PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION RESOURCES

Blogs and articles.

Explore practical articles, clinical insights and educational resources for massage therapists, manual therapists, rehabilitation professionals, athletic trainers and other healthcare practitioners.

ANATOMYMuscles, movement and functional relationships
CONDITIONSCommon pain patterns, injuries and presentations
TECHNIQUESMassage, manual therapy and rehabilitation approaches
PRACTICEEvidence, professional development and self-care

Blogs and Articles

10 Manual Therapy Techniques to Enhance Your Practice - Niel Asher Education
10 Manual Therapy Techniques to Enhance Your Practice
Hands-On Healing: 10 Techniques That Make a Difference After decades of working as a manual therapists, we've seen firsthand the incredible power of hands-on healing. We have a vast array... Read more...
Trigger Point Release for Sternocleidomastoid (SCM) - Niel Asher Education
Trigger Point Release for Sternocleidomastoid (SCM)
    ActiveTrigger Points in the Sternocleidomastoid (SCM) Can Appear for a Host of Reasons - the Symptoms Can Often be Chronic Pain   Trigger Point Anatomy - Sternocleidomastoid (SCM)... Read more...
Pectoralis Major Treatment with Muscle Energy Techniques - Niel Asher Education
Pectoralis Major Treatment with Muscle Energy Techniques
Pectoralis Major Muscle The Pectoralis Major, commonly referred to as the Pecks, is the largest of the chest muscles. It purpose is to adduct and medially rotate the humerus and has two starting... Read more...
Treating Common Sports Injuries - Tendinitis of the Adductor Muscles - Niel Asher Education
Treating Common Sports Injuries - Tendinitis of the Adductor Muscles
  Hip Adductor Muscles     Hip Adductors - Trigger Point Anatomy     Tendinitis of the Adductor Muscles - The pain is similar to a groin strain but onset... Read more...
Muscle Energy Technique - Gastrocnemius - Niel Asher Education
Muscle Energy Technique - Gastrocnemius
  Scroll down for step-by-step instructions for treating this muscle using the Muscle Energy Technique protocol       Gastrocnemius - Common Trigger Point Sites   Gastrocnemius The gastrocnemius is... Read more...
Trigger Point Therapy - Treating Trapezius for Head, Neck and Shoulder Pain - Niel Asher Education
Trigger Point Therapy - Treating Trapezius for Head, Neck and Shoulder Pain
  Stuart Hinds: Treating trapezius trigger points with a Muscle Energy Technique (MET).        Just about everyone has trapezius trigger points. In most cases they can be treated simply... Read more...
Trigger Point Therapy - Muscle Energy Techniques (MET's) - Niel Asher Education
Trigger Point Therapy - Muscle Energy Techniques (MET's)
Stuart Hinds - MET for Scalenes/SCM   Muscle Energy Techniques (METs) are increasingly being used to help dissipate trigger points - especially in cases of chronic shortening of the muscles... Read more...
Trigger Point Therapy - Treating Latissimus Dorsi - Niel Asher Education
Trigger Point Therapy - Treating Latissimus Dorsi
      A muscle this size, covering so much of the ribcage, will also have an influence on diaphragmatic function     Treating Latissimus Dorsi Trigger Points - Dr.... Read more...
Trigger Point Therapy - Postural and Phasic Muscles - Niel Asher Education
Trigger Point Therapy - Postural and Phasic Muscles
  Postural Muscles and Trigger Points - Dr. Jonathan Kuttner M.D.     When your muscles are placed under faulty or repetitive loading, the postural muscles will shorten and the... Read more...
Muscle Energy Technique - Levator Scapulae - Niel Asher Education
Muscle Energy Technique - Levator Scapulae
Levator Scapulae - Trigger Point Anatomy     MET's are sometimes used by therapists in combination with trigger point therapy protocols Muscle Energy Techniques (MET's) emerged as a form of osteopathic... Read more...
Muscle Energy Techniques - Treating Subscapularis - Niel Asher Education
Muscle Energy Techniques - Treating Subscapularis
Trigger Points in Subscapularis - it's important to include stretching as part of treatment. MET's may be effective (see below).   Studies have shown that a combination of compression, stretching and... Read more...
How to Stretch for the IT Band - Niel Asher Education
How to Stretch for the IT Band
Stretching for the IT Band Post Play/Workout     The soft tissue structure of the ITB has been shown through research not to change in length by even 1% using... Read more...
Muscle Energy Technique - Pectoralis Major - Niel Asher Education
Muscle Energy Technique - Pectoralis Major
  Muscle Energy Technique - Pectoralis Major (Stuart Hinds)       Pectoralis Major - Common Trigger Point Sites   Useful Links Find a Trigger Point Professional in your area... Read more...
Understanding Muscle Energy Techniques (METs) - Niel Asher Education
Understanding Muscle Energy Techniques (METs)
   Muscle Energy Techniques Explained   What are METs and how and when should they be used? The purpose of today's blog is to explain the role of muscle energy techniques... Read more...
Trigger Point Therapy - Passive Release Technique for Hamstring Muscles - Niel Asher Education
Trigger Point Therapy - Passive Release Technique for Hamstring Muscles
  Stuart Hinds - Passive Positional Release Technique for Hamstring Muscles   About Positional Release Techniques Positional Release techniques (also known as Strain-Counterstrain) are a form of hands-on treatment that are... Read more...
Myofascial Release Techniques for the Rhomboids / Thoracic Spine using Soft Tissue Release (STR) - Niel Asher Education
Myofascial Release Techniques for the Rhomboids / Thoracic Spine using Soft Tissue Release (STR)
 Sports Osteopath John Gibbons demonstrates myofascial release techniques for the Rhomboids and Erector Spinae   Rhomboids and Trigger Points A hypertonic rhomboid will have a marked effect on the positioning... Read more...
Muscle Energy Techniques - PIR Versus RI - Niel Asher Education
Muscle Energy Techniques - PIR Versus RI
Post-Isometric Relaxation (PIR) or Reciprocal Inhibition (RI)? PIR or RI? How much pain the client is presenting with is generally the deciding factor in determining which method to initially apply. The PIR... Read more...
Testing for Leg Length Discrepancy - Niel Asher Education
Testing for Leg Length Discrepancy
  John Gibbons - Sports Osteopath and Lecturer   Leg length discrepancies are typically classified either "structural" or "functional" Leg length discrepancies are typically classified as structural or functional.  A structural discrepancy is... Read more...