Expertise I can accept questions that relate to chronic or acute pain caused by muscle spasms and contractions. Repetitive Strain Injury is actually Cumulative Trauma to muscles. Releasing the spasm &/or contraction will relieve the strain that is felt at the insertion point on the bone.
Experience
Past/Present clients Privacy prevents me from filling in this section without prior consent from my clients.
Life Experience: I began to get interested in the treatment of muscle spasms and contractions while I lived in Honolulu, HI. A sailing friend had severe pain following raceing each week. He would lie on the grass, bearly able to breathe from the pain in his back. I would rub his back, feeling "bumps" that I would "smooth out", and his pain would completely go away. This intrigued me, until I eventually went to school to learn how to be a Massage Therapist. I went to work on a cruise ship and had the experience of working on approximately 3000 people in one year - a great opportunity to really feel muscle spasms and contractions! I concentrated on thoroughtly learning one muscle every day, locating it on each client, and feeling "what hurts & what doesn't hurt". A six month stay in St. Thomas, USVI, was beneficial because I worked with an Osteopath who taught me excellent release techniques that I still use. Next I moved to Hawaii and worked in a clinic that only treated chronic pain patients. It was in Hawaii that I wrote my first book "Massage Therapy Healing Techniques Workbook". It was written for massage therapists and was a compilation of treatments for very specific painful conditions. The book was revised in 1996 and a companion video was added at that time. In 1995 I suffered with Frozen Shoulder - an incredibly painful condition. I was told I'd never be able to regain full range-of-motion in my shoulder. I did deep muscle therapy on myself, while a friend work where I couldn't reach. The condition healed 100%. In 1997 I developed carpal tunnel syndrome that put me out of business. Surgery was recommended, I refused because of my awareness that scar tissue from the surgery could be more detrimental than carpal tunnel syndrome. Using the knowledge I had gained through the years, especially what I had learned through the Frozen Shoulder episode, enabled me to work out what was REALLY causing the carpal tunnel condition. I worked each affected muscle, and eventually regained 100% use of my hand, completely pain free. I quickly began to treat my clients using this new knowledge, and soon afterward began teaching them how to do the self-treatment techniques. It worked everytime, except a person had already had surgery! I began clinical trials at a medical facility, where I still teach the techniques with incredible success. In 1999 Zev Cohen, MD, who was working with me developing the carpal tunnel treatment, joined me in the business. We wanted to bring this effective technique to the world, not limited to only our town.
In 2000 I published my second book "How To Be Pain-less...A Beginner's Guide To The Self Treatment of Muscle Spasms". In this book, using 114 photographs, I show how to self-treat muscles throughout the body. In the summer of 2000, Dr. Cohen and I produced an instructional video teaching the carpal tunnel self treatment, and in March 2001 we opened a web site (www.aboutcts.com) to teach people about the muscular component of carpal tunnel syndrome, and to share the self-treatment system with the public.
Q: I have been living with a problem I have not been able to get relief from for almost 20 years. I am ... A: I'm glad you've seen your physicians and that they haven't been able to find what is wrong. Since ...
Q: I've been told that I have "frozen shoulder" by my naturopath and then saw a very experienced ... A: It sounds to me like you're pulling it all together now, and that was the most important first step. ...
Q: I am a 43 year-old female and have run for 30 years now. I averaged about 20-25 miles per week most ... A: I can understand your frustration, I've heard so many times how people have been to many different ...
Q: fo the past 4-6 weeks - I am awakened by burning pain in biceps - and shoulder joints. No pain in ... A: From the sound of your message I would say that you have a repetitive strain injury of the biceps ...
Q: I am 20 years old and have been having major unbearable shoulder blade pain for about 3 years. I ... A: You are much too young to be having this much pain, it's time to reverse it right now. I'm glad you ...
Q: I've been told that I have "frozen shoulder" by my naturopath and then saw a very experienced ... A: It's good that you've been to a doctor, and a massage therapist is excellent because frozen shoulder ...
Q: I read this question and response, and I have the exact same problem from gym bouldering..how can I ... A: Did you go to my website, http://www.julstro.com and read about repetitive strain injuries? The ...
Q: i have had issues w/my left arm for several years.(yet i am right side dominant) The first and worst ... A: The odds are really high that this is a repetitive strain injury of the muscles that cross over your ...
Q: Julie: Around 18 months ago I was doing some squat exercises at which point one morning I was having ... A: I'm so glad you've been to all the doctors and had every test they could imagine. This proves to me ...
Q: I was doing an explosive dance move a few hours ago and hurt my hip flexor. I didn't feel anything ... A: I gather that you dance a lot, am I right? Very active dancing is as strenuous on your body as any ...
Q: I was walking down stairs and fell. While I was falling my arm caught onto the wall and bent back. ... A: Have you gone for an MRI to make sure you didn't tear the biceps tendon? If that is all clear, then ...
Q: About a week ago, I started feeling a tingling feeling in my middle back, it happens sometimes 1 ... A: I imagine you have asked your doctor about this situation, right? If he/she doesn't have any ...
