 The Neo-Generalist: Where you go is who you are Kenneth Mikkelsen & Richard Martin London, UK LID Publishing Limited, 2019 271 pages Workplaces constantly complain of silos...an inevitable consequence of our promotion of hyperspecialism. The myopia of expertise prevents us from seeing clearly what is in front of us and connecting it in meaningful ways with other information. The neo-generalist is both a generalist and a specialist, switching between the two as required. They generalize in order to specialize and bring unique perspectives, blended knowledge and experience from diverse disciplines to the specialisms they perform. They are lifelong learners and are inherently curious. They demonstrate the ability to switch specialisms. They are both fluid and flexible, and when the context shifts, so do they. They are able to cross boundaries. If a specialist lives within a node and a generalist lives within the space on a bridge between nodes, the neo-generalist constantly flows between bridge and node. Neo-generalists are adaptive and responsive. The neo-generalist is often an "outsider," but also a conduit to external ideas, transcending boundaries, opening up the possibility of cross-pollination. They know how to navigate different networks. When neo-generalists don't have the answers, they know who to turn to when they need them. Neo-generalists are knowledge brokers. They help build bridges between people and ideas as they are exposed to many different specialties. Searchlight intelligence: The ability to discern connections across spheres bringing people and ideas together, where others see no possible connection. We are always in an ambiguous state, fluctuating back and forth between knowledge and not knowing. The challenge, therefore, is to learn how to listen, see, filter and sense, in order to gain understanding. The neo-generalist is receptive to new ways of thinking, combining them with established philosophies, tweaking and remixing. They bridge to people ideas from outside realms. They step out of frame and see the whole picture, constantly reframing and searching for other views. The view from the edge is very different from that at the centre. If you live in more than one world, you tend to see in more than one way. The neo-generalist possess peripheral vision, they are constantly scanning. Aligning yourself fully with one field, one group, denies you the importance of the other domains in which you practice. Holism instead of division. Neo-generalists unite polarized positions, bridging between them through subtle variations and hybridizations. The neo-generalist floats across the continuum, in and out of different specialties. They are comfortable with the unknown, with ambiguity. They are always becoming.
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 Training Talk - Conversations with a dozen master coaches
G. Martin Bingisser Bellevue, Washington HMMR Media LLC, 2018 203 pages Fireside chats. Talking shop at the bar with the lecturer you flew to see. Q&A during bathroom breaks. The sixth or seventh email on a thread you never thought you would get a response to. Skype calls. Those three-sentence notes surrounded by multiple asterisks, underlines, and boxes... This book emitted those feelings you get with each of the above. Filled with nuggets and pearls, Bingisser curated hours upon hours of chats with the best of the best and transcribed it into this book of conversations with a dozen master coaches. This book was divided into two parts. Part 1, "At the Track", contains interviews with track and field coaches. In Part 2, "On the Field", Bingisser chats with leaders in team sports. Although unconfirmed, I believe this book was an edited and curated transcription of discussions from his podcasts and personal interviews with each of the experts. Bingisser makes you feel like you're sitting in Oprah's audience. Surely he doesn't send you home with a car or a new television, but you also don't feel like you need to highlight or take copious notes while reading. You're in the audience. In the interview. You're digesting the wisdom that perspires from, cumulatively, hundreds of years of coaching and thousands of athletes coached. And what's noticed immediately are the commonalities in practices and simplicities in approaches, amongst the coaches. Here are some examples: Posture, Position and Movement Quality: Harry Marra
Gary Winckler
Simplicity: Gary Winckler
Pat Connolly
John Pryor
John Kiely
Athlete-Centering: Dan Pfaff
Anatoliy Bondarchuk
Tom Myslinski
On the Dynamic Nature of Programming and the Reality of Experience and Trial-Error: Dan Pfaff
Derek Evely
Dave Tenney
John Kiely
Frans Bosch
Overall, Training Talk was a nice discussion about experiences and lessons learned in applied training theory with a little bit of coaching sprinkled in on top.  Injury-Free Running: How to Build Strength, Improve Form, and Treat/Prevent Injuries
