Massage & Bodywork

MAY | JUNE 2018

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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 95 Balance is greatly enhanced when the head is vertically aligned with the stance foot, eyes looking straight ahead. This cervicocranial positioning allows gravitational forces to transmit effortlessly through the body. Before offering cross- patterned home retraining exercises such as the ones outlined below, therapists must first make sure all kinetic-chain kinks are removed, and the neck, thorax, lumbar spine, and pelvis are able to sidebend and rotate symmetrically to encourage a smooth cross-patterned gait. Images 3–5 offer technique suggestions for dealing with the type of protective compensatory spasm I see in many of my homolateral-patterned clients. SUMMARY Infancy is characterized by clumsy, nonoptimized homolateral motor behavior and, along these same lines, less integrated cognitive function. As a child grows and develops, mastery of cross-patterned movement allows bodily systems to begin working together as one seamless team. As adults, practicing contralateral movements is a prime way to practice self-care. In fact, cross-lateral exercise can be one of the most fun and effective ways to reboot your nervous system, help discharge stress, and recharge your attention and energy. Erik Dalton is the executive director of the Freedom from Pain Institute. Educated in massage, osteopathy, and Rolfing, he has maintained a practice in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, for more than three decades. For more information, visit www.erikdalton.com. 3 4 5 6 Cross-Lateral Exercise Try this cross-lateral exercise at work: Stand with your feet apart and your arms open parallel to the ground. Shift your weight to your right foot, then lift your left knee and touch it with your right hand. Step back to both feet, then immediately shift weight to your left foot as you lift your right knee and touch it with your left hand. Repeat this several times in a comfortable, upbeat, rhythmic way. If the situation allows, get down on the floor and practice cross- crawling. Such cross-lateral exercise provides a fantastic break from mentally overfocusing and can serve as a handy neurological tool to help bring both body and mind back online. To test and retrain pelvis-torso contralateral rotation, the therapist's hands create a counterforce by left rotating the client's pelvis while resisting the rotation through the lumbar spine. The client is asked to push their right anterior superior iliac spine toward the therapy table to a count of five and relax, and the therapist slowly brings the pelvis-torso to the new pain-free contralateral restrictive barrier. Repeat on opposite side. To assess for contralateral thorax-pelvis rotation, the client's right hip and knee are flexed and the therapist slowly brings their knee toward their left shoulder to the first restrictive barrier. To treat, the client gently extends their hip against the therapist's resistance to a count of five and relaxes. The therapist applies a graded exposure stretch toward the client's left shoulder to reinforce pain-free contralateral movement to the brain. Repeat on opposite side. To test and treat head-shoulder girdle contralateral movement restrictions, the therapist right rotates the client's head to barrier, allowing their right shoulder to lift off the therapy table if necessary. The therapist's left hand gently depresses the client's right shoulder to barrier. The client slowly lifts their shoulder against the therapist's resistance to a count of five and relaxes. The therapist applies a pain-free graded exposure stretch to reinforce contralateral "uncoupling" at the cervicothoracic junction. Repeat on opposite side. To test and retrain torso-pelvis contralateral rotation, the therapist braces the client's shoulder and adducts the client's arm behind their back. The therapist's hands right rotate the client's shoulder girdle to barrier and the client is asked to slowly lift their left extended leg off the table to a count of five and relax. The maneuver is repeated 3–5 times, with the therapist increasing the counter-rotation stretch as needed. Repeat on opposite side. Watch Erik Dalton's "Watch the Walk" technique video here.

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