LYT

Tag: manual therapy

  • 16 | Manual Therapy & Myofascial Release

    16 | Manual Therapy & Myofascial Release

    Movement is not necessarily always the end all be all, and that means that we need to apply more to movement in order to feel our best. That is where today’s episode topic comes in: manual therapy! We are going to talk about just what manual therapy is, and why it’s great if you have different issues within the body that movement patterns aren’t fully addressing.

    What is manual therapy?

    Manual therapy is when someone manually comes in and helps you with the way you move, and address and release any of the restrictions that might be in your underlying tissues.

    What is fascia?

    Around your muscles, you have fascia. Fascia is a connective tissue that runs around the muscle and through the different muscle connections. Once you get a feeling of your tension, you can start to learn how to help the area soften.

    How do you do manual therapy?

    Begin by feeling where you get senses of tautness on your body. What I teach my students helps them feel the mobility of the tissue. This can help people relax and increase their range of motion.

    What is your comfort on being touched?

    Human touch is so needed. Touch is so healing! As a yoga teacher, I provide adjustments, but I do not provide adjustments to go deeper into a pose. Rather, I suggest learning how to provide light pressure into a tissue.

    Resources:

     

  • 5. The Truth About Text Neck

    5. The Truth About Text Neck

     

    Have you heard of Text Neck?

    It’s a 21st century ailment that’s spreading globally and rapidly, and it’s something that I’m asked about daily!

    I also see Text Neck daily and, honestly, it makes my heart hurt.

    If you’re not familiar, Text Neck is a condition in which your posture is stuck in the position that you assume when you’re looking down at a cell phone, tablet, or other wireless device.

    This happens to people when – you guessed it – they look down at a device too frequently or for too long.

    I’ve been working in physical therapy for decades, and we didn’t have these kinds of devices when I started. People would have neck pain, of course, but not nearly as many people – and not nearly as many young people, in particular.

    This is a real issue when you’re younger because your body will try to adapt, leading to early onset arthritis and connective tissue dysfunction. Your connective tissue will literally get and feel thicker, and if you feel this happening then you need to start changing your habits now before it’s irreversible.

    So how can we treat and/or prevent Text Neck?

    • Keep your cell phone, laptop screen, and other devices at eye level as much as possible.
    • Don’t be on your device so much! Trust me, I get it and I am using my phone a lot for my business and personal life too. But you don’t need it 24/7, so turn it off sometimes and take a break!
    • Be mindful of your posture. Put a note somewhere you will see it to remind you and use a wall for tactile feedback while you try to elongate your cervical spine.
    • Spend some time strengthening your core, because if you’re stronger in your core then you’ll naturally give your neck more support.
    • If you already feel a lot of tightness and thickening, you probably need to go get some manual therapy. Specifically look for someone who offers myofascial work, like someone who has studied Rolfing or John Barnes.

    To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit: lytyoga.com/blog/category/podcasts/

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