Thomas C. Michaud Newton, Massachusetts Newton Biomechanics, 2013 213 pages www.humanlocomotion.org In early 2012, Dr. Michaud had sent me a copy of the latest edition of his book, Human Locomotion: The Conservative Management of Gait-Related Disorders. Rich in both content and complementary illustrations, Human Locomotion is a book that I find myself frequently referring back to in order to improve my understanding of the evolution of human gait as well as both the pathophysiology and treatment of gait related-disorders. Admittedly though, I have yet to read the book cover to cover as I try to with most texts. See review of Human Locomotion by Jason Brown, DC. (Patrick Ward had also written a review but due to website security issues recently, the review can no longer be accessed) As a follow-up to Human Locomotion, Dr. Michaud recently released his newest book, Injury-Free Running: How to Build Strength, Improve Form, and Treat/Prevent Injuries. Thanks to a heads up from Joe Heiler of SportsRehabExpert.com and a discount code, I purchased the book earlier this month and completed it within one week. In contrast to the original, this book is targeted directly toward recreational runners. A condensed and easy to read version with a similar template, Injury-Free Running begins with a chapter introducing the anatomy of the human body not unlike one you would find in an introductory university-level anatomy course. Interestingly though, in addition to identifying muscles by their names in the illustrations, Michaud also provides the Greek/Latin origins of each to provide greater meaning and understanding. Like Human Locomotion, a chapter on the evolution of running was integrated into this book. Although condensed and laid in a manner that is easy to both follow and remember, this chapter provides the reader with the "why" behind the "what". For example, why our ilia lies more sagittal in contrast to a more frontal orientation seen in our ancestors. Chapters three, four and five discuss the biomechanics of walking and running as well as what Dr. Michaud considers the "perfect gaits" and risk factors for injuries of each. Finally, the final two chapters discuss how to select the "ideal" running shoe as well as self-management protocols for common running injuries. Personally, I found this book to be a nice and simple resource that complements Human Locomotion. As a clinician who works extensively in the sport of athletics, I found Human Locomotion to be much more valuable to expanding my knowledge of this topic. However, again this book was targeted to the end user. That said, because of its simplicity, I found it to be a nice review particularly in regards to evolution and biomechanics. So for those of you who are clinicians and are interested in learning more about running injuries, I do believe Injury-Free Running would be a nice introduction and/or review. For more information about Dr. Michaud, please visit www.humanlocomotion.org.  Iced! The Illusionary Treatment Option
By Gary Reinl USA, 2013 166 pages www.garyreinl.com "Easy to read, (potentially) difficult to digest" is how I would best describe this book. Several years ago, I had contacted two well-respected colleagues and bluntly asked them what, in their experience, was the most effective method for improving recovery post-injury. After a short discussion it was made clear that I had to speak an individual named Gary Reinl. Well I did and today I can confidently say that I have a better understanding of the potential negative role that ice can play on post-injury healing and recovery. Long thought to be the first and possibly most important protocol a therapist must apply to an injured athlete, icing is now seldom if at all pulled from my toolbox thanks to Gary. For those of you who have yet to meet Mr. Reinl, watch his interview with Kelly Starrett, and/or are still frequently using ice and cryotherapy in the acute management of sports injuries, I highly suggest you read Iced! As I mentioned above, this book was easy to read and for me, a nice break from most clinical textbooks. In fact, I was able to breeze through the book on my return flight to and from a recent to Portland (approximately 5 hours). As I also mentioned above, this book may potentially be difficult to digest for some. Again, traditional clinical wisdom tells us to use ice and cryotherapy post-injury but since inflammation is a critical early step in the healing process of muscle and tissue injuries, it is very important that we instead try to facilitate this natural process...and speed it up (again, the whole process) if necessary. There is no question that Gary is a great story teller. And this book reflects exactly that. In a coherent and progressive manner, Gary uses a first person narrative to tell us why we started applying ice in the first place, how he came to the epiphany that icing may not be ideal, and how he