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dorsiflexion and causing torsion on the ankle. Use your knuckles or the ulnar surface of your forearm to soften and free this tissue. Anchor in one direction and then mobilize the ankle in any opposing direction to improve freedom. This is an excellent technique after ankle sprains or on virtually anyone who wishes easier ankle movement. IMPROVING HIP MOBILITY The rectus femoris and front of the pelvis will become short and tight if your client has been walking with a limp that prevents the leg from freely swinging back into extension. Working in the neutral supine position will soften tissue but not stretch enough to open the area. This position allows you to work easily using your own body weight as you stretch the leg into extension. Support your client's head and neck, and possibly low back, with pillows and have your client pull her opposite leg to her chest to keep the pelvis in a neutral position. Apply pressure with your other hand to extend the hip and work in the direction of the stretch, using your fingers for superficial tissue and your forearm for deep muscular work on the quadriceps. This technique is also useful for By flexing the leg with the knee relatively straight, you can place the hamstrings on a nice stretch while releasing any areas, both anchoring and stretching against the stretch. Don't strain yourself by holding the leg with your arm if your client is large. You can have your client help you by pulling her leg toward her chest or even have your client apply the stretch by using a strap over the bottom of her foot. working with the psoas in a stretch, but do not overextend the hip. If the hip is too extended, it becomes difficult to sink through the superficial tissue in the anterior pelvis to contact the psoas. HOLISTIC CONNECTIONS I hope these articles have given you insight into the interesting interrelationship of the joints of the legs, as well as some specific tools to successfully treat problems, not only to the knees, but to the other joints of the lower extremity. All joints of the leg are inextricably linked together in a complex feedback loop that must be treated in a holistic manner for the best results. Remember, each client will present unique adaptive mechanisms to injury and the solutions to solving limping problems rarely are simple or lie in only one area. These considerations are what make our work so interesting and rewarding. A holistic treatment not only includes a broad view of distant joints and compensations, but should consider the whole person you are working with, including the causative factors of an injury (especially with overuse injuries), a client's approach to self-help though home programs of stretching and strengthening, and the associated emotional feelings. Fear, anger, depression, and self-judgment are often associated with injuries. We always treat more than muscle, tendon, and bone. The best therapists' skills are more of an art than a craft, as they provide a hopeful healing environment for their clients with their humanity and contact with the person behind the injury. who has been practicing and teaching in the San Francisco Bay area and internationally for over more than 20 years. His graduate studies were in exercise physiology at the University of California in Berkeley. He is the author of Deep Tissue Massage: A Visual Guide to Techniques (North Atlantic Books, 2002), now in a second edition and translated into five languages, and the seven-volume companion DVD set. Visit his website at www.deeptissuemassagemanual.com. Art Riggs is a certified advanced Rolfer Editor's note: Massage & Bodywork magazine is dedicated to educating readers within the scope of practice for massage therapy. This feature was written based on author Art Riggs' years of experience and education. It is meant to add to readers' knowledge, not to dictate their treatment protocols. visit massageandbodywork.com to access your digital magazine 93