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When treating joint pain and dysfunction, the first priority is to develop tolerance to basic movements. So if we think about hip pain for example, if the hip can’t flex and extend, abduct and adduct, or rotate without hurting, that hip is going to have a lot of...

Neck pain is a common presentation to any chiropractic or physiotherapy clinic. And prescribing home exercises to these patients is a key step in the recovery process. Remember, movement is a powerful stimulus to control symptoms and guide tissue healing. (Quick side...

In this article series we've been talking about exercises to build lower back strength and endurance. In Part 1 we discussed the limitations of exercises like planks, bridges, and bird-dogs. In Part 2 we introduced the idea of loaded pelvic tilts as a better...

In this article series we’ve been talking about essential exercise progressions for developing lower back strength and endurance. In Part 1 we talked about the limitations of traditional exercises like planks, side-bridges, bird-dogs, and bridges. Then, in Part 2, we...

To build lower back strength and endurance we need to move beyond planks, bridges, and brrd-dogs.  That was the key message from Part 1 of this article series. We need to load the spine though it’s full range of motion. But how? For this we need to utilize a movement...

Developing strength and endurance is a common goal in lower back rehabilitation. So many exercise programs here focus around trying to create a more “stable” spine. Here we see exercises like planks, side-planks, bird-dogs, and bridges as the primary staple in so many...

The value of lower back flexibility has become a controversial and debated topic in recent years.  Many therapists and clinicians even hold spine flexibility as a less desirable trait. Something to be avoided. This stems from the belief that excessive motion leads to...

The scapula is a critical link with shoulder and arm function. And because of the muscular connections, dysfunction here can play a big part with both neck and thoracic pain. But this is also an often neglected area with training and rehabilitation. So we're going to...

Hip rotation is arguably the most basic and fundamental motion needed for a healthy and well-functioning hip. If a hip can't rotate it can't be a normal, healthy hip. But rotation is also one of the most ignored and under-trained hip motions. Here are 5 simple...

We often think of the hamstrings as being tight and inflexible. As if they always need to be stretched. But adequate hamstring strength and endurance is also critically important. Here are 4 key hamstring exercise progressions to build strength and endurance in this...

We’ve been talking about essential exercises for lower back pain. We started by reviewing essential exercises for acute low back pain. The goal here was to use focused movements as a way to control symptoms and desensitize the system.  Then in Part 3 we shifted...

In the last article we reviewed essential exercises for acute low back pain. The key there was to control symptoms and develop tolerance to basic spine motion. Now we want to shift our focus to more general back pain cases. These are the patients that present to your...

Exercises for lower back pain is a critical and non-negotiable part of treatment and rehabilitation. This is about as close to an agreed upon, universal, undisputed fact that we can get when it comes to musculoskeletal care. And this applies across the spectrum of...

In my last article we started talking about the importance of knee rotation, which is an absolutely critical yet often neglected fundamental motion. There we covered why knee rotation is so important, and reviewed assessment strategies to go through with your patients...