When we think about the hips, the muscles we most often thing of are the glutes, hamstrings, and quads, right? But there’s an other group of hip muscles we often overlook – the hip adductors. The five muscles that make up the adductors – Adductor brevis, adductor longus, adductor magnus, gracilis, and pectineus are responsible for bring the hip into adduction – that is, moving the femur medially (toward the centerline of the body) But…
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is one of the most misdiagnosed pain conditions. Why, you ask? Because of three tiny muscles in the neck called the scalenes, or more specifically, the anterior, middle, and posterior scalene muscles. Myofascial Trigger Points (tender spots) in the scalene muscles can mimic several other pain conditions, and yet they are relatively easy to treat and control. How do the scalenes do it? It’s pretty simple – the nerves that power the…
Shoulder Pain, Part 2: The Tricksy Supraspinatus Did you know that the most commonly injured rotator cuff muscle is the small but mighty supraspinatus? It’s true. Because of how the muscle is located on the body and in relationship to the acromial clavicular joint and the humerus, it’s often caught in a scissor-like pincing and can be torn pretty easily. Also, the supraspinatus can be the source of referred pain in the shoulder and elbow,…