Spasmodic Torticollis

Spasmodic torticollis (ST) is also called cervical dystonia. Dystonia is a neurological movement disorder characterised by involuntary muscle spasms and sustained muscle contractions. Dystonia can affect just one muscle or a group of muscles or all of your muscles. In the case of ST, the muscles in the neck go into involuntary contractions. These sustained muscle contractions result in twisting, turning or tilting of the head and neck, and sometimes jerky head movements. Pain can also accompany the involuntary muscle contractions in the neck.

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What goes ‘crack’?

Something a fair number of us do it. And it isn’t necessarily good if it is overdone. But oh, it feels so good. What am I talking about? Cracking your knuckles of course. Obviously, you are not really cracking your finger bones, so where does the sound come from? In a word, gas.

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Achilles Tendinopathy

Pain in the back of the heel is a very common complaint amongst athletes whose sports require quick, sudden movements. This pain is due to the sudden, forceful pull of the calf muscle onto the Achilles tendon which, in turns, pulls onto the calcaneal bone (heel bone) of the ankle.

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Where to get rigid sports tape?

 "Hi, Thanks for the great articles on sports taping. But I seem to have trouble finding them in the shops here in Singapore. I have seen some at the pharmacies here but they look different. Where can I get some? – Bee Koon

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Sway Back No More

Do you stand or walk like a limbo rocker? If yes, you may have sway back. Apart from slouching, sway back is another common bad posture that leads to back pain. Like most posture problems, it is easily correctable by treating and preventing its contributing factors.

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Resolving Low Back Pain – A Kinetic Chain Approach

Sometimes its difficult to imagine all the muscles, nerves and ligaments that your therapist mentions, even when drawn out. Below is a great video filmed at the Body World exhibition in Canada. The video explains how the restrictions in the structures of your low back, core, and lower extremities can cause low back pain and a wide array of other problems. Learn how releasing restrictions throughout this kinetic chain can provide a resolution to your low back problems. 

If you have a broadband connection, click on the "HQ" button at the bottom of the video, to watch the video in High Quality.

Exploring the re-wiring of the brain

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Flickr: LoreleiRanveig
Propioception, hand-eye coordination and most physical body movements requires the human brain to coordinate the entire complex process. It is the brain’s powerful ability to change itself and adapt — and ways we might make use of that plasticity to heal injured brains and enhance the skills in healthy ones. This property – neuroplasticity – enables us to improve on a specific sports activity such as returning a fast tennis serve  to recovering from a stroke. Michael Merzenich in the video below, explores how our brain re-wires itself to improve and heal.

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