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Self-Treatment of The Spine Made Simple (Low Back)

Video 1: Showing how to use a pair of socks on the spine model. Video 2: Sarah showing how it's done in practice.

Don’t be distracted by the view from my beautiful Treatment Studio here. Pay attention to that unprepossessing pair of orange socks (colour optional) to see how niftily it might fit into those spinal interstices (great word that don’t you think? Meaning: ‘an intervening space, especially a very small one’.)

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This soft, squashy mound can be used to mobilise the spinal segments in several different ways. First, on the backward projecting spinous process of an individual spinal segment (vertebra) to ease up its forward-backwards freedom (the PA direction), its most commonly deficient (stiff) direction of movement. The socks can also be used laterally by undulating your body in a wave-like motion from side-to-side to bang them (the socks) up against the side of the spinous processes. This helps free up the lateral swivel (twist) of a sluggish vertebra (also often deficient).

Finally, the rolled-up socks can be used to mobilise a chronically inflamed facet joint to help break down adhesions and scar tissue of the soft-tissue capsule around a facet joint. At the same time, that kneading (another great word) pressure restores elasticity and compliance to the thickened facet capsule. The on-off pressures reduce swelling and thickening of a facet joint, which brings about better movement - and reduces pain.

Using a rolled up pair of socks to mobilise a specific vertebra or a facet joint.

Video 2

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