Michael Gemmer - Physiotherapist. A brain-based practitioner

01/05/2023

Ledige tider på klinikken i Kbh K på onsdag d. 3. maj.
Skriv en PM hvis du har behov for en tid. Du kan også selv gå ind og booke den på klinikkens hjemmeside
www.fysiozone.dk under min kalender. (Michael)
Tilbyder fysioterapi og massage.
Del gerne hvis du kender en der kunne bruge en behandling.

Vi har samlet et team af de bedste behandlere i København.

27/06/2019

I uge 27, 28 og 29 holder kiropraktoren sommerferie. Det vil dog stadig være muligt at få tid hos klinikkens fysioterapeut Michael Gemmer hver mandag og torsdag. Man kan ringe til klinikken på tlf. 59 18 28 38 og lægge en besked med navn og telefonnummer på vores telefonsvarer og han vil ringe tilbage når han er på klinikken. Alternativt kan man skrive en besked her på Facebook, hvor Michael sidder klar til at booke en tid til dig. Fra uge 30 henvises tidbestilling kun pr. telefon.

28/02/2019

The nervous system keeps surprising me. My client came with ankle pain after a fall down the stairs. She could not invert her foot in extension without local pain on the side of her ankle. Changing the sensory input around her anterior talofibular ligament by pressing on the insertions manually learned from Z-Health Performance help her tremendously. But putting RockTape on the skin over the ligament did the trick. No pain at all. Changing the sensory input you change the motor output. It is all about getting the brain to be happy and safe. Crazy when combing knowledge from different areas can create crazy results. In this case from RockTape and Z-Health Performance

09/02/2018

Are you lying in a plank for core strength? Stop it – it does not work that way.


Do you lie in a plank for hours thinking it is good for your core? Do you do “core training” trying to keep that flat back? Well here is a little secret. It does not work. Core stability or midline stability, which is a better description, is mediated reflexively. So spending hours training it voluntary and in positions where you lay down is hours wasted – if it is stability you are after. Why? There are many reasons and here are 3 of them.

1: The body always adapts in a good or bad way in one specific method. It is called the SAID principle – Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demand. This mean that the body only gets better doing specifically what you are training. So f.ex. lying in a plank position. Well here you get perfect in… well… yeah lying in a plank and nothing else. The same is happening with flat back core training. There are not many situations in training or daily life where a flat back is necessary. If there even are any?

2: Midline stability is a reflexive response from the nervous system. It is NOT something you should be thinking of doing voluntary. If you have to do it every time you lift something from the ground or squat your stability is far from optimal.

3: There are several areas in the brain that administrates midline stability. One of the areas is called the cerebellum, also called the little brain. For it to work optimal it needs good spinal MOBILITY, a good BALANCE system and good VISION skills. Yes your eyes do play a huge role in stability. Do you train yours? It also needs good motor skills from your spine. If the brain does not know how to move your joints in the spine it has no chance in controlling them. A joint that does not move optimal has neurologically weak muscles around it. So stiff back exercises for your core does not make sense.

I never teach my clients to plank or to do flat back exercises – I go after the brain instead.

11/01/2018

We all know placebo but do you know nocebo? A saying I heard a while back said that “if you want to create a lifetime client then tell them they are fragile or broken”.

A lot of my clients when I first see them say that they for example have pain because they have a bulging disc, arthritis, a torn meniscus, scoliosis etc. Something they have been told by health professionals. An interesting thing is though that there according to science is no direct link between those “diagnoses” and pain. So why are they told that? Furthermore it has been showed in numerous studies know that just the expectation of something they perceive as negative can have negative results. For example it has been told for many years that a bulging disc is a bad thing. But truth is that the majority of the population has a bulging disc and no symptoms. So saying that their problems are because of that just out of an image does not make sense. And if telling them that they are not aligned, not straight, have arthritis (according to a scan), bulging discs, weak muscles or other specific “errors” can give them more pain we should as health professionals choose our words with great care. We should all make ourselves familiar in how pain really works.

