You move the way you train

Shirley Sahrmann, PT, PhD. is a world renowned physical therapist and house hold name in connection with movement system impairment syndromes (MSI). Shirley has been shaping the education system in the States for many decades and continues to be active as a clinician and teacher at Washington University. Recently, I attended her lower quadrant course on MSI of the lumbar spine and the influences of and relationship to the hip. This blog is an overview of the key messages I took away from the course.

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Flexion relaxation response & low back pain

The flexion relaxation response is a phenomenon where the lumbar erector spinae muscles become silent at the end of lumbar flexion, and is an important part of being able to achieve full range. This blog explores the FRR and offers simple and easy treatment strategies for patients with low back pain. 

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Surgery for Sciatica - a clinical commentary with Dr Lynn Bardin

This blog aims to explore how the science of clinical anatomy combined with our clinical assessment and decision-making process can be used in diagnosis and management, including referral for a spinal surgery consultation. For this Dr Lynn Bardin, who lectures and tutors clinical anatomy at Melbourne University and works as a consultant spine physiotherapist at SUPERSPINE and at Austin Health, Melbourne, was invited to contribute a clinical commentary.

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A targeted Pilates program for low back pain

During my recent trip to Melbourne I had the pleasure of observing Dr Lynn Bardin in the SPINE Pilates class. I thought it was a great time to reflect on what I have learnt this year about the Pilates method, discuss a few ways that my thinking and teaching has changed, and discuss how Lynn Bardin tailors a Pilates program to be specific and effective for the management of low back pain.  

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Lumbar disc herniation with radiculopathy - a case study

How would you treat a patient presenting with severe low back pain radiating into their leg? What treatments do you fall back on day 1? Lets take a look at my clinical reasoning of a young female with lumbar disc herniation with radiculopathy. 

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