Best Knee Pain Relief Stretch - with beginner versions

Today I’m going to show you AskDoctorJo’s favorite stretch for knee pain, with 15 different variations in four different positions, so if you can’t do this stretch in standing, you can do this lying down. If you can’t do this lying on your stomach, you can do this lying on your back or your side. There are basically 3 to 4 variations of quad stretch in each position, from easiest to hardest. Each level corresponds to how much flexibility or range of motion your knee has.

Disclaimer: please consult your local medical doctor and/or physical therapist before attempting these exercises. The exercises in this video are very general and might not be appropriate for your specific needs and situation. You are responsible for any injuries that might occur while attempting these exercises. For the first standing position and the easiest variation, you simply need a chair behind you and something to keep your balance in front of you. Bring your foot to rest on top of the chair behind you and let it sit there for 20-30 seconds. If you start to get a cramp behind your knee, start over or try a different position. For the second variation in standing, use a strap, towel, or belt and wrap it around your ankle. Then pull the ankle up behind you while maintaining your balance. For the third variation in standing, this is only if you have a long stretching strap or yoga strap. This one is good for people who have shoulder issues since you don’t have to extend your shoulder behind you. The fourth variation in standing is your normal quad stretch. Use your hand to pull your ankle behind you. You can do most of the standing variations in side lying position. The easiest variation will be the short strap behind your back. There is no easier version because you are lying down. The alternative of this assisted quad stretch in side lying is with the long stretching strap. Again this is only useful for people who have shoulder problems. The last variation in side lying is simply using your hand to grab your ankle. The prone position is Doctor Jo’s favorite stretch. Similar to side lying position, the easiest version is using the short strap wrap around the ankle and pull. The alternative is the long strap over the shoulder. Lastly, you can use your hand like in standing and side lying. If you want to stretch your quad lying flat on your back, you can! You just need to lie on a bed or a table that is high enough that you foot clears the floor when you let it dangle off the edge. The easiest version is short strap wrap around the ankle. The alternative is long strap over the shoulder The last is using your own hand to grab the ankle. Lastly I will talk about advanced quad stretches. To do the quad stretch correctly, you need to make sure the knee being stretched is either at the level of the other knee or slightly behind. If you rest your knee on a chair or a couch, you can use that as an anchor to keep your knee from going forward. This way it guarantees that you are stretching your quad correctly. If you are really flexible, you can do the same thing on the floor. I’m not flexible so it’s a little difficult for me.

Every De Quervain Exercise You Will Ever See

Does your thumb hurt at this exact location? Did you do the Finkelstein’s Test and it hurt like crazy? Do you feel a sharp burning pain in the tendon of your anatomical snuffbox whenever you try to grip, pinch, use scissors, or pick up anything with your hand? You probably figured out you have De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis and that’s why you’re watching this. In this video I’m going to show you all the advice and exercises that I found by watching these 9 different YouTube Channels. To summarize all the tips and exercises these doctors, physical therapists, and physiotherapists have mentioned, I have a list here. There are generally five major categories of advice/exercise types that have been mentioned. There is cryotherapy (icing), activity modification (avoiding the use of the thumb and splinting), massage techniques, stretching exercises, and strengthening exercises. Channels reviewed: Bob & Brad, AskDoctorJo, Strength-N-U, Forward Therapy, Woodbine Physiotherapy Toronto Canada, Orlando Hand Surgery Associates, FORM Hand, Wrist & Elbow Institute, Mr Physio, and Matt DeStefano. I also added some exercises not included in these channels at the end of this video.

Disclaimer: Please consult your local medical doctor and/or physical therapist before trying the exercises in this video. These exercises and treatment options are the general exercises for De Quervains Tenosynovitis and might not apply to your specific situation or condition. You are responsible for any injury you might sustain while trying these exercises.

How to Fix Shoulder Blade Pain

If you wake up with a painful mid back, specifically where the shoulder blade is, here is what you can do. Step one, warm up the muscles. You can use a heating pad or simply take a hot shower. Step two: massage the muscles. I like to use the foam roller since it covers a large surface area. You can also use a back massager to target the rhomboid muscle, which sits in the shoulder blade. If you don’t have a back massager, you can use a tennis ball instead. Step three: stretch the muscles. You can stretch your back of your shoulder with an elephant shoulder stretch. You can stretch the latissimus dorsi against the wall or the floor. You can also use the cat stretch. Step four: Stabilize the shoulder joint. A lot of times we overwork our rhomboid because the rotator cuff and lower trapezius are weak. Make sure you strengthen your lower trapezius and your rotator cuff tendons so they can help alleviate stress from your rhomboid. You can also incorporate the alphabet series to strengthen the back of your shoulders as well as pull ups, chin ups, or lat pull downs to strengthen your latissimus dorsi. Disclaimer: Please consult with your local medical doctor and/or physical therapist before attempting these exercises. The exercises and advice in this video are very general and might not apply to your specific situation. You are responsible for any injury that might occur from doing these exercises.