directly and indirectly influenced the same thought processes of most North American professional teams' training staff. Gary also devotes a chapter to the three phase healing process and summarizes the current state of the literature on the use of icing in injury. What is made clear is that there are actually no high level research studies that unequivocally conclude that icing speeds up the healing process and that some studies even state that icing can delay the healing process. Rather than leaving the reader with no alternative to ice, Gary graciously provides us with examples of protocols that have anecdotally worked for him and his clients/athletes following injury. Now certainly, we would have to do some critical thinking ourselves, but his examples really make it simple for the reader to understand the rationale behind muscle contraction and injury recovery and subsequently apply similar principles. With all that said, does it mean that icing and similar therapies are completely unnecessary? Gary does stress that in a life or death scenario (i.e. amputation, injury in the woods, etc) icing would certainly be a viable option. However, there has been some valid research with respect to the use of ice baths to upregulate the sympathetic system in hyperparasympathetic states. Remember though, such scenarios are separate from acute injuries. In my opinion, I think this book would be relevant for all stakeholders in sport. From athletes and coaches to medical staff and front office personnel, Iced! is a welcomed myth-buster that in due time, will no doubt help athletes recover from injury in a more timely and efficient manner.  Athletic Development: The Art & Science of Functional Sports Conditioning
By Vern Gambetta Champaign, Illinois Human Kinetics, 2007 297 pages "The explosion of information is 'noise'. They...do not have the background to differentiate good information from fallacious information." This book, purchased in 2008, was one of those books I have been meaning to read literally from cover to cover for quite some time. Like one of my more recent reviews, "Developing Sport Expertise", "Athletic Development: The Art and Science of Functional Sports Training" is one of a number of books that I admittedly had started but put down with the purchase of another. For some reason, it is now my objective for the rest of the year to go back and read all those books, and hopefully provide a little summary and/or review to give you a better insight into its contents and real world meaning. The quote above, taken from "Athletic Development", sums up my feelings upon reading this book in its entirety. Although it was directed to coaches in the context of their athletes, with the current age of information "noise" is spreading like wildfire and its important for us as professionals in whatever field to respect sound principles and keep things simple. "Athletic Development" does just that. It outlines the important principles of sports conditioning in a straightforward manner that is highly comprehensible for both the beginner and expert strength and sport coaches. For the sport medicine professional, it introduces and summarizes the necessary concepts of athletic development for those who may not (for example) be CSCS credentialed. Common themes throughout the book seem to highlight what Gambetta likely considers as his foundational principles of coaching athletes. Namely, the importance of fundamental movement skills at all levels as well as the mutual relationship between the coach and athlete. Divided into two main sections, Part 1: Elements of a Training System provides the reader with a global understanding of the needs of a sound athletic development program. By breaking the whole into its progressive parts, Part 2: Physical Contributors to Performance provides the reader with a foundational understanding of the specific components important in any program. Although the concluding chapter, "The future of functional conditioning", closes the book, it does so in such a manner that opens the gates to a "path" that many coaches can follow. His advice? "There is no need to make things complex. The interplay between al the training variables will take care of the complexity." "As a coach, you need to think of yourself as a tour guide, carefully leading athletes to their destination without being overbearing, but now allowing them to get lost. To accomplish this, you must look for familiar patterns and take advantage of the relationships that will appear. Learn to foster those relationships."  Corrective Exercise Solutions to Common Hip and Shoulder Dysfunction
