Sciatica!
The sciatic nerve innervates all muscles of the posterior thigh, leg and foot. It is as thick as a finger and is formed from the nerve roots that originate from the sacral plexus (groups of nerves) that emerge from the vertebrae between L4 and S3. It is actually two combined nerves, the tibeal nerve and [...]
Gluteal Muscles: Deep
The deep layers of the gluteal muscles are also commonly referred to as “the rotators”. They are a dense strip of 5 muscles and are responsible for laterally rotating the thigh and helping to stabilize the femoral head in the acetabulum. The piriformis is considered to be a landmark of the gluteal region and renowned [...]
Gluteal Muscles: Superficial
The gluteal muscles are comprised of two layers, superficial and deep. The superficial muscles are what we commonly think of as our buttocks and include the gluteus maximus, minimus and medius and the tensor fascia lata. Extensor and lateral rotation: The gluteus maximus is the largest muscle of the body. The maximus attaches to the [...]
Hamstring Muscles (Part 2)
Hamstring muscles are active in all thigh extension – except when the knees are fully flexed such as in danurasana/bow pose. They also support trunk extension, and if they were to become paralyzed, our bodies would tip forward when standing. The hamstrings are also very active when walking on flat ground (city walking!) and are [...]
Hamstring Muscles (Part 1)
The hamstring muscles are a group of 4 posterior thigh muscles. The muscles are semitendinosus, semimembranosus, and the biceps femoris, which are considered two muscles due to their two distinct boney attachments. All muscles attach proximally to the ischial tuberosity except for the ‘short head’ of the bicep femoris, which attach to the lateral femur [...]
Happy Thanksgiving
“STARFISH” by Eleanor Lerman This is what life does. It lets you walk up to the store to buy breakfast and the paper, on a stiff knee. It lets you choose the way you have your eggs, your coffee. Then it sits a fisherman down beside you at the counter who say, Last night, the [...]
Facilitating Adjustment to Spinal Cord Injury: The Power of the Team
The following is an abridged power point excerpt from a lecture I heard in Chicago in June. It is specifically about SCI but can be extrapolated to other serious life altering events as well such as CVA, Burns and TBI to name a few. Facilitating Adjustment to Spinal Cord Injury: The Power of the Team [...]
Bone Density in SCI Patients
Exposing the Skeletons in the Closet of SCI Rehab W. Brent Edwards, PhD. •SCI associated with marked bone loss •2x more likely to experience a fx due to minor trauma with small amounts of force •Most valuable window is acute phase SCI rehab. •No intervention yet has demonstrated complete or sustained recovery of SCI bone [...]
Preventing Falls
In my hospital, many of our patients come to us for rehabilitation after an elective surgery such as a knee or hip replacement (arthroplasties). For the most part, these patients have carefully chosen their surgeon, rehab setting, and procedure date and have been educated about what to expect from surgery through recovery.
Dark Shadows
I have always thought about death too much. As a child, as a young adult living in the city and now as a full fledged grown up, I still think about death too much. My psychiatrist father has often told me it’s because I’m anxious, and another psychologist friend confirmed it’s not age appropriate thinking. [...]