Exercises for Hip Arthritis

Here are some good exercises for hip arthritis. Hip squeezes in sitting position strengthens the groin and the inside of your thighs. You can use a pillow, a couch cushion, or anything that you can use as a cushion. You can also do this exercise lying down on the floor or on your bed. Clamshell exercise in sitting is a great exercise to stretch your hip and groin muscles. You can do this either in sitting or lying down. If you are able to tolerate some added resistance, that’s even better! Resisted clamshell is a great way to strengthen your hips to provide stability. All you need is a resistance band that is long enough to wrap around your knees. Hip abduction exercise in standing is also a good way to strengthen your hip. Simply bring your affected hip to the side while holding on to something stable for balance. Hip extension exercise in standing works the muscles in the back of your hip. You can also do this by your countertop or vanity top, which may provide more stability for your upper body. Hip flexion exercise works the muscles in the front of your hip. Sit to stand is a very functional exercise that works mostly your quads, but if you straighten up your body all the way at the end and squeeze your glutes, you can also work the hips. Supine bridge is an excellent exercise you can do lying down on the floor or on your bed. It strengthens your lower back and your glutes. It also helps to move around in your bed.

Disclaimer: Please consult with your local medical doctor and/or physical therapist before doing any of these exercises. These exercises are very general and might not apply to your specific condition or situation. You are responsible for any injury that may occur by trying these exercises.

How to Fix IT Band Syndrome

In this video I go over how to manage the symptoms of illiotibial band (ITB or IT band) syndrome as well as how to fix the problem at its roots. IT band syndrome is when the irritation of the IT band causes pain and inflammation of the knee. This could happen as bad ergonomics (inappropriate seat height) or muscle imbalance of the hip abductors. To treat the symptoms, you need to ice, rest, massage, tape, and medicate the area to reduce the inflammation. To fix the root cause in the case of muscle imbalance, you need to strengthen your gluteus medius. I will demonstrate my favorite gluteus medius exercises in this video. All video footage in this video either belong to me or acquired from Storyblocks.

Disclaimer: please consult your local medical doctor or physical therapist/physiotherapist before attempting these exercises. These exercises are very general and might not apply to your specific needs. You are responsible for any injury that you might sustain from doing any of the exercises or treatments that I suggested in this video. Instruction for icing: put ice pack over your lateral knee for 15-20 minutes. Make sure there is a contact layer separating the ice pack and your skin, to avoid frost bite. It is also a good idea to ice the knee after doing the exercises or after massaging. Instruction for massaging: massage the lateral hip and knee for no more than 5 minutes at a time. Instruction for stretching the IT band: 30 second hold or less pain-free stretch, 3 sets if pain-free, 1-2 times a day. Instruction for hip exercises: 10 repetitions and rest, repeat 3 sets total. Do the exercises only when it does not increase your pain/symptoms.

Core Strengthening Exercises for Beginners

In this video I go over core stabilizing and core strengthening exercises for beginners. These are important exercises for anyone with back pain and back injury. You could say they are essential for back rehabilitation. There are essentially four parts to this rehab program: Transversus Abdominis (TA) strengthening lying down, TA strengthening through planks, obliques strengthening through side planks, and back and glute strengthening through supine bridge. I am introducing the easiest and most beginner friendly versions of these exercises.

DISCLAIMER: If you're experiencing pain, numbness, or tingling down into your leg or foot, I strongly encourage you to go get it checked out by a local doctor or physical therapist. The exercises I present in this video are very general and may of may not be indicated for your specific problem. You are encouraged to seek local help from a professional who can recommend treatment specific to your individual needs. The exercise prescription go as follows: TA Strengthening lying down: 10 repetitions, 3 sets, twice a day Plank: 10-30 second hold, 3 sets, twice a day Side plank: 10-30 second hold, 3 sets, twice a day Supine bridge: 10 repetitions, 3 sets, once or twice a day If you find that these exercises are too easy, here are progressions for each exercise that are more difficult and challenging. TA Strengthening

Plank

Side plank

Supine Bridge

If you cannot tolerate lying down on your back, check out my core stabilization playlist for seated and standing core exercises.

Quad Stretch Variations PDF

Hi everyone I made a PDF file of 8 different quad stretch variations. It has picture of each stretch, of me demonstrating the exercise, and some instructions next to each picture. It is at no cost to you and no sign up required! Leave a comment if you downloaded it! It would mean a lot if you would let me know what you think! Book value: $19.99 $0.00 no cost to you!

Balance Exercises for Ankle Sprain Rehabilitation

After doing appropriate strengthening exercises for the ankle, I want to train the stability of the ankle in standing. Tandem stance is a good one to start. It makes the foot and ankle in the back work harder than the front foot and ankle. It is important to start this exercise next to a handhold like a table or a wall. If you have no pain with tandem stance, you could transition to single leg stance. This is more intense than the tandem stance because the involved foot and ankle have to bear the entire weight of the body. The tree pose is a variation of the single leg stance. You can try this if you feel like it is easier. After you can hold single leg stance for 30 seconds without losing your balance, you should start some dynamic balance exercises. The diver is an exercise that combines single leg stance with movement. This is a very functional movement since we do this all the time when we pick up things from the floor. You can start with reaching for something at table height and then transition to chair height, etc. Side stepping is a beginner exercise that challenges the lateral stability of the ankle. You can speed up the exercise to make it more challenging. Tapping your toe on a small step and alternating after each tap is a good way to train the body to weight shift from one leg to another. You can speed up this exercise to increase the difficulty and intensity. Obstacle course is a very good exercise that combines single leg stance with movement. You can do forward as well as side ways. If you want to get back to sporting activities such as jogging or running, I recommend jogging in place as practice. If you have no pain with jogging in place then you may be ready for jogging or running. If you want to get back to sports that have frequent change of direction, I recommend practicing drills such as cariocas or lateral shuffle (or suicide drills).