Evan Osar Chichester, England / Aptos, California Lotus Publishing / On Target Publications, 2012 335 pages Over the last several years, a considerable percentage of my continuing education endeavours have come from the likes of Craig Liebenson, Gray Cook and Pavel Kolar. To many of you, this is no secret. And although I will often recommend "Rehabilitation of the Spine" and "Movement" to those asking for resources where further knowledge into the functional approach to rehabilitative exercise can be gained, I have always had difficulty locating a book to recommend to those unfamiliar that outlines the principles upon which the Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization approach lies. I am aware that Pavel Kolar will soon be releasing an English version of his text in the near future, but until now, the majority of information pertaining to the principles behind DNS seem to only be found in the literature, book chapters, blogs and websites. Having just read Evan Osar's new book, "Corrective Exercise Solutions to Common Hip and Shoulder Dysfunction" I thankfully can now recommend a resource that introduces and incorporates principles inherent within DNS (amongst others) to many of my colleagues. "Corrective Exercise Solutions" is divided into three parts; an introduction, identification/assessment, and corrective exercise solutions. Part 1, Introduction to Movement: The Functional Elements outlines the theoretical background behind functional movement. In addition to a contemporary rendition of biomechanics and kinesiology (contemporary meaning it is likely a different version than what you learned in school) Osar describes the ontogenesis (development from birth) of human movement, joint centration, and stabilization-dissociation (aka Joint-by-Joint). Part 2, Identifying and Assessing the Hip and Shoulder Complexes utilizes three chapters to describe, again from a contemporary viewpoint, normal hip and shoulder mechanics, dysfunctions, common injuries and finally, simple ways to assess each region. Lastly, Part 3, Corrective Movement and Exercise Progressions formed the second half of the book and introduced the theoretical rational to and foundation behind corrective exercise, as well as the key patterns and movement progressions for both the upper and lower extremities, naturally focusing on the shoulder and hip. Throughout the book, three key principles formed an underlying theme that certainly will not go unnoticed regardless of whether this realm is novel to the reader or not. The principles, many of you will be familiar with, consist of:
Additionally, several other important sections throughout the book also warrant highlighting:
The book is rich with images, not dissimilar to Elphinston's "Stability, Sport, and Performance Movement", to ensure that the reader accurately conceptualizes the content within the written dialogue. Additionally, throughout the book, "Keys to Success" bolded text boxes provide the reader not only with summarized key points but also with related and clarified concepts that may just challenge the readers' traditionally held beliefs. And, although some of you may or may not use the exercises recommended in the text, you certainly will gain a better appreciation for the importance of ipsilateral and contralateral patterns when prescribing exercises. Finally, I must be clear. This is not a book from Prague. It is also not a book containing DNS exercises. What this book is, however, is a resource that seems to hold DNS principles at its core combined with influential ingredients taken from the likes of Diane Lee & Linda-Joy Lee, Vladimir Janda, Shirley Sahrmann, Gray Cook, Mike Boyle and others. As many of you know, much of the content on this blog is influenced from a conglomeration of resources and therefore, "Corrective Exercise Solutions" resonated very well with me. For those of you that choose to read "Corrective Exercise Solutions to Common Hip and Shoulder Dysfunction", my guess is that you also will likely take kindly to Dr. Osar's integrated approach as well.  Developing Sport Expertise
Edited by Farrow, Baker, and MacMahon Abingdon, Oxon / New York, NY Routledge, 2012 200 pages This text, co-written by a colleague and mentor of mine, Joe Baker, is one of those hidden gems that should be in the library of any professional working with athletes. As the internet is littered with information pertaining to athletic development, it is easy for one to get lost in theoretical practice not founded by research. This particular text does the opposite and gathers the current available literature into a concise, easy to read, resource pertaining to athletic development and firmly grounded in scientific evidence... Table of Contents 1. Introduction: Developing Expertise in Sport – How Research Can Inform Practice Section 1: Developing Elite Athletes: From the Backyard to the Big Stage 2. Play, Practice and Athlete Development 3. Does Practice Make Perfect?: The Role of Training in Developing the Expert Athlete 4. The Motivation to Become an Expert Athlete: How Coaches can Promote Long-Term Commitment 5. Identifying and Developing Sporting Experts Section 2: Designing Practice to Make Athletes Think – (But Not Too Much)! 