Bodywork & Holistic Wellness Training

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🔈 HEADACHE AT THE BACK OF THE HEAD

There are many different types of headaches. One of the more common headaches is the suboccipital headache.

At the base of the skull there is a group of muscles, the suboccipital muscles, which can cause headache pain for many people. These four pairs of muscles are responsible for subtle movements between the skull and first and second vertebrae in the neck.

When the suboccipital muscles go into spasms they can entrap the nerves that travel through the suboccipital region. By compressing the suboccipital nerves they set off a series of events that lead to either a tension or a migraine like headaches.

CAUSES

The suboccipital muscles commonly become tense and tender due to factors such as

- Eye strain, wearing new eyeglasses.
- Sitting at a computer with our head forward and our head slightly tipped these muscles are doing a significant amount of work. This poor posture eventually causes the muscles to become tired, fatigue, and injured.
- Grinding the teeth, slouching posture, and trauma (such as a whiplash injury).

SYMPTOMS

Common signs and symptoms of a headache stemming from the suboccipitals include

- Pain, stiffness, and a dull ache in the upper neck and base of the skull
- Pain on the back of the head, and pain in the forehead and behind the eyes.
- Sometimes there may be visual disturbances or nausea, but those tend to be more common in migraine type headaches.

TREATMENT

People often feel relief when icing, stretching, or rubbing the suboccipital muscles. In the early stages rubbing the suboccipital region can reduce or eliminate a headache.

When the headaches progress often palpating the suboccipital muscles intensifies the headache. Some people feel a tension band or headache that moves towards the eye. When pushing on the suboccipital muscles, it may increase the intensity of eye pain.

Suboccipital headaches are improved with over-the-counter NSAIDs, ice, stretching, therapy, electric, ultrasound, and cold laser treatments. Goals of treatment are to decrease muscle spasms of the suboccipital muscles and trapezius. The poor posture of slouching forward and tipping the head up causes additional injury and spasms to the trapezius and upper back muscles. Treatment always looks at improving these muscles as well.

Treatment will focus on improving posture when standing and sitting, to relieve stress and strain on the muscles. In addition massage therapy is excellent at decreasing muscle spasms, pain, tenderness, and tension in these muscles. Stretching will be utilized to enhance flexibility. Strengthening exercises will be utilized for the weak muscles of the neck and shoulder complex.

Graston Technique is a very effective tool at decreasing the scar tissue and spasms associated with poor posture, headaches, and suboccipital spasms. Often people with suboccipital headaches have had poor posture for many years, and grass and helps decrease the fascial adhesions and scar tissue from years of poor posture.

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The superior nuchal line using static pressure is my go to point prior to releasing the upper Trapezius. Neck & shoulder work is easy when the right points are pressed. Save your hands and impress your clients. ❤️

🔈 TRAPEZIUS ANATOMY

The trapezius provides a direct attachment of the pectoral girdle to the trunk. This large, triangular muscle covers the posterior aspect of the neck and the superior half of the trunk. It was given its name because the muscles of the two sides form a trapezium. The trapezius attaches the pectoral girdle to the cranium and vertebral column and assists in suspending the upper limb. The fibers of the trapezius are divided into three parts, which have different actions at the physiological scapulothoracic joint between the scapula and thoracic wall.

Descending and ascending trapezius fibers act together in rotating the scapula on the thoracic wall in different directions, twisting it. The trapezius also braces the shoulders by pulling the scapulae posteriorly and superiorly, fixing them in position on the thoracic wall with tonic contraction; consequently, weakness of the trapezius causes drooping of the shoulders.

To test the trapezius (or the function of the spinal accessory nerve [CN XI] that supplies it), the shoulder is shrugged against resistance (the person attempts to raise the shoulders as the examiner presses down on them). If the muscle is acting normally, the superior border of the muscle can be easily seen and palpated.

Just learning about Sacroiliitis. Topical pain relief could help take down the inflammation but initially massage would be contraindicated. The more you know ❤️.

🔈 SACROILIITIS - CAUSES, SYMPTOMS, TREATMENT

🔎 What is sacroiliitis?

Sacroiliitis is the inflammation of one or both of your sacroiliac joints. These two joints are located where the sacrum (the triangular last section of the spine) meets the ilium (a part of the pelvis).

Sacroiliitis is a common source of lower back pain or pain in the buttocks or thighs. It is often difficult to diagnose since many other conditions cause pain in the same locations.