Disclaimer: Please consult with your local physical therapist before attempting these exercises. These exercises are general and may not always apply to your specific situation. Any injury you might sustain while attempting these exercises are your own responsibility.

St. Jude push up challenge day 12

As of yesterday I no longer share my progress or lack of progress on social media. Some guy found all my reels and commented "not a push up" on all of them. I deleted all my reels on Facebook. The support group for the St. Jude Challenge was disappointing. There was someone who wrote "why repost this?" when I shared the negative comments I received, as if they also agree I was not doing enough for the challenge and that I did not deserve an ounce of encouragement despite of my efforts. I left the group and felt much better. Now I can push forward just for me and my challenge without all that noise.

Beginners Exercises for Ankle Sprains

Here is a step by step progression to recover from an ankle sprain. First I go over ice, compression, and elevate. One thing I didn’t mention in the video is time for ice. Ice for 15-20 minutes. The exercises are in order of easy to hard. In the first phase I emphasize range of motion and isometrics. Second phase is adding resistance for strengthening when swelling goes down. Third phase is transitioning from seated to standing. Disclaimer: please consult your local medical doctor and physical therapist before trying these exercise. In the case where you had a fall or a traumatic injury, there may be a need to get an x ray and you may need to be casted in the case of an ankle or foot fracture.

My Pinterest Page Actually Coming Alive?

I started making physical therapy content about 60 days ago. One of the things I noticed in the beginning was that my Pinterst follower count did not increase, did not budge at all in the first 40 days or so. My account had 36 followers before I created content. I had previously pinned some physical therapy stuff that didn't belong to me but some people followed me anyways. I think most of them were acquaintances. There was no increase whatsoever for weeks and weeks. My Instagram, my YouTube, and my Facebook were all growing. The only one that had absolute zero growth was Pinterest. But starting last week, I noticed I had a new follower. I didn't mind much because it was just one person. However it did not stop. By today I have a total of 49 followers, which means I had gained 13 followers in roughly two weeks. That is almost one new follower per day! I don't know what happened. Maybe Pinterest finally recognized me as a content creator and decided to let people see my stuff? Who knows! It was weird but this following rate is outpacing my Instagram and YouTube. My Instagram had one new follower in the last two weeks. It is at 49 followers. It is still more than Pinterest since I had started this IG account from zero. At this rate my Pinterest account might overtake my IG account, which would be pretty exciting! My YouTube is also getting stuck at 213 subscribers. It is similar to my IG situation because I only had one new subscriber this past week or so, even though I was putting out content everyday. Net follower gain: YouTube: 213 minus 151 (what I started with this year) = 62. 62 minus 3 (my mom, dad, and wife) = 59. Instagram: 49 minus 1 (my wife) = 48 Facebook: 123 minus 1 (my wife) = 122 (insane!) Pinterst: 49 minus 36 minus 1 (my wife) = 12 If my Pintest follower count keeps growing, it could over take my IG and YouTube and be my second fastest growing platform. I am excited and I am all for it! I'm just happy there are some people who appreciate my content.

Hit 100 followers on Facebook!

This was a momentous week. As of yesterday, 11/8/22, my Doctor Enzoyeh's Facebook page had hit 100 followers. I started creating content on September 14th of this year, and it's been a lonely road and not at all easy. It's nice to see Facebook recognizingn me as one of its content creators and spreading my content for people to see.

Plantar Fasciitis 足底筋膜炎 Full Self Care Routine (Follow Along)

This is a full self care guide for plantar fasciitis, complete with self massage AND stretching technique. In this video I will show you how to massage and stretch your plantar fascia. Massaging the plantar fascia is a great way to decrease tension in the bottom of your foot and prepare the plantar fascia to be stretched. Stretching is very important because it decreases the tension in the plantar fascia that comes with plantar fasciitis. The more stiff the plantar fascia is the more frequent it gets micro-tears and inflamed. I recommend doing this routine at least twice a day, once before you get out of bed and once after you get home, right after you take off your shoes. It is also very important to make good use of gel cushioned shoes/inserts. Please consult with your local podiatrist, orthotist, and/or shoe/inserts expert regarding shoe/insert recommendations. DISCLAIMER: If you are experiencing foot pain, please seek out your local podiatrist, physical therapist/physiotherapist, and/or orthotist before trying these exercises. You are responsible for any injury that might occur when doing these exercises. Music: "Moments like this" by Wil Van De Crommert, provided by Storyblocks

Link to my video that goes over massage technique without using thumbs: https://youtu.be/TXLYSnwA0sA

Best Rehab Tool for Wrist Strengthening | Resistance Bar Review (Logest)

Today I will review resistance bar for wrist strengthening. This is for rehab purpose only. Wrist and forearm strengthening are important part of wrist and forearm injury rehabilitation. The conditions that would benefit from this include and are not limited to tennis elbow, golfer's elbow, wrist and forearm tendinitis, and other post-operation wrist and hand rehabilitation. This is because strength and flexibility are equally important and they come hand in hand. To provide resistance for wrist strengthening, we could either use resistance band, dumbbells (free weights), or resistance bar like the ones I'm reviewing today. Out of the three options, I like resistance bar the most because they are the easiest to use in my opinion. You could carry it pretty much anywhere and it's very easy to set up. Logest Resistance bar set of three: $31.79 Theraband Flexbar set of three: $53.99