PAIN IS NOT EQUAL WITH DYSFUNCTION OR INJURY.

I am not saying that findings on an x-ray or scan never can be the cause pain, but as long as there is no direct link we should take precautions communicating that with our clients. Instead we should all take good time educating them in pain mechanisms.

05/01/2018

1 - Don’t be so blue.

The blue light waves coming from over computer screens and smart phones seems to effect the nerves in the eyes and also activating the brain in a way which makes it overactive. This can put unnecessary stress on the nervous system that can lower performance and increase pain. The blue light also distort your natural sleep rhythm making it harder to sleep. The research in this area is still mostly theoretically but some tests have been made and they seem to confirm the theory. So if you spend most of the day looking onto a screen, then taking the precautions doesn’t seem to be a bad idea.
So what can you do? There are several types of free software you can download on your computer. The one I use is https://justgetflux.com and it does what is necessary. Newer smartphones also has the function in their settings. If it is not in the settings then there are several apps you can download. It is also possible to get glasses the filter the blue light but here you have to be sure that those who sells it doesn’t cheat you.

2 - See the world around you.

When working at a computer makes sure that you take breaks from looking at the screen. Look away. Look at something further away than the screen. And a very important advise – don’t look at your phone while taking breaks. It is not a break for your eyes. The eyes need variation to be kept healthy. Talk to your coworkers instead, go for a walk or just sit and look out of the window. And even better – do the exercises I have shared earlier.

12/12/2017

Peripheral view - In this exercise you are targeting your peripheral view. So start with looking at your thumb and keeping it in focus while moving it around in random movements. While doing this and keeping your gaze at the thumb you should be aware of what happens in the background. It is this last part that is the important part of the exercise. Do this for 20-30 seconds all the way up to one minute. Remember no discomfort of any sort. If there are try to go slower or try one of the 3 other exercises. If there are any questions, just send me a message.

30/11/2017

Smooth Pursuit around the World.
So exercise no 3 is using the visual ability to follow a target smoothly. It is most important that you keep your head still in this on. Start by looking at your thumb in the top of the circle and then follow it slowly all the way around keeping the focus on the thumb. Do 5 circles in each direction. Repeat several times a day on long computer-days. Remember this should not cause any discomfort.

30/11/2017

Near – Far.
So now it is time for exercise no. 2 in the anti-computer-eyes-series. This exercise works on your ability to focus fast. Start by looking at your thumb and then something in the distance behind it. Shift between those to targets as fast as possible, but you MUST have the target in full focus before shifting. Do it 10 times and preferably change between different areas of your visual field as shown in the video. Repeat several times a day on long computer-days. Remember this should not cause any discomfort.

20/11/2017

Saccades... This first exercises is utilising the eye movement called a “Saccade”. It is a movement where the eyes move fast towards a target. In this little exercise you are taking up your thumbs and holding them horizontally. Make sure you can see them both with both eyes. Start by looking at one of your thumbs, for example looking at the nail. Then you quickly change you gaze to the other thumb without moving the head. Go back and forth 10 times. Do the same in a vertical line and the two diagonals. Repeat several times a day. Remember you have to see the nail clearly each time an no head movement.

20/11/2017

Are you creating bad habits for your eyes? Looking at a screen all day can create issues in your visual system. And because eyes is such a huge factor in performance, mobility, pain etc you should do all you can to take care of them. I will in this little series show you 4 exercises and give you some inspiration on what you also can do with your computer and smartphone settings. Have fun and remember. No exercise should make you feel worse. If it does then stop and try another one instead. BONUS: even if you are not sitting at a desk all day these exercise can still be beneficial.

12/11/2017

How are you treating your eyes? Looking at a computer screen all day is not good for the motor control of your eyes.

"We warm up the rest of the body, but about 80 to 90% of the information that you base a decision on comes from the eyes and it's the only system we put by the wayside."

During the next couple of weeks I will give you some info and tips on what you can do yourself.

Dr Sherylle Calder is the go-to coach for many of the world's elite athletes, standing alone in her field as an expert in eye-hand co-ordination.

