build trust, and help movement feel easier again. This is where the real value of hands-on work sits.

Let’s see in the comments who has a sense of humerus. (Did you see what I did?)
27/12/2025

Let’s see in the comments who has a sense of humerus.
(Did you see what I did?)

27/12/2025

My favourite bone in the body. 🤩

The sphenoid is an unpaired butterfly-shaped bone of the neurocranium. It forms the middle aspect of the skull base and connects with the frontal, parietal, temporal and occipital bones. Also, it participates in the formation of the middle cranial fossa.

Animation .app

BLAIR50 can be entered at checkout on Anatomy.app for a 50% discount on any monthly or annual subscription.

27/12/2025

Tensor fasciae latae is a fusiform muscle located in the lateral aspect of the thigh. It belongs to the muscles of the gluteal region, along with the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus muscles.

Tensor fasciae latae is found superficial in the anterolateral aspect of the thigh, spanning from the anterior portion of the iliac crest to the superior portion of the tibia, onto which it inserts via the iliotibial tract. The main function of this muscle is to produce the extension and lateral rotation of the leg on the knee joint. Additionally, it contributes to the movements of the thigh, acting as a relatively weak abductor and medial rotator on the hip joint.

The innervation is supplied by the superior gluteal nerve (L4-S1) a branch of the sacral plexus.

The main task of the tensor fasciae latae is to sustain tension of the iliotibial tract. As the femoral shaft meets the pelvis, an angled pressure from above imposes a high bending strain to the femur. Both the hip abductors and the tensor fasciae latae counteract the pressure on the opposite side and help stabilize the bone (tension banding effect). Furthermore, the activation of the muscle leads to an abduction, flexion and internal rotation of the hip joint.

Contraction of the tensor fasciae latae muscle also causes external rotation of the leg at the knee joint. Furthermore, it also weakly flexes the leg, when there is an existing degree of flexion greater than 20 degrees, and weakly extends the leg, when the angle of flexion is less than 20 degrees.

Finally, the TFL also works to stabilise both the hip and knee joints.

26/12/2025

The longissimus muscle forms the central column of the erector spinae muscle group and is the longest and thickest of this group. It is divided into three regions based on their attachments:

Longissimus capitis
Longissimus cervicis
Longissimus thoracis, which is further subdivided into thoracic and lumbar parts.

Generally speaking, longissimus muscle is a powerful extensor of the vertebral column. However, its exact function depends on the degree of engagement of the different muscle parts. Bilateral contraction of the entire muscle results in extension of the lumbar, thoracic and cervical spine, along with extension of the head and neck. Unilateral contraction of the longissimus muscle results in lateral flexion of the spine on the same side (ipsilaterally). An alternated unilateral contraction of the left and right longissimus aids the walking process by leveling the pelvis and steadying the vertebral column.

26/12/2025

The serratus anterior muscle is a fan-shaped muscle at the lateral wall of the thorax. Its main part lies deep under the scapula and the pectoral muscles. It is easy to palpate between the pectoralis major and latissimus dorsi muscles. In athletic bodies the muscle may be even visible to the naked eye along the ribs underneath the axilla.

The serratus anterior muscle originates from the 1st to 8th or 9th ribs and inserts at the anterior surface of the scapula. Due to its course it has a “serrated” or “saw-toothed” appearance.

The innervation is supplied by the long thoracic nerve (C5-7), a branch of the brachial plexus.

The innervation for the serratus anterior is very easy to remember if you just know the right mnemonics! ‘SALT’ stands for ‘Serratus Anterior = Long Thoracic’ and will help you remember the name of the nerve, while knowing ‘C5, 6, 7 raise your arms to heaven!’ means you’ll never forget the nerve roots associated with it!

Animation The Strength Training App

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