The Overlooked Sternoclavicular Joint
When working with clients with shoulder discomfort, massage therapists often disregard or forget to consider the sternoclavicular joint.
Erik Dalton, PhD
Erik Dalton, PhD, was the founder and executive director of the Freedom from Pain Institute. Educated in massage, osteopathy, and Rolfing, he maintained a practice in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, for more than three decades. A pioneer in the massage and bodywork profession, Erik was a manual therapist for more than 40 years, an educator for more than 30. He died in January 2025, but his work and legacy in the realm of Myoskeletal Alignment Techniques continues. For more information, visit erikdalton.com.
ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR
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Foot Mechanics and Kinetic Chain Dynamics
Snags in the kinetic chain can cause a domino effect that leads to various issues.
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How to Become a Better Pain Detective
The "pain detective game" may help you sharpen your palpation assessments and clinical reasoning skills. Use ART (asymmetry, restriction of motion, and tissue texture abnormalities) to more quickly identify how one side of the body moves in relation to the other.
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The ABZs of Low-Back Pain
Researchers found that pain arising from the lumbar Z joints accounts for 10-15 percent of mechanical back pain in young adults and up to 40 percent in older people. Leveling the head and tail is one biomechanical approach to restoring balance.
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Exploring Neurodynamics
Massage therapists and bodyworkers can incorporate nerve mobilization methods with massage and other manual therapy techniques to help resolve common soft-tissue conditions like carpal tunnel, thoracic outlet syndrome, hip pain, and more.
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Pin, Twist, Sling, and Resist
Techniques that pin, twist, sling, and resist help clients engage with painful movement barriers by introducing novel stimuli that hold the brain's attention.