In this previous post I argued that the Ticking Time Bomb theory of body mechanics is problematic. Now this is clearly blasphemy since “sound” body mechanics is seen as a pillar of my own profession of physical therapy. Am I ready to denounce my own profession as well as many others? No. Body mechanics clearly plays a role and many of us use movement every day to help people with pain. So what gives? Am I talking out of both sides of my mouth? No. I’m saying that when pain… Read more When Pain Appears Everything Changes →
Yesterday, I spoke of the fog. If one is in unfamiliar territory and blinded by fog it may feel as if the edge is an inch away in any or all directions. This does not feel like an edge. It feels like a ledge and it is crippling. People fall off of ledges unless they are rescued, after all. Either way, ledges rob one of feeling in control. It’s a helpless feeling. Of course I’m using the fog metaphorically here. So, in reality, what makes up this fog? What is… Read more Lifting the Fog →
Pain is an opinion. Novel movements are those that your body has not yet made an opinion about. Novel movement creates a window of opportunity for your body to come to a non-painful opinion about a movement. If you get enough non-painful opinions accumulated, your body might change its overall opinion.
Novelty is king when it comes to moving with less pain. There’s some pretty cool brain chemistry at play in this. Dopamine is released in the brain when we encounter something novel. It’s like a messenger to the rest of the brain saying “Hey everybody, wake up and pay attention. This is something new.” Novelty is so useful because it is something you don’t yet have an impression of. In pain, you keep encountering movements that give the impression of danger and thus the response of protection. Novel movements give… Read more Novelty: A Window of Opportunity →
David Butler, of NOI group in Australia, has put out a video explaining Graded Motor Imagery. This treatment, offered here at Forward Motion, includes mirror therapy and continues to gain research support as a support for various pain and movement conditions. Here is the video in its entirety. Enjoy!
Welcome to my blog. My name is Cory Blickenstaff and I am a physical therapist. I own and operate a clinic in Vancouver, WA called Forward Motion Physical Therapy. I am a board certified specialist in orthopaedics and a certified strength and conditioning specialist. While physical therapists help a wide variety of people with a wide variety of problems, my particular interest is in helping people in pain. These people may be young or elderly, elite athletes or couch potatoes, dealing with new pains or with very old and persistent… Read more Introduction →
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