Muscle Doctor - Sports Massage - Oxford

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Muscle Doctor - Sports Massage - Oxford

Liam Coffey is a Sports Massage and Soft Tissue Therapist based in Oxford, UK. Experienced massage therapist in Oxford and surrounding areas

14/01/2026

If rotator cuff exercises haven’t fixed your shoulder pain, it’s probably not a rotator cuff problem. 🤷‍♂️

The serratus anterior sets the foundation for scapular position — and scapular position determines shoulder space. 🦾

Fix the base, then load the system. 🔑🏗️

Stop chasing symptoms. Start rebuilding mechanics. 🎯

07/01/2026

Lower back pain isn’t a weak core problem — it’s a nervous system problem. 🧠

If you’ve ever been told to “strengthen your core” for back pain but never understood why it helps, this is the missing piece.

When you’re in pain, your body protects you by: 🔻 Switching some muscles off 🔺 Tightening others up
That creates stiffness and fear of movement — not strength.

Real rehab isn’t about crunches or endless planks. It’s about building active tension that tells your nervous system: ✅ You’re safe ✅ You can move ✅ You don’t need to protect anymore

That’s why resisted core training works for lower back pain — not because it makes you “stronger”, but because it changes how your body feels about movement.

If you train or treat people with back pain, this changes how you programme forever. 💡

💾 Save this for your next session 💬 Comment “CORE” if you want progressions

   

03/01/2026

Plantar Fascia Muscle Series (4/4): Flexor Digitorum Brevis 🦶

Flexor digitorum brevis (FDB) is a key intrinsic foot muscle sitting in the second layer of the plantar fascia and plays a major role in toe flexion, foot stability, and arch support.

FDB helps flex toes 2–5 at the PIP joints, especially during walking, running, and push-off. But its real superpower?
➡️ Dynamic support of the medial longitudinal arch during load and gait.

When flexor digitorum brevis is weak, inhibited, or overloaded, it can contribute to:
• Plantar fasciitis pain
• Toe gripping & clawing
• Reduced foot stability
• Inefficient gait mechanics

For clinicians, coaches, and movers:
If you’re only focusing on the plantar fascia as “fascia,” you’re missing the muscular contributors that modulate load, tension, and resilience of the foot.

Train it. Load it. Respect it.
Strong feet start from the inside out. 💪🦶

This wraps up our 4-part series on the muscles of the plantar fascia.

28/12/2025

Plantar Fascia Muscles Series (3/4): Abductor Digiti Minimi 🦶

The abductor digiti minimi is one of the key intrinsic foot muscles within the plantar fascia, yet it’s often overlooked in rehab and training. This small but powerful foot muscle plays a vital role in lateral foot stability, fifth toe abduction, and supporting the lateral longitudinal arch of the foot.

When the abductor digiti minimi is weak or overloaded, it can contribute to foot pain, reduced ankle stability, and inefficient force transfer during walking, running, and single-leg tasks. For clinicians and coaches, assessing this muscle is essential when addressing plantar fascia dysfunction, overpronation, or lateral foot symptoms.

Stay tuned for part 4️⃣ as we complete the muscles of the plantar fascia series and tie it all together for performance and injury resilience.

22/12/2025

Part 2/4: Abductor Hallucis 👣

The abductor hallucis is one of the key muscles that makes up the plantar fascia complex, and it plays a huge role in foot stability, arch support, and big toe control.

Running along the inside of the foot, this intrinsic foot muscle helps:
✅ Support the medial longitudinal arch
✅ Control big toe alignment
✅ Improve load transfer during walking, running, and squatting

When the abductor hallucis is weak or inhibited, the plantar fascia is forced to take more strain — a common contributor to plantar fasciitis, foot pain, and poor lower-limb mechanics.

Strong feet start from the inside out. Training and restoring the abductor hallucis is essential for resilient arches and efficient movement 🦶💪

👉 Stay tuned for Part 3, where we break down the next plantar fascia muscle.

19/12/2025

Plantar Fascia Anatomy Series — Part 1: Quadratus Plantae 🦶

Meet quadratus plantae, a deep intrinsic foot muscle that plays a key role in foot biomechanics, arch support, and efficient toe flexion. Working alongside the plantar fascia, this muscle helps refine the pull of flexor digitorum longus, improving stability and load distribution during walking, running, and jumping.

Understanding plantar foot anatomy isn’t just for anatomists — it’s essential for clinicians, coaches, and anyone dealing with foot pain, plantar fasciitis, or movement inefficiency.

This is part one of a new educational series breaking down the muscles that make up the plantar fascia system 👀
More coming soon.

12/12/2025

Confessions of a myofascial trigger point

I came across this incredible poem by and just had to share it.

Give them a follow for more beautiful physiology poetry

09/12/2025

If you want stronger, more defined arms, you NEED to understand how the biceps brachii really works. This powerful two-headed muscle helps with elbow flexion, supination, and shoulder stability — meaning better lifting, better pulling, and better performance in the gym 🏋️‍♂️🔥

Understanding your anatomy = smarter training + fewer injuries. Train with intention, not just intensity ✨.

💪

07/12/2025

🔥 Re**us Femoris: The Dual-Action Powerhouse! 🔥

The only quadriceps muscles that crosses both the hip and knee, the re**us femoris plays a major role in hip flexion and knee extension. When it’s tight, overworked, or inhibited, you’ll often see compensation patterns that show up as anterior pelvic tilt, low-back tension, or reduced knee mobility.

For manual therapists and bodyworkers, assessing this muscle’s length, load tolerance and function can make a huge difference in restoring efficient movement and reducing pain. Understanding its anatomy = better treatment outcomes. 💆‍♂️💪

👉 Are you checking the re**us femoris in your lower-limb assessments?

#️⃣ **usFemoris

03/12/2025

There is some debate over whether this muscle is called fibularis Longus or peroneus Longus…

What do you call it?… 🤔 💪🏻

01/12/2025

How much do you know about Glute Max? 🤔 🍑

The influence GMax can have on hip pain, back pain, or anything-pain(!) means we need to familiarise ourselves with the anatomy and physiology of this, the biggest muscle we possess on our meaty frames 💪🏻

30/11/2025

Cadaver Dissection November 2025

Of all of the courses I run and teach on, this one’s my favourite.

Students on the level 5 soft tissue therapy diploma would always ask ‘which CPD course would you recommend post-qualification?’ To which I would always answer ‘get yourself on a cadaver dissection course!’ (This recommendation was actually completely non-biased as I didn’t yet run such a course)

Shortly after lockdown there weren’t any courses running yet I was still making the same recommendation - much to the frustration of both myself and those who wanted to attend.

So, I set up my own…

Over the years a fantastic relationship has formed between Muscle Doctor Training and the lovely staff at King’s College, London and it is with equal measures of pride and humility that I get to lead the teaching on these days.

The more I learn, the more I realise there is to learn and I’ve learned to settle into the journey and enjoy that instead of some arbitrary destination of knowledge.

You can join us next May for another visit to the dissection room - keep your eyes peeled for details 👀

Address

7 South Close
Kidlington
OX51DF

Website

http://www.muscledr.co.uk/

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