02/11/2017

***No No – Yes Yes***
Stand in your chosen position with the feet. Put your thumb op in front of you and keep ypur eyes focused on it all the time. Then do 10 reps in the horizontal line (the no-no) and then 10 in the vertical line (the yes, yes). Do this for 1 minute and repeat 4 times a day. Try to do the movement as quick as possible without falling. If you feel pain when doing this, for example in the neck or too much vertigo then this is not the time to do it.

02/11/2017

***8 corners of the world***
Stand in your chosen position with the feet. Do the 8 different directions shown in the video. 2 horizontal, 2 vertical and 4 diagonal. Go quick out and slow in. Do this for 1 minute at a time and repeat 4 times a day. If you find that there are certain directions that seem harder these are the one to focus on. Remember to relax your shoulders and breathe! If you feel pain when doing this, for example in the neck then this is not the time to do it.

02/11/2017

Balance – a thing we use almost all the time and it needs to work. If it is not working optimally then it can have a huge effect on your performance, flexibility and pain etc. In the next two videos I am going to show you two ways you can train it.
But before you see the videos please take notice of my thumb down on the balance board. The explanation for this is how the nervous system works. The nervous system always adapt to the demands you are giving it. So training you balance on an unstable surface will make you good at standing on an unstable surface. The programs being made in the brain while standing on it have little use when you stand on a stable surface. So always train you balance on a stable surface.
Next thing I want you to notice is that I am not wearing any shoes. Your feet have multiple joints and even more nerve receptors. By having bare feet you are allowing your brain to use them and take them into account when making the “balance-programs”.
Last thing is that I in these two exercises am using my eyes and head movement. This is because balance is so much more than just your muscles around the ankles. And you will have no trouble feeling that when trying them out.
As you can see in the picture I am standing in 3 different ways. This is so you can choose the one that gives you the most challenge, but without falling. When training balance, your brain has to win. But making it too easy and your brain will get bored and it will have less effect. The 3 different ways are feet all together, standing on a line heel touching the toe and standing on one leg.
If these exercises trigger vertigo or other not so pleasant symptoms, then please go to a professional and have it checked.
Have fun and be safe.

31/10/2017

Breathing – a fundamental part of living. And a good foundation is vital for everything. In this video I am talking a little about breathing patterns. In this stressful day of life this is one of the things I encounter with most of my clients. So here is a little exercise you all can incorporate in your daily training.

The exercise is diaphragmatic breathing with emphasis on the exhalation. You breathe in through your nose for 4 seconds and out through your mouth for 8 seconds. And when you breathe in your stomach should go out and NOT the chest rising upwards.

By doing this you are targeting many different things, but in this video I am focusing mostly on the activation of your parasympathetic nervous system which acts as a stress reliever and can therefore effect pain, performance and inflammation.

You should accumulate 10-15 minutes a day for best effect. Start by doing them laying down, but eventually you want to do the exercise sitting, then standing and ultimately in the more sports-specific position. If you for example are working in front of a computer all day, then that position is your sorts-specific position. If you have any questions please let me know.

17/10/2017

Interesting read about back pain and the brain and how diagnostic imaging is unwise.

Fixing chronic back pain is possible only when patients understand how much it is produced by the brain, not the spine

12/10/2017

The last neuromechanic drill showed in the video is mobilization of the spinal cord in the neck using the axillary nerve. Common complaints here can be pain in shoulder in abduction and rotation.
From a scale of 0-10 you should go for an intensity around 4 as maximum.
Start by doing a light bend of your elbow and then rotate the arm inwards keeping the shoulder back. Then you press down your shoulder blade. Here you are going to do a side bend of the neck away from the shoulder and a rotation away from the shoulder. And here you should feel something around the deltoid muscle. Only up to maximum a 4 from 0-10. When you got it then go back with the neck a bit so the feeling relaxes. Then bend sideways again to you feel it again. Go back and forward 10 times and do this 4 times a day.
There should be no provocation of anything afterwards. If there is this is not an exercise for you at the moment.
Give it a try.