6. Expert Coaches in Action 7. Skill Learning the Implicit Way: Say No More! 8. Performance Pressure and Paralysis by Analysis: Research and Implications 9. Organising Practice: The Interaction of Repetition and Cognitive Effort for Skill Performance Section 3: Through the Eyes and Thoughts of an Expert 10. A Recipe for Expert Decision Making 11. Tactics: Using Knowledge to Enhance Sport Performance 12. The Sports Official in Research and Practice 13. The Past and Future of Applied Sport Expertise Research Although I had read this book shortly following it's publication in late 2008, I recently re-read it in its entirety due to my increased interest in applied sports science from each of a coaching, strength and conditioning and sport medicine perspective. Reading this book provided me with a deeper insight into how sports experts ACTUALLY develop rather than how we may think they develop. Utilizing the evidence, the editors of this book called upon researchers and coaches from around the world to shed light on the successful and unsuccessful practices employed by scientists, coaches and athletes. Incorporating and comparing both theory and application, topics such as deliberate practice, the developmental model of sport participation (Cote), implicit skill learning, and paralysis by analysis were introduced and expanded upon to provide us (the reader) with a better understanding of how athletes become "sports experts". Overall, I think this is an excellent book for any stakeholder involved in sport including coaches, sports scientists, athletes, policy makers and even sport medicine professionals. And although you may or may not directly work with elite athletes, it never hurts to gain better insight into why Bolt became Bolt and Tiger became Tiger. Note: If this aspect of sports science and coaching interests you, I highly suggest another book titled "Talent Identification and Development in Sport: International Perspectives".  Talent Identification and Development in Sport: International Perspectives
Edited by Joseph Baker, Steve Cobley and Jorg Schorer Abingdon, Oxon / New York, NY Routledge, 2012 200 pages A must read for all stakeholders in sport, "Talent Identification and Development: International Perspectives" takes a comprehensive examination at the variables involved along the pathway to sport expertise. Edited by Baker, Cobley and Schorer, the contents within this text cohesively summarizes much of the research performed to date across the globe in the field of talent identification and development. This text is divided into two sections: Theoretical and conceptual models for understanding talent identification and development and International case studies of talent identification and development. As stated in its title, section one provides the reader with the theoretical background necessary for understanding the variables and mechanisms described in section two. Authored by many of the scientists performing today's research in this field, section two is comprised of a series of case studies from various nations and their respective sports detailing the processes by which, young athletes are identified and developed into international sports experts. From genetic influence to government involvement, the interaction amongst a wealth of variables are described in both their roles as limiting factors and promoters in achieving professional and international success. For the professionals "in the trenches" of sport, it comes as no surprise that the identification and nurturing of young, talented individuals incorporates a wealth variables that are seemingly difficult to predict and administer. However the purpose of this book, "to provide a 'state of the science' overview of empirical and practical information", may enable the coach, exercise professional, administrator, or other to focus more on the interactors at play that have been grounded in science. Upon reading this text, you will dynamically be compelled to examine your own current practices and provided with conceptual frameworks of both successful and unsuccessful practices. Although both the authors and editors understand that future research is necessary to solidify our understanding, their summaries provide us with the theoretical and practical knowledge to be able to critically examine modern day practice. It is clear to many that physiological, psychological, and sociological influences play a dynamically interactive role in the pathways to sport expertise but in reading this text, key variables within each certainly come to the forefront.  I have been fortunate to have had several students work with me over the past year. While most of these bright students have typically come from chiropractic colleges across the continent, Porter Brown is a graduating kinesiology student from the University of Alberta who will be entering his first year at CMCC this fall.
