The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is a fancy word for the space between your jaw and your skull. You have two of them, one on either side of your face. The TMJ is a wonderful thing when it works correctly. It allows you to talk, eat, drink, chew, sing, laugh, yawn, and breathe through your mouth. You get the point, it does a lot. The joint itself is small but really strong. In fact, it can endure up to 250 pounds!

Michelle Cesan, former Princeton University Field Hockey Player and member of the USA National Field Hockey Team, had been dealing with back issues for over a year. She reported, “Though I was able to get temporary relief through heat, massage and chiropractic means, nothing lasted more than a day.” Her coaches, trainers and doctors were unsure of the root cause of her symptoms, since both the MRI and bone scan were negative.

The War on Pain has begun! But in order to defeat this enemy, we first have to understand it. Many people simply mask pain by avoiding activity and taking increasing amounts of medication like opioids.

Two physical therapy studies here suggest push-ups in Redcord suspension slings are superior to ground based push-ups for improving function of the lumbar muscles. Low back pain patients responded well to this type of muscle activation.

The SFMA is something I now use every day in my practice, and with every single patient. It is a systematic process of looking at the body as a whole to find the primary source of movement dysfunction and pain. Interestingly, the source of dysfunction is often not at the site where clients actually experience their symptoms.

Chaturanga is a particularly challenging pose requiring significant muscular support to perform it correctly. Yet, it is one of the first moves you learn in many yoga practices.