Neuromuscular Therapy: The Nemerov Method

by Howard Nemerov “Jane” reported pain in her left shoulder area. Initial assessment revealed tension along the superior medial border of her left scapula, as well as a zone of spinalis tension along her left lower thoracic spine. The Nemerov Method explains the “why” that correlates with the “what”. Persistent tension usually is a sign…

Read More

Where are You Going? – Massage and the Nervous System, Part 3

by David Lauterstein I once got a greeting card, “On the Family Trip to Nirvana,” with parents sitting in the car’s front seat and two kids in the back, asking their parents, “Are we there yet?” With this next deeper level of the nervous system, we are not at Nirvana but, in a way, we…

Read More

Massage for the Sinuses

I live in Austin, one of the allergy capitals of the world. And every few years, particularly when our cedar trees bloom, I bloom too – into sinus infflammation. What is sinusitis? Sinusitis is usually a response to allergens or viruses. Our sinuses are hollow spaces in the bones of the head – the maxillae,…

Read More

Anatomy Review: Levator Scapula, The Saga

Origin: C3-5 Insertion: Superior angle of the scapula  Action: Lifts scapula and/or extends the neck (Excessive:“Knot” or upper scapula) Antagonist: Inferior fibers of trapezius The levator scapula is a cable-like muscle that is usually overworked by our tendency to hunch our shoulders up. In the life of the levator scapula, this means it’s constantly tugging on the superior angle…

Read More

Anatomy Review: Latissimus Dorsi

by David Lauterstein Origin: sacrum, iliac crest, L5-T7, R 10-12, inferior angle of scapula, Insertion: Intertubercular grove of humerus, Action: Extension,medial rotation of humerus, adduction of humerus, depression of shoulder girdle, lower fibers depress ribcage, especially in coughing. Just as it may be said that we reach out from our guts –insofar as pectoralis major…

Read More

I Saw the Angel In The Marble And I Carved Until I Set Him Free

“I saw the angel in the marble and I carved until I set him free.” – Michelangelo Each person has his or her own shadows and lights.  Everyone has some chronic tension. Everyone is conditioned by familial and genetic challenges, and by recent stressors. We live in a restless culture, ever-changing and sometimes not for the better. …

Read More

Massage and Alternative Medicine

I wonder sometimes in articles on alternative medicine why massage isn’t mentioned more prominently. It is, BY FAR, the most utilized of all alternative therapies. I suppose that may mean it’s not “news”. But massage therapy and bodywork, especially when practiced at a high level, is so powerful. I suspect research will eventually show regular…

Read More