What conditions can Clinical Somatics help?

Clinical Somatics is highly effective for resolving functional musculoskeletal conditions. These are conditions caused by chronic muscle tension, postural misalignment, and habitual movement patterns.

Clinical Somatics can prevent, alleviate, and completely resolve a wide range of functional musculoskeletal conditions. The exercises also have benefits for other health issues, some of which are listed below. Please click on each condition to learn more.

What conditions can Clinical Somatics help?

Autoimmune conditions

Many autoimmune conditions involve pain and physical limitations. Some of the most common autoimmune conditions that bring people to Clinical Somatics are rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, ankylosing spondylitis, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue syndrome.

While Clinical Somatics does not directly address the underlying causes of autoimmune conditions, it does have some benefits. Clinical Somatics is a very gentle way to move your body and improve your muscular control when you can’t do more vigorous exercise. Clinical Somatics also reduces stress, which is common factor in autoimmune conditions.

If you have a diagnosed autoimmune condition, it’s important that you do some investigation to figure out what triggered it. Chronic infections and diet are two of the most common triggers.

Bursitis

Bursitis occurs when a bursa (a small sac of connective tissue filled with synovial fluid) gets inflamed and causes joint pain. This painful inflammation is often caused by repetitive movements. When a tendon repeatedly rubs over a bursa, the bursa can become irritated. The inflammatory process increases the amount of synovial fluid inside the bursa, and the increased pressure from the fluid causes pain. Muscles around the painful joint will often tighten up to splint the injury, limiting range of motion of the joint. Bursitis can occur in any joint, but most often develops in the shoulder, elbow, hip, or knee.

Clinical Somatics can be very helpful in resolving bursitis. Releasing tight muscles and retraining learned motor patterns are an important part of the healing process. Since bursitis tends to occur for the same reasons as tendinopathies, you may find the 8-step recovery process described in this article helpful:
Tendinitis vs. Tendinosis: What’s the Difference? And 8 Steps to Recovery

Carpal tunnel syndrome

If you have carpal tunnel syndrome and do repetitive tasks with your hands, it’s very likely that your median nerve is being compressed as it passes through the carpal tunnel of your wrist. However, compression of this nerve can occur anywhere along its path: in your forearm, elbow, upper arm, thoracic outlet, and even where the nerve emerges from the spinal cord in between your vertebrae. When this nerve is compressed, you experience the painful symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome.

In order to relieve this compression, you have to release your tight muscles—not only in your wrist and hand, but also in your arm, shoulder, chest, and even your back and waist. People who have carpal tunnel syndrome typically have chronic muscle tension throughout their upper body on the side on which they have carpal tunnel. So, it’s important to address the entire pattern of tension. And, if possible, it’s very important to reduce or avoid the repetitive activity that caused the carpal tunnel syndrome in the first place.

Clinical Somatics exercises are very effective for releasing the pattern of muscle tension present in carpal tunnel syndrome. If you want to learn how to relieve carpal tunnel syndrome with Clinical Somatics, please read How to Relieve Carpal Tunnel Syndrome with Clinical Somatics.

De Quervain tenosynovitis

De Quervain tenosynovitis is a condition involving the tendons on the thumb side of the wrist. It is most often caused by chronic overuse, which leads to irritation of the tendon sheaths. The tendons can then thicken and swell, limiting movement of the tendons and causing pain. Other causes of de Quervain tenosynovitis include injury, inflammatory arthritis, and fluid retention.

If your case of de Quervain tenosynovitis is caused by repetitive movements of your hand, the first step in recovery is to stop or greatly reduce the movement that has led to the irritation of the tendons. Then, Clinical Somatics exercises may be helpful in retraining any habitual muscular patterns that have contributed to your condition.

Disc degeneration

Disc degeneration is virtually always the result of chronic muscle tension, posture, and how we move and use our body on a regular basis. As such, Clinical Somatics exercises are an ideal way to prevent and heal disc degeneration. Disc degeneration can occur at any age, but the rate increases with age simply because the longer we misuse our body, the more likely it is to gradually break down.

