Continuing Education

Comment

Comment by Dawn Lewis on March 3, 2014 at 4:00pm

Have you ever had a client with a thick, tight piriformis?  Maybe you used your forearms, elbows, thumbs, and worked like crazy to get the tone to come down.  But, when you went back to piriformis, it was hypertonic again.  Has this ever happened to you?  One of the main reasons piriformis gets, and remains, tight is that the second through fourth sacral vertebrae are compressed.  This compresses the fibers of piriformis' origin, and creates hypertonicity in the muscle.  Unlocking the sacrum can be done quickly and easily.  I have a client that I have been seeing for almost 20 years.  When he first came to me, he was convinced that a girl like me would never have enough pressure for him.  He had fairly severe piriformis syndrome or psuedo-sciatica and had been getting massage for several years with limited results.  Needless to say, my pressure was fine, but it was the Spontaneous Muscle Release Technique or SMRT that really took our first session over the top.  I unlocked his sacrum, released both piriformis muscles, as well as the rest of the hip tissue in both hips and bilateral hamstrings.  One session, that is all it took with SMRT to get rid of his piriformis syndrome, and I had a client for life.  He came back every week and had me do the same massage for six months, just to be sure it would stay gone.  It came back - 15 years later after his second hip replacement.  It took us one session to fully release piriformis and it was gone again.  Work SMaRTer on piriformis!  Get better results for the client in a way that is easier on your body.  Join us in Winter Park, FL to learn this and much more.  10% discount ends Tuesday, March 4th.  http://efullcircle.com/class-schedule/

Comment by Dawn Lewis on February 28, 2014 at 2:35pm

Hi Everyone! This is a link to our newest newsletter article - http://efullcircle.com/case-study-beths-knee/

Comment by Dawn Lewis on February 26, 2014 at 6:54am

I read an article recently from a link posted on facebook about plantar fasciitis. The author of the article said plantar fasciitis is largely misunderstood. First, it was thought to be a shortening of the plantar fascia, then inflammation where the plantar fascia attaches at the medial process of the calcaneal tuberosity, but lately the thinking is that the symptoms may not be in the plantar fascia at all. When the bones of the foot become compressed, whether this happens because of types of shoes worn, surgeries, and/or compensation patterns, there is damage done to the connective tissue attaching to and surrounding those bones. Compression of the tarsal bones leads to shortening of this connective tissue, and because the bones do not move fully while walking, a chafing of the connective tissue with each step. I have several clients with this issue, and with most a combination of deep tissue and SMRT works fairly well for maintenance, but for one client this only increases the inflammation. Knowing that SMRT would not increase inflammation, this week I dropped the deep tissue and combined the SMRT with myofascial unwinding. After the session, she had no pain for the first time in months. Check out Spontaneous Muscle Release Technique for the feet on video at http://efullcircle.com/spontaneous-muscle-release-technique-lower-l... or join us for a live seminar in Seattle, http://efullcircle.com/class-schedule/

Comment by Dawn Lewis on February 24, 2014 at 7:20am

The muscle tissue in the neck can be extremely tender and hypertonic. One of the main reasons for this is immobility or misalignment of the cervical vertebrae. Releasing the cervical ligaments unlocks the vertebrae, allowing more movement and a natural realignment of the vertebrae. When the vertebrae are mobile and moving back into their natural space, the muscle tissue is far less tender and hypertonicity is lessened automatically and instantly. For example, the scalene muscles attach to each of the cervical transverse processes from C2 through C7. Working with the muscle without addressing vertebral immobility and misalignment can cause quite a bit of pain. That pain is significantly reduced by working with the vertebral ligaments first. To see how this is done, check out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyVHjYJ8gcc Get more SMRT releases for the cervical ligaments and the muscles of the neck at http://efullcircle.com/spontaneous-muscle-release-technique-head-ne...

Comment by Dawn Lewis on February 21, 2014 at 10:26am

I had an interesting incident at my chiropractor's office this week.  My chiropractor likes to use electrostimulation before each adjustment.  While I was prone on a table with my head turned to the side and electrostim pads on my mid and lower back, the man on the other table, who had had the pads on his hip, got up and walked to the restroom.

I remarked to the receptionist that he had a shortened psoas.  "A short what?"  She asked.  "It's the main hip flexor muscle.  His left side is short and imbalancing his hips."  I said.  Then I apologized for mentioning it.  "No," she said, "tell me more, that's my husband."  "Oh, well then maybe I can just fix it before he gets his adjustment."  I said.  "That would be great."  She said.

So, we put him back on the table in a supine position.  I did 2 moves on each iliopsoas muscle.  It all took about 2 minutes, and he went in to be adjusted.  The chiropractor later told me he had adjusted better than he ever had.  The next day, this man emailed me and asked if he could get an appointment with me.  Although he had been getting consistent massage for years, he informed me that his hip had not felt this good in a decade and he felt it was "a miracle".