Common Mistake You Want to Avoid for Thumb Rehabilitation (De Quervain Tenosynovitis)

In this video I will show you a common mistake to avoid when doing eccentric strengthening of your abductor pollicis longus, to rehabilitate from your thumb injury (De Quervain Tenosynovitis injury). Ever since I learned eccentric adductor pollicis longus strengthening for my de Quervain Tenosynovitis injury, I’ve been really excited about how far I could bring my thumb out, stretching it out as far as I could. However I was devastated when I suddenly realized I was compensating my thumb abduction with wrist movement. When I properly block my wrist, I was saddened to see how little active range of motion and strength my thumb has. It feels like I’m starting back at square one but at least I could share this little thing to look out for, and hopefully it helps somebody! I still believe eccentric strengthening is great, but my thumb just isn’t strong enough for that yet! At the end of the video I will share a new exercise I came up with to strengthen the tendon that is too weak to do eccentric strengthening.

3 Simple Exercises for Seniors

In this video I will share the three best functional exercises that I prescribed for my patients when I was a home physical therapist. I went house to house to provide physical therapy sessions for almost two years when I became a PT. Most of my patients were concerned about falling, losing their balance, and going outside. A good number of them are slow to stand up from their chairs, and some of them have given up using the stairs in their homes. The three exercises that are activity specific to the goals of standing up, walking, and negotiating the stairs are simple: sit to stand, standing balance (weight shifting), and step ups. I will go over each exercise, how to do them, how to modify them, and how to do them safely. Enjoy! Disclaimer: A big part of these exercises will increase your heart rate, so make sure you monitor your heart rate and breathing, or have someone monitor your fatigue level. This is especially important if you have a blood pressure condition, heart condition, or breathing condition. I also highly recommend you to seek out your medical doctor or personal trainer to clear you for these exercises especially if you have any of the above conditions I mentioned. You are responsible for any injury you sustain while doing these exercises.

The BEST Advice I got for my thumb pain (De Quervain's Tenosynovitis)!

In this video I will show you the best physical therapy advice I received for my thumb pain (De Quervain Tenosynovitis, or Blackberry Thumb). I scoured YouTube for the most prominent YouTuber physical therapists, namely Bob & Brad and AskDoctorJo. I listened and practiced their physical therapy advice. Most the the advice were great and I also do that for my patients as a physical therapist. However there was one really good advice I found from a physical therapist with less than 40 subscribers, from a suggested video, that might make all the difference for my rehabilitation. Watch the video to find out! Disclaimer: The content of this video is my personal experience and opinion only. Please do not take what I say as medical advice. If you have the same diagnosis I have, I would still highly recommend you to seek out your local physical therapist and/or medical doctor for evaluation.

Heat Therapy Mittens Review

In this video I review the heat therapy Mittens. It is a microwaveable heating pad in the shape of a mitten. To be honestly I bought this one by mistake. I didn’t realize it was microwaveable. I decided to test it out anyways to see if my thumb could move freely inside the mitten.

The answer is no, it is actually more restrictive than the Smart Hand Warmer. Other than that, it is actually a good heating pad for your hand. It’s just not what I was looking for. I just like what the Smart Hand Warmer has to offer (more room for my thumb to stretch).

Physical Therapist Reviews Cervical Traction Units

In this video I will review six different cervical traction units for home use. This is not a sponsored video and will be my honest opinion. There will not be affiliate links. I tested 3 upright ones and 3 lying down. I want to go over pros and cons of each and rate each out of 5 stars. At the end of the video, I will rank the units from what I think is best to the worst. I will also rank them again based on a budget friendly tier list.

Cervical Towel Traction video:

Disclaimer: Please consult with your local physical therapist or medical doctor before you attempt to use any of the products mentioned in this video. You are responsible for any potential injury you sustain while using any of the products mentioned. You can also blame the people that made the products. I am not sponsored and the content of this video are solely my personal opinions. This is a cervical traction unit product review. This is a cervical traction unit product comparison. I have not received any benefit, cash or otherwise, in the making of this video.

Plantar Fasciitis Foot Massage | 足底筋膜炎自我按摩 (Follow Along Tutorial)

This is a self massage tutorial for plantar fasciitis foot massage. (足底筋膜炎自我按摩.) In this video I will show you how to massage your plantar fascia with your hands. Massaging the plantar fascia is a great way to decrease tension in the bottom of your foot and prepare the plantar fascia to be stretched. I recommend doing this self massage at least twice a day, once before you get out of bed and once after you get home, right after you take off your shoes.

Music: "Wind" by LilyPichu: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8bcz_gANWw&list=RDp8bcz_gANWw&start_radio=1 " Thoughts" by LilyPichu: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUEtBshITOU

100 view milestone

As of 10/22/22, my neck massager review video had received 100 views. This is the first long form video I made this year that has more than double digits. It is still not getting many likes, but at least people are finally clicking on it. All my other videos (not counting shorts) are single or double digits. 