Aside from the daily assistance with my patients, Porter has been through many of the books on my bookshelf and many of the DVDs in my library. To say that he has saved several thousand dollars in the past 3 months is quite accurate. Here is his unedited review of the book, "Movement." Gray Cook, MSPT, OCS, CSCS with Dr. L. Burton, Dr. K. Kiesel, Dr. G. Rose & M.F. Bryant Movement: Functional Movement Systems – Screening, Assessing, Corrective Strategies On Target Publications Aptos, CA. 2010 ISBN: 978-1931046725 Hardcover, 407 pages www.movementbook.com Movement is such a radical and ingenious book, that I am skeptical I can do it justice in just a few lines. Movement fills a gap in our knowledge about natural authentic movement that I never even knew existed. It proposes a paradigm shift is required for the way we view authentic movement patterns. Instead of dissecting human movement into individual parts (like our physiology, anatomy, chemistry classes taught us) we examine natural movement from a holistic perspective. With this new stance in mind, the author Gray Cook and his team, explain the lack of underlying principles for fundamental movement that exists in fitness and rehabilitation theory to date. Cook’s goal is to point out the lack of a standard operating procedure in existence for movement fundamentals and offer up the Functional Movement System to fill the void. Gray Cook has his foot in the door for both the fitness (CSCS) and the rehabilitation (MSPT and OCS) fields; pairing these with years of experience makes him one of the leading minds in physical therapy and strength and conditioning theory. Movement could be beneficial to everyone, but the intended audience are the health care and fitness industries. Professionals such as medical and chiropractic physicians, physical and athletic therapists, personal trainers, coaches, physical educators, and even people looking to become healthier (and not limited to this list) will gain the most from this read. The organization of the book follows the same pattern as someone administering the functional movement system. It progresses from reasoning/explanations, to administering the screen/assessment, to creating and prescribing corrective exercises. The book opens with a preface from Gray Cook, providing a hook that I’m afraid no one could resist, followed by chapters that are the meat and potatoes of Movement. This is where Cook presents the paradigm shift in the way of thinking. The ah-ha moment that sold me, occurred as Cook explained that the number one predictor for injury is previous injury, implying that something is drastically wrong with our current rehabilitation process. The process of looking at dysfunction, limitation, and asymmetry, as opposed to pain, was completely alien to me. I always believed that pain indicated where the problem is, but instead it’s the fire alarm going off telling us there’s a fire somewhere else in the body. Further, Cook’s explanation about the importance of breathing was so simplistic yet undeniably eye-opening. There is so much in these first chapters that one can read it over and over and take something away from it each time. Movement progresses into explanations and instructions for administering the Functional Movement Screen (FMS) and the Selective Functional Movement Assessment (SFMA). The FMS is a screen for discovering faulty fundamental movement patterns in the absence of pain, which can be used to correct patterns to reduce the chance of future injury. The SFMA is systematic clinical approach to discovering which movement patterns are dysfunctional/functional when there is pain present, a concept known as regional interdependence. The appendix provides SFMA flowcharts to assist the clinician in mastering the assessment process. The subsequent section provides an understanding of corrective strategies, ways to develop corrective exercises, and methods for recording exercises on a corrective framework checklist. This section is unique compared to the last because it isn’t a pre-constructed system. It provides the reader with principles to follow without strict guidelines (which is one of the strengths of the FMS/SFMA). This makes it applicable to real life, because as new and better exercises are developed, this section will allow one to check them against logical principles. The undisputable theme of this book is quality over quantity, a phrase that Cook incorporates into his philosophy: “First move well, and then move often”. This theme is well supported throughout the book as it is one of the underlying principles to Functional Movement Systems. The purpose of these systems is to provide a standard operating procedure to ensure there is fundamental movement quality instilled before movement quantity is of concern. One aspect that I had a tough time deciding whether to call a strength or weakness is Cook’s thoroughness/repetition with certain topics, such as the mobility before stability rule. Upon reflection, I realized that the only thing Cook is repetitive about is the very important principles he wants to engrain into our