The good news is that disc degeneration is not inevitable; it’s just one of the negative effects of poor posture, imbalanced movement patterns, chronically tight muscles, and repetitive strain. Degenerative discs can potentially heal if given the chance. The inflammatory process automatically kicks in to repair the discs, and if compression on the spine is reduced and muscular patterns are improved, discs may heal and resume their normal size and function. However, spinal discs have limited blood supply, so doctors estimate that the healing process can take up to two years.

To learn more, please read How to Prevent and Alleviate Spinal Degeneration.

Fascial adhesions

Fascial adhesions are strands and sheets of fascia that stick to each other and/or to muscles, limiting movement and causing pain. They can occur as a result of a number of factors: lack of movement, limited range of motion, repetitive movements, and trauma. In people who maintain a healthy level of activity, fascial adhesions are broken up and resorbed through movement. But a sedentary lifestyle allows adhesions to accumulate and worsen until range of motion and overall mobility is significantly restricted.

Adhesions limit the ability of the muscles to fully release and lengthen. Over time, they can cause muscles to become tighter and misalignment to develop simply because the muscles aren’t able to move through their full range of motion. However, it should be noted that most often fascial adhesions develop as a result of muscle tension and habitual body use, and not the other way around.

Clinical Somatics exercises are the ideal way to prevent fascial adhesions from developing, and to allow existing adhesions to be resolved. To learn more, please read How Does Fascia Affect Our Pain and Mobility?

Forward head posture

Forward head posture describes our posture when we tilt our head downward and/or bring our head and neck in front of the rest of our spine. Forward head posture is becoming an epidemic due to constant use of smartphones and computers. When we look downward repeatedly, the muscles in the front of our neck, our chest, and our abdomen become chronically contracted—and they keep us stuck in forward head posture all the time.

Forward head posture leads to many serious issues like cervical disc problems, numbness in the arms and hands, muscle spasms, chronic neck pain, shallow breathing, headaches, and temporomandibular joint disorders. Clinical Somatics is the ideal and most effective way to release the tight muscles that cause forward head posture, and to retrain your posture and proprioception.

Frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis)

Frozen shoulder, or adhesive capsulitis, involves a gradual “freezing” of the shoulder joint, in which the joint capsule gradually becomes tighter. This condition is often directly related to lack of movement. It typically occurs in people who have had to keep their shoulder immobile after a rotator cuff injury, a broken arm, or surgery, and people who have conditions that limit their mobility, like stroke or Parkinson’s disease.

Connective tissue adapts to the amount of movement demanded from it, so it becomes tighter with less movement and looser with more movement. This can be a vicious cycle, because as the joint capsule gets tighter, movement becomes more difficult and sometimes painful, limiting movement further and causing the tissues to tighten even more.

With proper treatment, most people regain mobility and recover from this condition without surgery. Gentle, natural movement has been shown to be the most effective treatment for frozen shoulder. Research has demonstrated the role that chronic muscle tension plays in developing frozen shoulder.

Clinical Somatics exercises are an ideal way to prevent and recover from frozen shoulder, but you will probably need to modify some of the movements so that the arm positions are comfortable for you. In some cases, you may find that the seated versions of the exercises are more comfortable for you than the floor exercises. If you want to learn more, please read
Adhesive Capsulitis: What Causes Frozen Shoulder, and the Most Effective Treatment.

Functional leg length discrepancy (lateral pelvic tilt)

Functional leg length discrepancy, or lateral pelvic tilt, occurs when one hip is held higher than the other. This makes the legs appear to be different lengths, even though they are actually the same length. This occurs because the muscles of the waist, lower back, and hip have become chronically tight on one side, and these tight muscles are hiking one hip up higher than the other (laterally tilting the pelvis).

Clinical Somatics is the ideal and most effective way to resolve functional leg length discrepancy. To learn more, please read The Myth of Unequal Leg Length.

Headache

Headaches are one of the most frustrating pain conditions because the causes are so varied and can seem completely mysterious. In fact, over 150 different types of headache have been established by the International Classification of Headache Disorders. According to the National Headache Foundation, 78% of all headaches are classified as tension headaches, which can be brought on by chronic muscle tension as well as stress, anxiety, or injury. Tension headaches typically feel dull and aching, as if a band is tightening around your head.

