Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/1013756
A B M P m e m b e r s e a r n F R E E C E a t w w w. a b m p . c o m / c e b y r e a d i n g M a s s a g e & B o d y w o r k m a g a z i n e 47 Christy Cael is a licensed massage therapist and certified strength and conditioning specialist. Her private practice focuses on injury treatment, biomechanical analysis, craniosacral therapy, and massage for clients with neurological issues. She is the author of Functional Anatomy: Musculoskeletal Anatomy, Kinesiology, and Palpation for Manual Therapists (Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2009). Contact her at christy_cael@hotmail.com. Client Homework: Upward-Facing Dog 1. Begin lying facedown on the floor, legs extended and spread slightly apart, with the tops of your feet resting on the floor. 2. Place your palms flat on the floor alongside your body, next to your lower ribs, and hug your elbows close to your rib cage. 3. Inhale as you straighten your arms, pressing your hands into the floor and lift your torso and legs a few inches off the floor. 4. Direct your gaze upward as you drop your shoulders away from your ears and lift your chest toward the ceiling. Editor's note: The Client Homework element in Functional Anatomy is intended as a take-home resource for clients experiencing issues with the profiled muscle. The stretches identified in Functional Anatomy should not be performed within massage sessions or progressed by massage therapists, in order to comply with state laws and maintain scope of practice. Palpating the Rectus Abdominis Positioning: client supine. 1. Standing at the client's side, face the abdomen and locate the inferior edge of the anterior rib cage with the palms of both your hands. 2. Slide your hands inferiorly, into the space between the xiphoid process and the anterior pelvis. 3. Locate the segmented fibers of rectus abdominis on either side of the linea alba. 4. The client gently raises both shoulders off the table to ensure proper location.