🔎 What causes sacroiliitis?

Inflammation of the sacroiliac joint causes most of the symptoms of sacroiliitis. Many medical conditions cause inflammation in the sacroiliac joint, including:

🔘 Osteoarthritis -This type of wear-and-tear arthritis can occur in the sacroiliac joints and results from the breakdown of ligaments.

🔘 Ankylosing spondylitis - This is a type of inflammatory arthritis of the joints of the spine. Sacroiliitis is often an early symptom of ankylosing spondylitis.

🔘 Psoriatic arthritis - This inflammatory condition causes joint pain and swelling as well as psoriasis (scaly patches on the skin). Psoriatic arthritis can cause inflammation of the spinal joints, including the sacroiliac joints.
Other causes of sacroiliitis include:

🔘 Trauma - A fall, motor vehicle accident, or other injury to the sacroiliac joints or the ligaments supporting or surrounding the sacroiliac joint can cause symptoms.

🔘 Pregnancy - Hormones generated during pregnancy can relax the muscles and ligaments of the pelvis, causing the sacroiliac joint to rotate. The weight of pregnancy can also stress the sacroiliac joint and lead to wearing of the joint.

🔘 Pyogenic sacroiliitis - This is a rare infection of the sacroiliac joint caused by the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus.

🔎 What are the symptoms of sacroiliitis?

Common symptoms of sacroiliitis include pain that:
🔘 Occurs in the lower back, buttock, hip, or thigh
🔘 Gets worse after long periods of sitting or standing, or getting out of a chair
🔘 Worsens after rotating your hips
🔘 Feels sharp or stabbing, or dull and achy

🔎 How is sacroiliitis treated?

Most people with sacroiliitis benefit from physical therapy. This treatment helps strengthen and stabilise the muscles surrounding your sacroiliac joints. Physical therapy also makes it easier for you to move your sacroiliac joints through full range of motion.

Reference: Cleveland Clinic, U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Centre for Biotechnology Information

Did you know Supraspinatus is the computer “Mouse” muscle? People who work at a desk on a computer all day need massage, trigger point work and stretching to this muscle to avoid repetitive strain injury.

🔈SUPRASPINATUS – EXAMINATION AND TRIGGER POINTS

As part of the Rotator Cuff, supraspinatus helps to resist the gravitational forces which act on the shoulder joint to pull from the weight of the upper limb downward.

It also helps to stabilize the shoulder joint by keeping the head of the humerus firmly pressed medially against the glenoid fossa of the scapula.
Supraspinatus is commonly thought to be instrumental in the initiation of shoulder abduction.

A study in 2011 used electromyography to study the levels of activity in the shoulder muscles during flexion and found that supraspinatus was consistently recruited prior to movement of the limb at all loads; the authors concluded that “Posterior rotator cuff muscles appear to be counterbalancing anterior translational forces produced during flexion and it would appear that supraspinatus is one of the muscles that consistently 'initiates' flexion”.

▶️ Test for Supraspinatus:
The Empty Can Test, along with the Full Can Test is a commonly used orthopedic examination test for supraspinatus impingement or integrity of the supraspinatus muscle and tendon. The test is usually easier in sitting or standing. On the side to be tested the one of the examiner’s hands stabilizes shoulder girdle. The arm to be tested is moved into 90 degrees of abduction in the plane of the scapula (approximately 30 degrees of forward flexion), full internal rotation with the thumb pointing down as if emptying a beverage can. The examiner’s other hand applies downward pressure on the superior aspect of the distal forearm and the patient resists. The Empty Can Test is considered positive if there is significant pain and/or weakness.

▶️ Supraspinatus Trigger Points and Referred Pain
The supraspinatus muscle has two trigger points, one at each end of the muscle belly. Typically both of these trigger points are equally and simultaneously active.

Pain from the supraspinatus trigger points is referred to the outside of the shoulder and elbow. In my personal experience, the elbow referral on the lateral epicondyle is more prominent during release of the supraspinatus trigger points. This pain pattern will occasionally include a forearm component as well.

▶️ What Causes Supraspinatus Trigger Points?
Trigger points in the supraspinatus are most frequently caused by activities that require loading of the arm, especially when the arm is hanging down to the side. Examples include:
• carrying a heavy suitcase
• moving heavy furniture
• overtraining in resistance training exercises such as the inclined bench press and military press
• working with arms overhead for long periods, such as when painting a ceiling
• long hours of typing at a keyboard with no elbow support