Chronic muscle tension throughout the head, neck, and back can cause and contribute to tension headaches. If muscle tension and/or stress are contributing to your headaches, practicing Clinical Somatics exercises will help by releasing your muscle tension and calming your nervous system. To learn more, please read The Anatomy of Your Tension Headache.

Hyperlordosis

Hyperlordosis describes an exaggerated arching of the lower back, or lumbar spine. Hyperlordosis occurs when the muscles of the lower back and/or hip flexors become chronically tight, pulling the lumbar spine into an exaggerated arch and tipping the pelvis forward. Stress, athletic training, heavy lifting, and even personality can contribute to developing hyperlordosis. Some conditions that can result or be associated with hyperlordosis include back pain, sciatica and piriformis syndrome, lumbar disc problems, and sacroiliac joint dysfunction and pain. Clinical Somatics exercises are the ideal and most effective way to release the tight muscles that cause hyperlordosis, and to retrain your posture and proprioception.

Idiopathic scoliosis

While some scoliosis cases are caused by congenital structural abnormalities or neurological or muscular diseases, the vast majority—around 85%—are of unknown cause. These cases are classified as idiopathic scoliosis.

The skeleton does not move unless muscles move them, and muscles are controlled by the nervous system. So when vertebrae move out of alignment in any way, they are being moved by muscles, which are being controlled by the nervous system. Many cases of idiopathic scoliosis are caused simply by chronically tight muscles pulling the spine out of alignment.

When the nervous system is sending messages to the muscles to stay tight, no amount of passive lengthening (such as static stretching or massage) or forced re-alignment (such as bracing or chiropractic) can change these messages.

Clinical Somatics exercises are the ideal and most effective way to release the tight muscles that cause idiopathic scoliosis. To learn more about the patterns of muscular contraction present in idiopathic scoliosis and how to release them, please read The Cause of Idiopathic Scoliosis: Involuntary Muscle Contraction.

And watch: How Muscles Contract in Scoliosis C Curve.

Iliopsoas syndrome

Iliopsoas syndrome is a way of describing the painful symptoms that can result from chronic tension, spasm, or injury to the psoas major and iliacus muscle. You might have pain, tension, or spasms in your lower back or hips. You may have pain in your groin or pelvis, or pain that radiates down your leg. Your pelvis and lower back might be out of alignment, in hyperlordosis, lateral pelvic tilt, pelvic rotation or torsion. And, you might feel a popping deep in your hip when you move your hip in certain ways. This is all the result of chronic tightness in the iliopsoas, and it can be prevented and completely alleviated with Clinical Somatics.

Joint pain

Joint pain is a general symptom that can be caused by many different things. Joint pain is often caused by misalignment and overuse, in which case too much pressure and unnatural strain is being put on a joint, and no structural damage to the joint has occurred yet. In this scenario, Clinical Somatics can relieve joint pain completely, because the exercises release tight muscles and re-align posture and movement so that unnatural strain and pressure is not being put on the joint.

Joint pain can also be caused by tendinopathies, bursitis, osteoarthritis, or an autoimmune disease. If you are diagnosed with any of these conditions, please refer to those sections on this page.

So, the first step in treating your joint pain is to figure out the cause. In many cases, Clinical Somatics can prevent and relieve joint pain.

Limited mobility

Clinical Somatics is an ideal way to improve your mobility. The exercises gently release tight muscles that feel frozen, improve the range of motion of your joints, and improve muscular control. If you’re not able to get down to the floor or back up, or if lying on the floor is not comfortable for you, you can practice the exercises seated upright in a chair.

You should always remember that you’re in charge of this process. If there’s a movement that doesn’t feel good for your body, then don’t do it. You are always free to stay in a very small range of motion if that feels better for your body. You can modify the movements in any way that you need to in order to make them comfortable and doable for you.

Lower crossed syndrome

Lower crossed syndrome describes a pattern of tight and inactive muscles in the core of the body. In this pattern, the extensor muscles of the thoracic and lumbar spine and the hip flexors (iliopsoas, rectus femoris, and others) are chronically tight. The muscles that do the opposing actions—the abdominals (transverse abdominis, internal and external obliques, and rectus abdominis) and gluteus maximus—are inactive.