I also decided to incorporate picture instructions for the supine core exercises. It’s a kind of an experiment to see if that will generate traffic for the blog. If it does generate traffic for the blog, I might consider making more exercise related content. 

On another thought, I want to make a stretching poster or a booklet. I could do a quad stretch booklet, a hamstring stretch booklet, Piriformis stretch booklet, calf stretch booklet, etc.

First Blog Entry as a YouTuber

So I started uploading on YouTube as a physical therapist last month, and I decided to put all my videos on this blog on 10/1/22, which is exactly 19 days ago. There is no traffic whatsoever still. To be honest I was surprised and disappointed at how bad the searcheability of blogs are (specifically new blogs) and how hard it is to gain traffic to these blogs. I realized the hard way that I had it all wrong! People don't make blogs to generate traffic to their videos; people make videos to generate traffic to their blogs/websites where they can showcase their products. The blog is essentially a store, and social media and YouTube are marketing tools to lead people to your store. It is not the other way around! I guess I will just use this for what I used it for originally - just blog about whatever, about life, about the good and the hard times. The only thing is I will only blog about my journey as a physical therapist, as a YouTuber PT and an influencer PT. Well as of today, I have 192 YouTube subscribers. I had 151 subscribers before I decided to put more PT stuff on YouTube last month, so my net gain is really just 41. 3 of the 41 are my mom, dad, and my wife so the true number of new subscribers is really 38. I had gained 1 subscriber this week. My Instagram has 33 followers as of today. One of them is my wife so the true new follower count is 32. I more IG posts (39) than followers. I have gained 1 follower for the last 3 days. My Facebook page has 46 followers. One of them is also my wife so my true follower count is 45. It is the fastest growing platform for me right now. My Pinterst page has 36 followers. I think I started with 36 followers this year and so I have no new followers since I started posting last month. Pinterest is my worst performing platform. I have posted short form content everyday since I started 37 days ago. For longer form videos, I have published 4 product review/comparison videos, 3 self massage videos, 4 physical therapy topic videos, and 8 exercise demonstration videos. Well that's it for today's update. I will keep grinding. It's only been 37 days so it's too early to quit now. Also I only made 13 longer form videos (6 of the exercise videos are under a minute each) so far so I haven't even cracked 20 videos yet. Another thing I will mention is that I don't really have any good success with videos that used stock footage. A lot of the stuff I talk about are exercise related and Storyblocks doesn't really have a library for that kind of stuff. I end up having to draw my own images and shoot my own B roll.

Therapist Reviews Back Massagers (Electric Shiatsu Vs Tennis Balls)

A while ago I went through a massager review phase. Today we’re going to revisit the electric shiatsu back massager and compare it to my DIY tennis ball massager that I made just now. Which one is more comfortable? Which one is more effective? Keep watching to find out! The electric shiatsu back massager is easy to use, feels very comfortable, and really digs into the muscles. I would rate it 5 out of 5. The only downside is to use it for your back, you must push your arms forward. If you have any arm or shoulder problems, it would be a pain to use! The tennis ball massager is also very easy to use, feels also very comfortable, and digs into the muscles well. In terms of pressure, it doesn’t go in as far as the electric massager when used in the upright position. However, if you can tolerate using this lying down on the floor, it really digs in! It’s a bit harder to control in this position since all your weight is on the tennis balls. In terms of ease of use and effectiveness, I would give it 5 out of 5 as well. The downside is that if you have trouble standing, you will have a hard time pushing the tennis ball with your back into the wall. Each of these two massagers have their own pros and cons so it’s hard to compare the two in terms of ease of use. If you have arm problems, the tennis balls are probably better for you. If you have leg problems, the electric massager is probably better for you. If your arms and legs are both great, but you can’t afford the electric massager, the tennis ball is a very good alternative for massaging your back muscles!

DISCLAIMER: If you're experiencing pain, numbness, or tingling down into your legs or feet, I strongly encourage you to go get it checked out by a local doctor or physical therapist. The exercises I present in this video are very general and may of may not be indicated for your specific problem. You are encouraged to seek local help from a professional who can recommend treatment specific to your individual needs. Here is the tutorial on how to make the tennis ball back massager:

De Quervain Tenosynovitis Self Massage | Follow Along Tutorial

This is a tutorial on how to massage your thumb for De Quervain Tenosynovitis. I go over how to massage each affected tendon, including abductor pollicis longus, extensor pollicis brevis, extensor pollicis longus, opponens pollicis, and extensor retinaculum. This is a self massage guide, a follow along guide, and a thumb massage guide. DISCLAIMER: If you're experiencing pain, numbness, or tingling down into your arm or fingers, I strongly encourage you to go get it checked out by a local doctor or physical therapist. The exercises I present in this video are very general and may of may not be indicated for your specific problem. You are encouraged to seek local help from a professional who can recommend treatment specific to your individual needs.