thinking. I decided to refer to it as a strength indicating that he is thorough almost to the point of repetition. Cook is an excellent communicator, something that is easy to see in his writing. He reduces and simplifies complex ideas with a few sentences and examples. It’s uncanny how many times I was forming questions in my head, only to be answered in the next sentence. It’s things like this and his first person informal tone, that make it seem more like you’re having a conversation with the man than reading his 400 page textbook. Not only is it expertly written, the content is just as impressive. Although I’m sure Cook can sell me the shirt off my back, he’s not just a sweet talker. After reading this book and stepping away, I’m amazed at the common sense of it all. How in a world where fundamentals are stressed in so many aspects of life, are they not stressed in movement patterns? I believe the philosophy behind this book is invaluable to absolutely everyone; movement quality over quantity. However the book itself is indisputable in its value to the fitness and healthcare world. I would recommend it to anyone in those fields. I personally (having borrowed the book) am going to purchase it so I can read it again. It’s one of those books that has so much in it you have to keep reading it to catch things you missed. I have seen both the FMS and SFMA in use and can attest to its usefulness, I even plan to become certified in both systems once I graduate from Chiropractic College.  This is a different kind of review. For any clinician, this is a must read. But rather than providing you with my opinions on this book, which are beyond positive by the way, I thought I'd provide you with some pearls. Enjoy!
Manipulative Therapy: Musculoskeletal Medicine Karel Lewit Churchill Livingstone / Eselvier, 2010 436 pages (originally published in Czech - English title: "Manipulative therapy in rehabilitation of the locomotor system) "We may ask why, when treating essentially the same disorders, preference is given sometimes to one method and sometimes to another. This...gives the impression that the choice of method depends on which treatment the practitioner is best able to perform, irrespective of actual suitability." "As a rule a nociceptive stimulus produces somatic and autonomic changes. It is necessary to understand these changes in order to arrive at a rational, targeted course of treatment." "The dysfunctions of the locomotor system..., together with the reflex changes they produce, may aptly be called the functional pathology of the locomotor system." "The vast majority of cases of pain are not associated with demonstrable morphological changes in the locomotory system. In effect, therefore, these are patients with no diagnosis." "Modern civilization brings with it very one-sided, unvaried posture and movement, causing muscular imbalance. Lack of movement together with static or postural overload are a characteristic feature of modern life. Disturbed movement patterns and static overload are probably the most frequent causes of reversible restrictions and of their occurrence and recurrence." "It is important to realize...that not all vertebral segments have the same importance for the overall function. When performing a brief assessment we shoud therefore focus on key regions (craniocervical junction, cervicothoracic junction, middle thoracic spine, thoracolumbar junction, lumbosacroiliac joint, feet)." "Faulty neurological and psychological control are among the factors involved in the pathogenesis and clinical signs and symptoms of locomotor dysfunctions. However, they are not identical with them." "The locomotor system has to coordinate the specific function of respiratory movement with the function of locomotor activity...The most important issue here is the close link between respiration and postural function." "Since movement is an outward effect of psychological activity, it is also true that psychological activity is a factor in motor function." "Present-day knowledge of functional inter-relationships shows i to be essential to study the entire locomotor system at the initial examination." "Dysfunctions should not simply be diagnosed by process of elimination...Instead, diagnosis should be based on characteristic symptoms." "The greater the number of complaints a patient has...the greater the likelihood that these are indeed vertebrogenic dysfunctions." "Almost any kind of trauma, even if it only affects the limbs, affects the spinal column." "Function and its disturbances in the locomotor system are influenced by movement, load, posture, and position, especially if the position maintained is stressful. Therefore one of the most important points in recording the case history is to discover under what conditions the pain occurs." "The soft tissues surround the muscular and articular structures everywhere, and need to move in harmony with them...For this reason, dysfunctions that are closely associated with the function of joints and muscles can be diagnosed in the soft tissue." |
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