As the thoracolumbar extensors and hip flexors become chronically tight, tipping the pelvis forward and creating an exaggerated arch in the lower back, the abdominals and gluteus maximus are used less and less. It becomes increasingly difficult to voluntarily contract these muscles so they can do their intended function, because they have to fight against the opposing muscles that are being held tight by the nervous system. Thus, the abdominals and gluteus maximus get labeled as “weak,” but a more accurate term is inactive or inhibited.

Working to activate these inactive muscles will not be productive unless you also release the chronically tight antagonist muscles. As they release, you’ll become better able to develop voluntary control and strength in the inactive muscles.

Clinical Somatics is the ideal and most effective way to release the muscles that are chronically tight in lower crossed syndrome, and to regain voluntary control of the inhibited muscles. To learn more, please read How to Resolve Lower Crossed Syndrome with Clinical Somatics Exercises.

Muscle soreness and muscle pain

Muscle soreness and pain are the direct result of chronic tension building up in muscles over time. When you repeat certain postures or movements over and over in your daily life, your nervous system starts to make those postures and movements automatic. Part of this process of developing muscle memory is that your nervous system tends to retain some tension in the muscles involved in your repetitive patterns. So over time, you build up more and more resting tension in the muscles that get used most often.

Reducing this resting level of tension, or baseline level of tension, in your muscles is exactly what pandiculation does. So if you have muscle tension or muscle pain anywhere in your body that’s caused by repetitive body use, Clinical Somatics is the ideal and most effective way to release your tension and relieve your pain.

Muscle spasms and cramps

Muscle spasms and cramps tend to occur in muscles that are overworked and muscles that are being held in a shortened state for long periods of time. Cramps come on suddenly, and can be very painful, but they tend to resolve themselves fairly quickly. Spasms last longer, and are very painful. If you or anyone you know has ever thrown their back out, it means that the back muscles have gone into spasm. It can take a long time for the nervous system to let go of the tension in muscles once they’ve gone into spasm.

Clinical Somatics exercises are very effective for preventing and recovering from spasms and cramps, because pandiculation reduces the baseline level of tension in muscles. By reducing that baseline level of tension, you’re automatically less likely to experience a spasm or cramp. The exercises also increase internal awareness tremendously, so you’ll be much more aware if you’re building up tension and getting close to that point where you might experience a spasm or cramp. To learn more, please read What Really Causes Muscle Cramps?

Neurodegenerative conditions

Clinical Somatics exercises can be helpful in reducing pain and physical limitations related to neurodegenerative conditions, such as Parkinson’s disease or ALS. The exercises do not address the underlying causes of these conditions, but they can improve physical comfort and abilities. The movements release chronic muscle tension, improve muscular control, improve posture and movement, and improve balance. If you’re not able to get down to the floor or lie on the floor comfortably, you can do the seated versions of the exercises that are practiced sitting upright in a chair.

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis occurs when cartilage, the connective tissue that protects the ends of bones, wears away. This gradual breakdown can occur in any joint, but most often affects the parts of the body that bear weight and get used the most: the hands, spine, hips, and knees. As cartilage gets worn away, joints become stiff and painful, and bone rubbing against bone can cause deformity of the joints.

Some risk factors for osteoarthritis, such as age and gender, are non-controllable. However, osteoarthritis is very often preventable or manageable with lifestyle habits. To learn more, please read If You Have Osteoarthritis, Here’s How to Give Your Cartilage the Best Chance to Heal. In that article I discuss the symptoms and risk factors for osteoarthritis; the controllable lifestyle factors; how cartilage repairs itself; and how to best take care of yourself in order to let your joints heal.

Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis causes bones to become weak and brittle, so if you have osteoporosis you’re at increased risk for fractures. Clinical Somatics doesn’t strengthen your bones, but the movements do improve your muscular control and make you feel much better in your body, which will make exercise easier. Weight-bearing exercise is one of the most effective things you can do to strengthen your bones. So if pain, tension, or limited mobility is preventing you from doing weight-bearing exercise, you can practice Clinical Somatics to help you become more mobile. If you and your doctor have any concerns about flexing or twisting your spine, please be mindful of that as you practice Clinical Somatics exercises. You can skip the flexing and twisting movements entirely, or just stay in a very small range of motion that feels safe for your body.

