There are various models used to understand pain. I often see debate as to the relative merit of these models, which is a good thing. But what I think is not such a good thing is when people argue that because a model has a certain flaw or limitation, it is fatally deficient.
Read MorePain and movement are pretty complicated right? In a sense yes. But in another sense no. Pain and movement are not complicated, they are complex, which is a different animal.
Imagine you are Elon Musk trying to send a rocket ship to the moon. What sort of thinking process, analysis, modeling, research, predictions, and methods of control would help solve this problem? How would that process be different from solving the problem of say, raising a child?
Read MoreSome movements are more about gathering information than executing a task.
Read MoreI recently watched a short talk by Andy Clark, a philosopher of mind who studies how humans perceive their bodies, control their bodies, and interact with the environment in a meaningful way. (Short summary of Clark’s ideas - these three seemingly different functions are basically just One function.)
Read MoreI will be doing a one hour presentation and a four-hour workshop February 24-26, 2016 at the San Diego Pain Summit.
It's sunny there.
Read MoreMice make a cute pucker expression when they are tasting something bitter. Scientists recently found they could make a mouse pucker by stimulating a part of its brain involved in the perception of bitterness. Here are several other interesting facts (and some factoids!) about taste that inform my understanding of what causes pain and how to change it.
Read MoreWhy exactly does someone feel better after massage? Or acupuncture? Or foam rolling? Or a chiropractic adjustment, or wearing K-tape, or doing mobility drills, or a hamstring stretch? There are some good answers to these questions, and the interesting thing I’d like to point out in this post is that quite often, the therapist doesn’t know them. Or even care about them!
Read MoreWhy do muscles feel tight? Does that mean they are short? That they can't relax? And what can you do about it?
Here are some of my thoughts about why muscles feel tight and what to do about it.
Read MoreThis very cool study provides an amazing example of the stunning complexity and sophistication of the motor control system in coordinating a seemingly simple activity like running.
Read MoreI spoke with a client yesterday about his resistance training program. It seemed like he had a solid plan and was making good progress. But I did disagree with one aspect of his approach, which was his workout motto: Working Out Sucks™. His motto is a reminder that he won’t achieve his goals without working hard enough to be fairly miserable for at least part of the workout.
Read MoreHere's a few cool quotes about movement that you may find inspiring or interesting. In the modern world we tend to value "higher" mental functions like reasoning and language over "lower" functions like motor control and body awareness. And therefore kids spend less time in recess, adults spend more time in office chairs looking at computers, and our mental lives become more virtual and abstract as opposed to concrete and embodied.
Read MoreMany people have asked me to record some audio versions of the written movement lessons in my book: A Guide to Better Movement: The Science and Practice of Moving with More Skill and Less Pain.
Below is a 10 minute audio file with a lesson about arranging your posture in sitting.
Read MoreLouis Gifford said that learning about the biology of memory was very informative to his understanding of chronic pain.For example, he thought certain pains were like advertising jingles that get stuck in your head- they're annoying, don't serve any purpose, and are hard to get rid of.
Read MoreI am going to try to start doing weekly posts that collect some quick thoughts and links from my regular reading. We'll see how this goes. Here are some quick links and thoughts for stuff I read last week.
Read MoreIn this post and a follow-up, I will review some basic concepts from DST, and how you can use them with clients. After reading this, you might conclude that DST helps explain some of the practices and intuitions of some great movement coaches.
Read MoreA couple weekends ago I attended a new workshop by Greg Lehman on Reconciling Pain Science with Biomechanics. Long story short, this is one of the best workshops I have attended and I think every movement therapist should go.
Read MoreI am very pleased to offer an interview with Israel Halperin, an athlete, trainer, and researcher with extensive knowledge about how to improve human performance. I have interacted with Israel over Facebook for quite a while, and really appreciate his expertise, open-mindedness, curiosity, and willingness to share information.
Read MoreI just attended the San Diego Pain Summit, which was a three-day conference featuring many excellent speakers, including Lorimer Moseley as the headliner. I had a fantastic time. The speakers provided a ton of interesting info, and Rajam Roose did an amazing job organizing the event. The best part was meeting many interesting, compassionate and fun people
Read MoreCould a robot walk without motors to power the movement or computers to control it? Apparently so. Watch this eight-second video for proof.
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