Q: I play volleyball and the other day after our game where i spiked the ball 10-15 times, the back of ... A: I've worked with thousands of athletes through the years, and I am certain that if you treat your ...
Q: About 5 days ago, I was raking leaves fairly quickly and vigorously for about 45 minutes and ... A: I can really relate to that pain, I had it myself back in 1996-97 and it was so bad that I had to ...
Q: You talked about the SCM possibly causing tinnitus. My tinnitus started after I started taking ... A: The odds of a medical person looking at the SCM for tinnitus is rare, but the SCM causes ringing in ...
Q: the last three years I have had repeated groin injuries. Two months ago (Sept 4), I was helping my ... A: All of the symptoms, except your fingers, that you are describing can come from two muscles, the ...
Q: I've quite a long history of trouble of the muscles at the back of my shoulder (think its the ... A: Since you have already seen your doctor about this and everything turned out clear, then I can say ...
Q: I wrote a few months ago about torn cartilage in my rib cage. I haven't seen a specialist and just ... A: I'm not sure if it was you (it could have been someone else who was frightened about cancer), but ...
Q: I have had a very bad pain in my rib cage, right hand side half way between my side and my chest for ... A: Muscle contractions and spasms are frequently overlooked or ignored by many practitioners who are ...
Q: Hey Julie, You sound amazing. I have read a lot of the posts and your responses. Also the ... A: To begin with, I have a great respect for police officers so your message is even more important to ...
Q: when i rub the top back part of my arm i get tingling in my pinky finger this is in both arms but ... A: Your condition could be diagnosed as ulnar neuropathy, and while that would be accurate, it's very ...
Q: In my very early 20s I had my first bout of muscle spasm, brought on by a bad movement; I was laid ... A: The good news is that you won't have to live like this forever, it's just a matter of releasing the ...
Q: My son aged 11 Years has limited moving pain in Left Hip and Thigh while walking. He has no pain ... A: I'm happy to hear that you have brought him to the doctor and had the tests done, now we can safely ...
Q: I had rotator surgery after a vehicle accident. Before the insurance company approved the surgery on ... A: It sounds like you really did need to have the surgery, so we'll just leave that alone. After the ...
Q: will any exercise help because using functional range of motion and only ADL for strength seem to ... A: I don't know how much ROM limitations are due to scar tissue from the surgery, but we can only work ...
Q: When I was about 20(I'm 37 now) I was puling myself up into an attic access by hanging from my hands ... A: This is the first time I've ever seen anything like this. It's so high up that I wonder if it's also ...
Q: I'm only 22 years old and for about 5 months i've been suffering from severe muscle spasms in the ... A: I believe you when you say that the pain is in the back of your neck and head, but it is more ...
Q: I recently had a similar issue to one of the people ("Rimas") that submitted a question to this ... A: I've worked with so many people who have chronic pain that disappears when the spasms in the muscles ...
Q: will any exercise help because using functional range of motion and only ADL for strength seem to ... A: Frozen shoulder is, in my opinion, the most painful of conditions and is also difficult to treat, ...
Q: I pulled a muscle or tore a tendon during track my junior year of high school three years ago. The ... A: The problem is that it's more then just tight hamstrings that are causing the problem. The odds are ...
Q: About 6 months ago I noticed a 'weak' or tender feeling in one ankle every once in awhile. Then I ... A: While it's good that you've seen your physician and had the x-ray, you are showing all of the signs ...
Q: I'm only 22 years old and for about 5 months i've been suffering from severe muscle spasms in the ... A: It's perfect that you have had all of the tests and that they have turned out negative. That shows ...
Q: My job for a year and a half is shuffling papers (89,000+ per month) and heavy files (up to 6" ... A: I'm happy to say that you have classical repetitive strain injury and that it's 100% healable (my ...
Q: I had rotator surgery after a vehicle accident. Before the insurance company approved the surgery on ... A: Every now and then someone posts to this board that I wish I could see at my office. I believe you ...
Q: I have pain in these three areas: upper left thigh (more towards the inside than out), back of ... A: I'm glad you've seen your doctor and that you had the bone scan, that eliminates a potentially ...
Q: Other reports Haematology HB 13.3 , RBC 4.80 ,PCV 39.2 ,MCV 81.7 ,MCHC 33.9 ,RDW 40.1 ,ESR 10, ... A: As I mentioned in my previous message, this is information is beyond my scope of practice. it is my ...
Q: Madam i mate with an accident before 4 month. My tibia bone is having steel rod in the center of the ... A: I'm glad to see that you have been working with several doctors about this problem. I am not a ...
Q: I'm in my early 40's and about 70 lbs over weight. One day three years ago, I was working with ... A: First let me give you the long explanation about why the iliopsoas and quads can cause abdominal ...
Q: I seemed to have injured my pec two weeks ago now. Inoitially i was training on a friday with ... A: It sounds like it's your pectoralis minor, and also the serratus anterior, that are causing the ...
Q: I've had a dull nagging pain in the right corner of my jaw for several weeks now. The pain gets ... A: I agree that your right SCM is most likely the principle cause of this problem because it doesn't ...