Pelvic rotation

Pelvic rotation, also called rotated pelvis, occurs when the pelvis turns to the right or the left, as if you’re doing the Twist. You can also imagine the pelvis rotating like a Lazy Susan.

When the pelvis rotates laterally to the right, the left hip shifts forward and the right hip shifts backward. When the pelvis rotates laterally to the left, the right hip shifts forward and the left hip shifts backward. If chronic muscle tension is keeping the pelvis stuck in either of these positions, the misalignment will affect the entire body. Some conditions associated with pelvic rotation include pronation and supination of the feet, lower back pain, functional leg length discrepancy, pelvic torsion, sacroiliac joint dysfunction and pain, iliotibial band syndrome, and snapping hip syndrome.

Clinical Somatics is the ideal way to release the tight muscles that cause pelvic rotation, which include the obliques, the extensors of the lower back and hips, and the hip rotators. To learn more, please read How to Fix Lateral Pelvic Rotation (Rotated Pelvis) With Clinical Somatics Exercises.

Pelvic torsion

The skeleton of the pelvis is made up of two large coxal bones, often referred to as hip bones, along with the sacrum and the coccyx, the bones at the base of the spine. Pelvic torsion, also called twisted pelvis, occurs when one coxal bone is rotated forward (in anterior pelvic rotation) or backward (in posterior pelvic rotation) in relation to the other coxal bone.

If chronic muscle tension is keeping the pelvis stuck in a twisted position, the misalignment can affect the posture, movement, and patterns of muscle tension in the entire body, and can often result in pain. Some conditions associated with pelvic torsion include lower back pain, functional leg length discrepancy, pelvic rotation, sacroiliac joint dysfunction and pain, snapping hip syndrome, iliopsoas syndrome, and iliotibial band syndrome.

Clinical Somatics is the ideal way to release the tight muscles that cause pelvic torsion. To learn more, please read How to Fix Pelvic Torsion (Twisted Pelvis) With Clinical Somatics Exercises.

Plantar fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis is a condition in which the connective tissue that supports the arch of the foot becomes inflamed and painful. It is very often related to a full-body pattern of tension that involves the muscles along the back side of the body, starting with the lower back. Plantar fasciitis is also related to footwear, repetitive activities, and body weight. In most cases, Clinical Somatics can allow you to completely alleviate plantar fasciitis, but you may also have to make changes to your lifestyle or your footwear. If you want to learn more about the pattern of tension on the back of the body that tends to be involved in plantar fasciitis, please read Did You Know That Plantar Fasciitis Starts in Your Lower Back?

Piriformis syndrome

The sciatic nerve is the largest and thickest nerve in the human body. Nerves exiting the spine between the fourth lumbar vertebra and the third sacral vertebra come together to form the sciatic nerve, which runs through the buttocks and all the way down each leg. The sciatic nerve is responsible for much of the sensation and motor control of the legs and feet.

In a small portion of the population, the sciatic nerve runs through a gluteal muscle called the piriformis instead of underneath it. For these people, chronic tightness in the piriformis can compress the sciatic nerve, causing piriformis syndrome. The symptoms of sciatica and piriformis syndrome are generally the same; the distinction is made based on where the nerve compression occurs.

Clinical Somatics is the ideal way to release and retrain the pattern of muscle tension that causes piriformis syndrome. To learn more, please read The Functional Cause of Sciatica.

Postural kyphosis

Postural kyphosis describes an exaggerated rounding of the upper back, or thoracic spine. Postural kyphosis occurs when the muscles of the abdomen and chest become chronically tight, pulling the head and shoulders forward and bringing the thoracic spine into an exaggerated forward curve. Stress, fatigue, repetitive activities, certain types of athletic training, and even personality can contribute to developing postural kyphosis. Some conditions that can result or be associated with postural kyphosis include neck and back pain, disc degeneration, shallow breathing, high blood pressure, digestive and elimination issues. Clinical Somatics exercises are the ideal and most effective way to release the tight muscles that cause postural kyphosis, and to retrain your posture and proprioception.

Radiculopathy/Sciatica

Radiculopathy, which is also referred to as a pinched nerve, is compression of a nerve that causes numbness, weakness, pain, or tingling. This can occur anywhere, but most often occurs in the neck or the lower back. Many people experience sciatica, which is compression of the sciatic nerve as it exits the lumbar spine. By the time you get diagnosed with sciatica, the cause might appear to be structural; it’s very often a herniated disc that’s pressing on the root of the sciatic nerve.