Music: from "Lilies" album by LilyPichu "Wind": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8bcz_gANWw "Thoughts": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUEtBshITOU "Sky": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQ9CGMj5CLQ

Neck Hammock Vs Bath Towel | DIY Cervical TRACTION

Today I am comparing a very commonly prescribed DIY neck traction (cervical traction) technique using a bath towel, with this Neck Hammock that was designed by a physical therapist for neck traction. A bath towel costs $2.64 with some plastic string that cost $4.48 from Walmart. The Neck Hammock costs $49.99. When I saw the Neck Hammock device, I wondered if this simple device is worth the $49.99. I bought a couple of cervical traction devices to see what they all feel like, and this Neck Hammock was actually the most expensive one. I saw in a neck therapy brochure made by the company I work for, teach patients to use a towel to traction their neck. You’re supposed to loop the towel, hang it off a post or a doorknob, and lie down on the floor. I found this YouTube Video teaching the exact same thing. In this video I will show you how to set up the home DIY traction device using a bath towel and a plastic/nylon string.

DISCLAIMER: If you're experiencing pain, numbness, or tingling down into your arms or fingers, I strongly encourage you to go get it checked out by a local doctor or physical therapist. The exercises I present in this video are very general and may of may not be indicated for your specific problem. You are encouraged to seek local help from a professional who can recommend treatment specific to your individual needs.

Palmar Wrist, Forearm, and Hand Self Massage | Follow Along Tutorial

This is a follow along tutorial/guide to how to self massage your forearm. Specifically how to self massage the palmar portion of your forearm where you wrist flexors, and thumb adductors are. In this video I massage my flexor digitorum superficialis, flexor digitorum profundus, flexor pollicus longus, pronator quadratus, brachioradialis, pronator teres, flexor carpi radialis, palmaris longus, flexor carpi ulnaris, thenar eminence, and tendons of flexor digitorum profundus and superficialis. This is a gentle massage for the arm. I use the Free Up massage cream, but you really can use any massage cream or oil of your choice. Massage is a good practice to relax the muscles and tendons, increase blood flow to the tissue, and prepares the muscles and tendons to stretch and move. Massaging the palmar side of your forearm, wrist, and hand is good management technique for conditions such as golfer's elbow (medial epicondylitis), wrist flexor tendinitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, and trigger finger. This is a follow along tutorial and guide. I hope you enjoy the video.

Music: "Wind" by LilyPichu https://youtu.be/p8bcz_gANWw To follow along how to massage the dorsal side (back side) of the forearm, wrist, and hand, check out this 3 minute follow along tutorial if you missed the clickable icon during the end screen: https://youtu.be/4dctMxN2XMs

What you HAVE to know about Trigger Finger

I did a wrist and forearm massage video a few days ago and my mom (bless her heart) sent it to our neighbor who has trigger finger. I immediately panicked because that video was not for trigger finger! That was for tennis elbow, De Quervain tenosynovitis, and thumb tendinitis! So even though it’s not the worst thing in the world, I must tell you that massaging the dorsal part of your hand, wrist, and thumb has very little effect on trigger finger and here is why. Trigger finger is caused by the enlargement of the finger flexor and the A1 pulley of the tendon sheath. All these sits in the palmar side of your hand, not dorsal side. Dorsal side is the back side of the hand. If you were to massage the tendons that are tight in a trigger finger for the purpose of releasing tension for the affected tendon, you would massage the finger flexor and everything else in the palmar side of the hand, wrist, and forearm. But wait! Massaging the wrong side of the hand is not the worst thing to do for trigger finger. The worst thing to do for trigger finger is not doing anything about it and hoping it would just go away on its own. What you must realize about trigger finger is that the longer you leave it along, the more the finger adapts to the now deformed position. The best thing to do for trigger finger is to first keep the finger from triggering. Now is when you ask how do I keep the finger from triggering? Well, you need to splint your finger. There are basically two finger splints that are designed to keep the finger from triggering. There is the oval 8 finger brace and there is what I call the T brace. The oval 8 finger brace immobilizes the PIP joint of the finger, and the T brace immobilizes the knuckle (or the MP joint) of the finger. There is a splint that immobilizes both, but that is usually not necessary. Of all the finger braces for trigger finger, I like the T brace best because it allows you to use your hand for pretty much everything except activities that require you to make a fist or grip something hard. You need to wear the brace for 6-8 weeks, almost 24/7, to have good result. After that, you can do some finger exercises to restore range of motion to your finger because it will be stiff from being immobilized for 8 weeks. DISCLAIMER: If you're experiencing pain, numbness, or tingling down into your hand, I strongly encourage you to go get it checked out by a local doctor or physical therapist. The exercises I present in this video are very general and may of may not be indicated for your specific problem. You are encouraged to seek local help from a professional who can recommend treatment specific to your individual needs.

Post-splinting finger ROM exercises by Forward Therapy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zvnv_tOheng

Neck Massager vs Tennis Ball for neck pain relieve | DIY Therapy | Ridiculously easy!

In this video I am comparing the effectiveness of the VOYOR manual Shiatsu neck massager versus two tennis balls (peanut formation), for the purpose of releasing tension in the suboccipital region of the neck. Which one is more effective? Which one feels better? Who will win? Watch to find out! In this video I will also show you how to use tennis balls to relieve neck tightness and/or neck pain. Using tennis balls to relieve tension in the body is a form of trigger point therapy. What a coincidence that this VOYOT massager also claims to be a device for trigger point therapy! Which is better? Using tennis balls for myofascial release (of the suboccipitals) is ridiculously easy! Watch and find out how! DISCLAIMER: If you're experiencing pain, numbness, or tingling down into your arms or fingers, I strongly encourage you to go get it checked out by a local doctor or physical therapist. The exercises I present in this video are very general and may of may not be indicated for your specific problem. You are encouraged to seek local help from a professional who can recommend treatment specific to your individual needs.

