Bernie's Reflexology

04/05/2023

28/04/2023

Any physical problem we have that has been around for more than a few weeks will have an emotional component to it. It's just how we're wired. ALL emotional dysfunctions we have will show associated physical consequences. This has nothing to do with "imagining" our pain. This is just one of many compensation strategies our bodies undertake daily. More often than not, it is the case that the emotional must be addressed for resolution of the physical to be permanent.

https://tbme.ch/2u4LAUD

28/04/2023

From the Clinic: Breathe away your neck pain

You can easily test if your client’s neck pain is caused mainly by a raised fight and flight response:
Suggest them to lay flat on their back for 10 minutes with bend knees, while breathing gently through the nose and making expiration longer than inspiration.
If this changes the tension or pain in the neck, then you know which track to follow in your further treatment.

Explain to your client in this simple way why their breathing affects their neck
The scalene muscles may be tight because they are helping respiration when the fight and flight response is activated. In these cases breathing becomes more shallow and faster and involves the scalenes. They have another important job of supporting the heavy head and bending it from side to side. If the extra job as helper for respiration lasts over a long time, they may get overloaded and develop an inflammatory process and pain at the attachments to the cervical spine.

The diaphragm is not just an element but a body structure *)
The scalene muscles are fascially connected to the respiratory diaphragm. In fact, the diaphragm is related to and has an influence on everything from the floor of the mouth to the pelvic floor!
Stress and/or respiratory issues causes tension in the diaphragm and this continuous pull extends along the fascia all the way up to the neck.

What you can do to change chronic neck pain
With this type of chronic neck pain we recommend breathing exercises/advice combined with reflexology for the diaphragm and phrenic nerve plus a lot of focus on balancing the fight and flight response.
As homework we suggest the same exercise as mentioned in the beginning of this article. A few exercises for the neck - and abdominal muscles are also a good idea.

*) Overview article of the many connections of the diaphragm: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3731110/

More about the neck on the upcoming live webinar "Round about: The Neck"
April 24-26 more info here: https://int.touchpoint.dk/kursusuk.asp?ID=20361&showK=11227&showDescr=59962&x=y&

03/02/2023

The sural nerve doesn't get a ton of attention, but it's actually one I have to work on pretty frequently. It's a sensory nerve arising from the common peroneal and tibial nerves. It provides sensation to the back of the calf, the achilles area, and the posterior portion of the lateral foot. I've seen sural nerve entrapment masquerading as achilles tendonitis and misdiagnosed as plantar fasciitis. The most common area of entrapment is just lateral to the achilles tendon. The nerve is pretty superficial and people often irritate it when rolling out the calves. In clinic, I use Active Release Techniques to address this. At home, self-massage to the tissues around the nerve would work better than stretching or rolling.

12/01/2021

While many people stretch their muscles frequently, they are unaware of the benefits of stretching their body's connective tissue or how to do it properly.

20/11/2020

07/10/2020

Best Self-Treatment for A Groin Pull. Stretches, Exercises, & Massage (Updated) Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/physicaltherapyvideo Website: h...

04/09/2020

The frontal sinuses are one of four pairs of paranasal sinuses. They are small, air-filled cavities embedded in the frontal bone (forehead) just above the eyes. Mucus is produced there and they play an important role in fighting infection. Unfortunately, these sinuses get inflamed and clogged pretty readily, creating a lot of pain and pressure. Because of the already poor ability to move mucus out of the sinuses via the choanae, sinus infection symptoms can often persist even after treatment. That's where sinus pumping techniques come into play. In cranial osteopathy, there's a great technique that involves creating a rhythmic motion between the frontal bone and the nasal bones. This motion can help draw the fluid out of the sinuses, allowing it to drain out and into the throat. Clients will often feel the contents running down their throat when they stand up; a sensation that is simultaneous really weird and incredibly satisfying. It's not an easy move to do to one's self, so as a consolation prize, I've included a video on sinus massage to tide you over until you get a chance to find a good cranial practitioner. https://tbme.ch/1GSz

31/08/2020

You can often tell based on where you feel nerve symptoms (burning, numbness, tingling) which nerves are involved. This can give you an idea where to look to address the problem. If you find your sensation pattern overlaps multiple nerve areas, it likely means your issue comes from higher up the nerve tract, before the nerves have branched off.

15/08/2020