However, this structural issue begins with your function: how you’re sitting, standing, and moving every day, and the patterns of muscle tension that you develop as a result of those habits. Many cases of radiculopathy can be eliminated, and virtually all can be prevented, by releasing the chronic muscle tension in the back and neck that compresses the spine.

Sacroiliac joint dysfunction and pain

The sacroiliac joints (SI joints) are the joints where the sacrum and ilium meet. Due to their location at the center of the skeleton, the SI joints have very important jobs: they support the spine and the entire weight of the upper body, transfer forces from the spine to the legs, and provide stability and mobility during movement.

The sacrum and ilium bones are connected by a strong system of ligaments. These ligaments provide support for the SI joints and allow a small but necessary amount of movement. However, issues such as imbalanced posture and movement, chronically tight muscles, and injury to or laxity of ligaments can all cause dysfunction of the SI joints. Some common symptoms of SI joint dysfunction include pain in the lower back, SI joints, buttocks, hips, and groin; pain radiating down the legs; and tingling, numbness, or weakness in the buttocks or legs.

When SI joint dysfunction is caused by chronically tight muscles and imbalanced posture and movement, Clinical Somatics is an ideal and effective way to realign the joints and resolve associated pain. To learn more, please read The Causes of SI Joint Pain and Dysfunction.

Shallow breathing

Shallow breathing is the result of chronic muscle tension and stress. Tight abdominal and chest muscles compress the lungs and abdomen, making it very difficult to let your abdomen and chest expand so that you can fully inhale. You may also have chronic tension in your diaphragm muscle. Pandiculation is the ideal way to address shallow breathing, as it allows you to release this chronic tension so that you can fully inhale. If you want to learn more about diaphragmatic breathing and which exercises to do to address shallow breathing, please read How to Relieve Shallow Breathing.

Snapping hip syndrome

If you consistently feel a snapping or popping sensation in your hip when you move it around, then you have a common condition called snapping hip syndrome. There are three different types of snapping hip syndrome. The first is external: this is caused by the iliotibial band snapping over the greater trochanter of the femur bone. The second type is internal: this is known as dancer’s hip, and it’s caused by the iliopsoas tendon snapping over bony structures in the hip. These two types of snapping hip syndrome are caused by tight muscles pulling on connective tissues, and both can be prevented and completely alleviated with Clinical Somatics.

The third type of snapping hip syndrome is intra-articular. This type is caused by an injury to the hip joint or bone fragments that are trapped in the joint. This type of snapping hip syndrome could in some cases be prevented with regular practice of Clinical Somatics, but once the damage to the joint is done, there’s a limit to how much the exercises can help.

If you want to learn more about snapping hip syndrome, please read What’s Causing Your Snapping Hip Syndrome?

Stress and trauma

We tend to hold stress and anxiety in our body as muscle tension. When we feel stress, our muscle tension increases. If we experience chronic stress, we tend to adopt certain habitual postures depending on the type of stress we feel. Positive or “challenge” stress tends to lead to an arched back, while negative or “threat” stress tends to lead to rounded posture.

Pandiculation directly addresses the tension we hold in our body in response to stress. By reducing muscle tension, our stress level is reduced. It can also be helpful to address sources of chronic stress and your response to stress with a therapist. The combination of talk therapy and Clinical Somatics can be extremely effective for relieving stress.

Stroke recovery

Clinical Somatics exercises can be helpful in the process of stroke recovery. The movements are slow and gentle, and they require focus and conscious control. So, they can be very effective for regaining voluntary control of muscles and movement. If getting down to the floor or back up is difficult, you can practice the seated versions of the exercises in a chair.

Temporomandibular joint disorders

Temporomandibular joint disorders are often the result of stress, muscle tension in the upper body, and habits like clenching, popping, or cracking your jaw. Clinical Somatics allows you to release any tension in your upper body that’s contributing to your TMJ, and helps to reduce your stress as well. It can also be helpful to address sources of chronic stress with a therapist. The combination of talk therapy and Clinical Somatics can be extremely effective for relieving stress and pain. To learn more, please read Relieve Your TMJ Pain with Clinical Somatics.