Dorsal Wrist and Forearm Self Massage | Follow Along Tutorial

This is a follow along tutorial/guide to how to self massage your forearm. Specifically how to self massage the dorsal portion of your forearm where you wrist extensors, thumb extensor, and thumb abductor are. In this video I massage my common extensor tendon, extensor pollicis longus, abductor pollicis, and abductor pollicis brevis specifically. This is a gentle massage for the arm. I use the Free Up massage cream, but you really can use any massage cream or oil of your choice. Massage is a good practice to relax the muscles and tendons, increase blood flow to the tissue, and prepares the muscles and tendons to stretch and move. This is a follow along tutorial and guide. I hope you enjoy the video.

Physical Therapist Reviews Neck Massagers (Manual Shiatsu, Electric Shiatsu, and Massage Gun)

I hurt my neck a few weeks and ago and it was so stiff I thought why not make a video out of neck massagers and share it with everyone? In the us video I’m reviewing and product testing: Manual Shiatsu neck massager (also know as handheld neck massager, hand held pressure point neck massager, therapeutic self-massage tool dual trigger point deep tissue massager, deep tissue dual trigger point massager, dual pressure trigger point, self Shiatsu deep massager, handheld manual roller massage tool, and trigger point roller massager) Electric Shiatsu: Deep tissue 3D kneading pillow, also known as electric shiatsu back neck and shoulder massager, Shiatsu back neck and shoulder massager with adjustable heat and speed, Shiatsu neck and back massager with soothing heat. Massage gun: portable deep tissue massage gun, also known as percussion muscle massage gun for athletes. This is not a sponsored video so I make no money from this. If you want to learn how to massage your own neck without a massager: https://youtube.com/shorts/YnN-7AkxNFM?feature=share If you want a longer video on how to massage your own neck, comment down below!

DISCLAIMER: If you're experiencing pain, numbness, or tingling down into your arm or hand, I strongly encourage you to go get it checked out by a local doctor or physical therapist. The exercises I present in this video are very general and may of may not be indicated for your specific problem. You are encouraged to seek local help from a professional who can recommend treatment specific to your individual needs.

Supine Alternating Leg Extension for Transversus Abdominis (TA) Strengthening (Bicycle Kick)

Supine Alternating Leg Extension (also known as bicycle kick) is a very good exercise for strengthening the transversus abdominis muscle of your core muscles in the hook lying position. Here is how to do the exercise. Start by palpating your transversus abdominis, at either side of your belly button. Draw the skin of your belly away from your fingers. This is a very slight movement. Maintain that tension in your abdomen and continue to breathe.

Pick up one of your legs, then the other, so your hips flexes to 90 degrees and your knees are also at 90 degrees flexion. Slowly lower one leg toward the floor and extend the knee and hip so it becomes straight. Slowly bring the leg back to 90/90 position. Slow lower the other leg and extend that leg so it becomes straight. Alternate and repeat. Repeat for 10 repetitions, 3 sets

If this is too difficult, go back to supine heel taps. If this is too easy, go to supine double heel taps. DISCLAIMER: If you're experiencing pain, numbness, or tingling down into your legs or feet, I strongly encourage you to go get it checked out by a local doctor or physical therapist. The exercises I present in this video are very general and may of may not be indicated for your specific problem. You are encouraged to seek local help from a professional who can recommend treatment specific to your individual needs. This is a good intermediate to advance exercise for people who have low back pain. It is also useful to practice in conjunction with pelvic floor activation (for people with pelvic floor dysfunction). TA activation together with pelvic floor activation (not covered in this video) is very useful for post-partum core muscle recovery.

Supine Heel Taps for Transversus Abdominis (TA) Strengthening

Supine Heel Taps is a very good exercise for strengthening the transversus abdominis muscle of your core muscles in the hook lying position. Here is how to do the exercise. Start by palpating your transversus abdominis, at either side of your belly button. Draw the skin of your belly away from your fingers. This is a very slight movement. Maintain that tension in your abdomen and continue to breathe.

Pick up one of your legs, then the other, so your hips flexes to 90 degrees and your knees are also at 90 degrees flexion. Gently tap one of your heels on the floor and bring it back to the 90/90 position. Alternate with the other leg and repeat. If this is too difficult, go back to supine toe taps or sequential march and lower. Both are in my transversus abdominis playlist. If this is too easy, go to alternating leg extension. Repeat for 10 repetitions and 3 sets

DISCLAIMER: If you're experiencing pain, numbness, or tingling down into your legs or feet, I strongly encourage you to go get it checked out by a local doctor or physical therapist. The exercises I present in this video are very general and may of may not be indicated for your specific problem. You are encouraged to seek local help from a professional who can recommend treatment specific to your individual needs.

This is a good intermediate exercise for people who have low back pain. It is also useful to practice in conjunction with pelvic floor activation (for people with pelvic floor dysfunction). TA activation together with pelvic floor activation (not covered in this video) is very useful for post-partum core muscle recovery.