I would love to see you in Winter Park, FL and show you how to release iliopsoas in 2 minutes. 10% tuition discount ends March 4, 2014.  http://efullcircle.com/class-schedule/

Comment by Dawn Lewis on February 19, 2014 at 3:56pm

        I have just finished proofing the video for our Lower Extremities DVD.  This DVD set will be over 6 hours long with extras.  The Spontaneous Muscle Release Technique information is exciting, from the ability to quickly release the deltoid ligament in the medial ankle to the ACL release that creates instant mobility in the knee, from the move that softens the ITT in 30 seconds to the ability to unlock the groin muscles without working directly on the pubic bone, from the release for the connective tissue at the popliteal fossa to the instant removal of adhesions between the hamstrings, it is fabulous.  And the extras in this set really excite me.  Patti does a take on active isolated stretching, both on the client and for you, the therapist, and Rhonda's yoga flows beautifully, and is designed to enhance your body mechanics.  Full Circle is an approved massage therapy continuing education provider through the NCBTMB, as well as in NY and ND.  This set is approved for 24 CE's.  To order, http://efullcircle.com/spontaneous-muscle-release-technique-lower-e...

Comment by Dawn Lewis on February 17, 2014 at 1:03pm

        Gluteus Maximus is a large muscle with many attachments.  It originates from the posterior iliac crest, the posterior inferior sacrum and the posterior coccyx.  This means tension in gluteus maximus can affect the position of these bones.  It also means that a shift or compression in these bones can have an effect on tension in gluteus maximus.  If there is an imbalance between the left and right gluteus maximus (i.e. one is hypertonic, the other is hypotonic), these bones will be pulled to the hypertonic side.  This muscle inserts on the gluteal tuberosity and the iliotibial band, which means that tension in gluteus maximus can pull the femur into a lateral rotation or a posterior position.  Additionally, since it attaches to the IT band, any imbalance can cause either too much or not enough tension in the IT band.  This link is to a video that shows an SMRT release for gluteus maximus: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NS_rvsD90ek  This release will take tone down in hypertonic muscles and bring tone up in hypotonic muscles.  If you find that it does not work, it is possible the issue is a bony misalignment.   Get more SMRT releases for the hip at http://efullcircle.com/spontaneous-muscle-release-technique-hips-an...

Comment by Dawn Lewis on February 14, 2014 at 8:51am

Can't wait to go to Winter Park, FL the beginning of April!  It is so cold here in Colorado, I am looking forward to teaching this course just for a change in weather!  We had such amazing things happen in the last hip, lower back, and abdomen course though, that I am also really looking forward to the fantastic things that will happen in class in FL.  One of the reasons to take CE's is just to get worked on, to be reminded of why we do what we do, and to get the work that our bodies crave.  Some massage therapists get regular massage, but most do not.  We are busy taking care of others and neglect us.  But attending  a CE class has the advantage of letting us know why we became massage therapists in the first place, and, hopefully, of fixing some of our own issues.  Personally, I had been having sacral pain for over a year.  I finally had some SMRT work done on myself, and the pain has lessened significantly.  Hope to see you in Winter Park!  http://efullcircle.com/class-schedule/

Comment by Dawn Lewis on February 12, 2014 at 8:26am

Full Circle has put 3 new video clips of Spontaneous Muscle Release Technique on youtube.  All of these clips are taken from our NCBTMB approved continuing education videos.  Check out the following link for a gluteus maximus release - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NS_rvsD90ek - this next link will give you an idea of how SMRT releases cervical ligaments - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyVHjYJ8gcc - and finally this link will show you how to take tension out of internal oblique - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlSX3r0x7po - If you would like to learn more about this massage continuing education modality, check out our website at http://efullcircle.com/

Comment by Dawn Lewis on February 10, 2014 at 2:56pm

2 live seminars in Seattle, WA:  SMRT:  Thigh & Knee, May 9th and 10th, and SMRT: Lower Leg & Foot, May 10th & 11th.  Each course is NCBTMB approved for 12 CE hours.  In the Thigh & Knee course, you will learn to instantly soften IT bands, painlessly remove adhesions and tension from adductors, release ligaments of the iliofemoral joint to mobilize the femur and knee, and work with chondromalacia, ACL replacements, MCL and LCL injuries, etc. In the Lower Leg & Foot course, instruction will be given in how to balance gastrocnemius, alleviate shin splints, lessen lymphedema, remove chronic ankle inflammation, release ligaments in the talocrural joint for natural realignment, and work with plantar faciitis and tarsal tunnel syndrome.  Get more information or register at http://efullcircle.com/class-schedule/

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• Next ›
• Page