Tendinopathies

Tendon pain is very frustrating. It can take a long time for tendons to heal because of their limited blood supply. And, you often need to reduce or avoid one of your regular activities in order to allow the tendon pain to heal. Tendon pain resulting from repetitive use has traditionally been diagnosed as tendinitis, but research is now showing that many of these cases are actually tendinosis.

Tendinitis is an acute, inflammatory condition. Tendinosis is a chronic, degenerative condition. In tendinosis, the tendon’s collagen degenerates in response to chronic overuse. Even small movements, like clicking a computer mouse or texting, can result in tendinosis over time. In tendinosis, inflammation is not present, and the shiny, firm, white tendon has become dull, soft, and brown.

If your tendon pain has come on gradually, and if it seems to be the result of repetitive use, it is most likely tendinosis. Clinical Somatics is an important part of your recovery and can allow you to prevent future tendon pain from developing. Practicing Clinical Somatics exercises improves your body mechanics and releases chronically tight muscles that pull on tendons and pull your skeleton out of alignment.

Thoracic outlet syndrome

Thoracic outlet syndrome occurs when tight muscles or poor posture compress the thoracic outlet, a small space between the clavicle and first rib. If your brachial plexus is compressed as it passes through the thoracic outlet, you might experience symptoms like pain and numbness in your shoulder, arm, and hand; or weakness, fatigue, lack of color, and coldness in the arm or hand.

Clinical Somatics is the ideal way to relieve thoracic outlet syndrome, because the exercises release the chronic muscle tension that compresses the thoracic outlet. You can learn more in this article: Thoracic Outlet Syndrome: Anatomy, Causes, and Treatment with Clinical Somatics.

Upper crossed syndrome

Upper crossed syndrome describes a pattern of tight and inactive muscles in the upper body. In this pattern, the pectoralis major and minor muscles are tight, rounding the shoulders and upper back and making the chest concave. Chronic tension in the pectorals inhibits the action of the middle and lower trapezius, rendering them inactive and making them appear to be weak.

As the pectorals become tighter, they pull the shoulders, neck, and head forward. In order to stay balanced, a person with very tight pecs and rounded posture will then tip their head upward so they can look straight ahead. This engages the upper trapezius and levator scapula, which become chronically tight, compressing the cervical spine. Forward flexion of the neck (tucking the chin and bringing the head down the chest) becomes inhibited; the muscles that do this action are the sternocleidomastoid, anterior scalene, longus capitis, and longus colli. However, the sternocleidomastoid and anterior scalene are still active, holding the head forward of the spine in forward head posture.

If you have upper crossed syndrome, you may be told to strengthen your upper back muscles so you can stand up straight. But working to strengthen or activate the inactive upper back muscles will not be productive unless you also release the chronically tight pectorals, which are at the root of this pattern. As the pectorals release, you’ll be able to stand up straight easily and without effort.

Clinical Somatics is the ideal and most effective way to release the muscles that are chronically tight in upper crossed syndrome, and to regain voluntary control of the inhibited muscles. To learn more, please read How to Resolve Upper Crossed Syndrome with Clinical Somatics Exercises.

Whiplash

At least 50% of people who experience whiplash go on to develop chronic neck pain and related symptoms, which are collectively referred to as “whiplash associated disorders.” These symptoms can include stiff shoulders, neck pain, headache, numbness or pain in the upper limbs, and ringing in the ears.

Studies show that chronic tightness in the trapezius muscle is strongly linked to whiplash associated disorders. When the head is forcefully thrown or hit, the neck muscles reflexively contract in an attempt to stabilize the head. Afterward, the muscles of the neck, and often the shoulders and back as well, remain contracted in order to splint the injury. This automatic or reflexive muscle contraction often continues long after the structural injury has healed, because muscle contraction becomes learned by the nervous system.

If chronically tight neck and shoulder muscles are contributing to your whiplash symptoms, then Clinical Somatics is an ideal way for you to treat your pain. If lying on the floor isn’t comfortable for you, you can practice the exercises seated in a chair. You can also modify the floor exercises so that you aren’t lifting or turning your head. To learn more, please read Why Whiplash Turns into Chronic Pain.