Supine Toe Taps for Transversus Abdominis (TA) Strengthening

Supine Toe Taps is a very good exercise for strengthening the transversus abdominis muscle of your core muscles in the hook lying position. Here is how to do the exercise. Start by palpating your transversus abdominis, at either side of your belly button. Draw the skin of your belly away from your fingers. This is a very slight movement. Maintain that tension in your abdomen and continue to breathe.

Pick up one of your legs, then the other, so your hips flexes to 90 degrees and your knees are also at 90 degrees flexion. Gently tap one of your feet on the floor and bring it back to the 90/90 position. Alternate with the other leg and repeat.

DISCLAIMER: If you're experiencing pain, numbness, or tingling down into your legs or feet, I strongly encourage you to go get it checked out by a local doctor or physical therapist. The exercises I present in this video are very general and may of may not be indicated for your specific problem. You are encouraged to seek local help from a professional who can recommend treatment specific to your individual needs. Repeat for 10 repetitions and 3 sets

This is a good intermediate exercise for people who have low back pain. It is also useful to practice in conjunction with pelvic floor activation (for people with pelvic floor dysfunction). TA activation together with pelvic floor activation (not covered in this video) is very useful for post-partum core muscle recovery.

Sequential March and Lower for Transversus Abdominis (TA) Strengthening

Sequential March and Lower for Transversus Abdominis (TA) Strengthening is a very good exercise for strengthen your transversus abdominis muscle of your core muscles in the hook lying position. Here is how to do this exercise. Start by palpating your transversus abdominis, at either side of your belly button. Draw the skin of your belly away from your fingers. This is a very slight movement. Maintain that tension in your abdomen and continue to breathe.

Pick up one of your legs, then the other, so your hips flexes to 90 degrees and your knees are also at 90 degrees flexion. Immediately lower the first leg, then the other, then repeat. You don’t have to hold both legs in 90/90 position, but you can turn this exercise into a core isometric if you hold the 90/90 position. Remember to breathe throughout the exercise. Repeat for 10 repetitions, 3 sets. If you want to turn this into a supine 90/90 isometric, hold the 90/90 (table top) position for 10 seconds or more while engaging your TA/core. Repeat 3 sets.

DISCLAIMER: If you're experiencing pain, numbness, or tingling down into your legs or feet, I strongly encourage you to go get it checked out by a local doctor or physical therapist. The exercises I present in this video are very general and may of may not be indicated for your specific problem. You are encouraged to seek local help from a professional who can recommend treatment specific to your individual needs

This is a good intermediate exercise for people who have low back pain. It is also useful to practice in conjunction with pelvic floor activation (for people with pelvic floor dysfunction). TA activation together with pelvic floor activation (not covered in this video) is very useful for post-partum core muscle recovery.

Supine March for Transversus Abdominis (TA) Activation

Supine March with Transversus Abdominis Activation is an exercise for strengthening the transversus abdominis (and your core) by challenging the stability of the core muscles through the hip flexion movement in the hook lying position. Here is how to do the exercise. Start by palpating your transversus abdominis, at either side of your belly button. Draw the skin of your belly away from your fingers. This is a very slight movement. Maintain that tension in your abdomen and continue to breathe.

Pick up one of your legs so your hip flexes to 90 degrees and your knee is also at 90 degrees flexion. Lower the leg and pick up the other leg to the same 90/90 position. Alternate and repeat. Make sure you maintain the tension in your transversus abdominis and keep breathing throughout the exercise. Perform 10 repetitions one side, 10 repetitions other side, repeat for 3 sets.

DISCLAIMER: If you're experiencing pain, numbness, or tingling down into your legs or feet, I strongly encourage you to go get it checked out by a local doctor or physical therapist. The exercises I present in this video are very general and may of may not be indicated for your specific problem. You are encouraged to seek local help from a professional who can recommend treatment specific to your individual needs.

This is a good beginner exercise for people who have low back pain. It is also useful to practice in conjunction with pelvic floor activation (for people with pelvic floor dysfunction). TA activation together with pelvic floor activation (not covered in this video) is very useful for post-partum core muscle recovery.

Bent Knee Fall Out for Transversus Abdominis Activation

Bent knee fall out is an exercise for strengthening the transversus abdominis by challenging the stability of the muscle through the movement of hip rotation in the hook lying position. Here is how to do the exercise. Exercise instruction for bent knee fall out with transversus abdominis activation: Start by palpating your transversus abdominis, at either side of your belly button. Draw the skin of your belly away from your fingers. This is a very slight movement.

Maintain that tension in your abdomen and continue to breathe. Let your knee fall outward toward the ground. As you bring your knee back to the center, focus on using the tension of your transversus abdominis to pull the leg back to the starting position. If you don’t actively engage your transversus abdominis, the movement will be dominated by your hip internal rotator and adductor.

Perform 10 repetitions one side, 10 repetitions other side, repeat for 3 sets.

DISCLAIMER: If you're experiencing pain, numbness, or tingling down into your legs or feet, I strongly encourage you to go get it checked out by a local doctor or physical therapist. The exercises I present in this video are very general and may of may not be indicated for your specific problem. You are encouraged to seek local help from a professional who can recommend treatment specific to your individual needs. This is a good beginner exercise for people who have low back pain. It is also useful to practice in conjunction with pelvic floor activation (for people with pelvic floor dysfunction). TA activation together with pelvic floor activation (not covered in this video) is very useful for post-partum core muscle recovery.