It is important to understand many of the muscles of the wrist and hand originate in the forearm. You do not need to know the specific names or functions, but you will be well served to apply massage to the muscles on the front and back of the forearm. You may also massage the palm side of the hand (palm, fingers, and thumb). Use the air-filled attachment. If painful, you may do cross-fiber friction massage over tendons at the base of the thumb (extensor pollicis brevis, abductor longus = De Quervain’s tenosynovitis. Use the following guidelines to choose the appropriate attachment: a. Big Round Head Attachment: Good for larger muscle groups like the glutes, quadriceps, or hamstrings. Allows you to cover more surface area. Moderate in aggressiveness. b. Small Round Head attachment: Less aggressive to moderate. Great for tendonitis or tenosynovitis if used sideways. (Big & Small Round Head) c. Air-filled (Pneumatic) attachment: Probably the least aggressive head. Great for use around bony surfaces and sensitive muscle groups. Good for the palm of the hand and the palm side of the fingers. d. Bullet Head attachment: Aggressive. May be helpful with treating trigger points or knots in the forearm. e. Plastic Flat Head attachment: Moderate. Good on the IT band, Pectoralis Major (with ribs underneath), or Plantar Fascia (bottom of the foot). Great for tendonitis if used sideways. f. Steel Flat Head. (Can be heated up or cooled down prior to use). Moderate to Aggressive. g. Knobby Attachments: Generally, for larger muscles. More aggressive. h. Field Goal: Can be used along both sides of the spine. Also, some have recommended its use on the Achilles tendon. This article and video are part of a series of videos on how to treat your pain with self-massage. Check the full series of videos along with the downloadable guide sheets for each video on our website here: https://www.bobandbrad.com/massage/ Bob & Brad's Massage Guns C2 Massage Gun (US), T2 Massage Gun, EM-19 Massage Gun, Q2 Mini Massage Gun (US), X6 PRO Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material on this website is for informational purposes only and are not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider. Affiliate Disclaimer: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We are highly selective in our products and try our best to keep things fair and balanced in order to help you make the best choice for you.

This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in November of 2022. For the original video go to https://youtu.be/IQxLdxveXYc Brad: Do you feel like you need a back massage, but there's nobody around to massage it for you? Bob: How about your wife? No worries. We will show you the way. Brad: The first one, you can actually do this to yourself. It's not real easy, but it works. Bob, can you show them? Bob: You need to have good shoulder range of motion. Brad: Right. Bob: So you are going to use either the knuckle on your pointer finger or the knuckle of your thumb. So grab it with the other hand, and I go along the paraspinals. You want to show them that? Brad: So he is going not over the bumps directly on the spine, those are the spinous processes. We're going over the muscles, the erector spinae muscles and dig in deep. Again, you need good shoulder flexibility for this. Bob: Both sides. Brad: And it's going to take some effort, some work. Bob: And the final thing is you go along the rim of the pelvis. Brad: So that's just above the Iliac crest, we call it. Work those knuckles in like Bob's doing. Bob, how you feeling? Bob: Oh, I'm great. So the next one involves a purchase. Brad: Okay, yes. Bob: This is the Body Back Buddy, but you could use any one, like Thera Cane. Brad: Yep, there's a number of manufacturers of these, but they all look about the same. The big advantage of using these you get mid back and lower back, and it's much easier on your shoulders than what we just demonstrated. Bob: You can massage up and down. Brad: Oh yeah, It'll make it groan. Bob: Press hard. Brad: If you have one knot, simply go on that and maintain pressure for about 30 seconds. You can work it lower by that pelvis area, the multifidi. Bob: It'll be your best friend. Brad: Sometimes it works better to use these other knobs in here. You'll find out that it becomes something you need to work with, but they work well. Now the easiest and what feels the best of all is simply this back massager. This is one that Bob, and I have both tried and family members. Bob: Oh, they love it. Brad: Everyone's fallen in love with it. I'm going to turn it on. The really big advantage is it heats up, for one thing. And then you can push the button and it changes the direction of the massaging heads, which can be a big advantage. Bob: There is no cord. Brad: No cord, which is a good advantage. You can take it traveling with you. You don't have to be stuck to the wall with a 110 volts there. Bob: You could take it camping. Brad: Yeah, you can take it camping. Now I'll show you how this works. It's amazing. I couldn't believe how warm it gets. Bob: Yeah, it feels good. Brad: Yep. So, we're going to take this, and it works the lower back. Even at the belt line, you can go to the SI joint with it. I'm going to move it up. Bob: My wife used it all weekend. I think she loves it more than me. Brad: Yeah, you're not going to get any of the attention now. And then, of course, I'm going to go up to that mid-back here. Bob: She even used it on her SI. Brad: Yep, yep. Did I mention that? I thought I did. Bob: No. Brad: Darn it. It feels good. It is really a nice massager. The bonus, I use it on my hamstrings as well, even though it's a back massager, as well as quadriceps. It's really nice. Bob: It'll be your best friend. Brad: Yeah, it is. And it looks like a tooth. We don't know why that is. Anyways, it does have a strap. All right, very good. So, massage your back by yourself with the hook massage, the Thera Cane daily. Bob: Or best of all. Brad: Or the big kahuna, the fine looking back massager. Visit us on our other social media platforms: YouTube, Website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, TikTok, Wimkin Mewe, Minds, Vero, SteemIt, Peakd, Rumble, Snapchat Bob and Brad also have a Podcast where we share your favorite episodes as well as interviews with health-related experts. For this week’s Giveaway visit: https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products Pain Management: C2 Massage Gun (US) Fit Glide Q2 Mini Massage Gun (US) Knee Glide Back and Neck Massager Eye Massager T2 Massage Gun Foot Massager X6 Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head Leg Massager Holy Cowabunga Cream Uni Massage Gun D6 Pro Massage Gun Back Massager Fitness: Resistance Bands​ Pull Up System Pull Up Bands Wall Anchor​ Grip and Forearm Strengthener Hanging Handles​ Hand Grip Strengthener Kit Stress Balls Stretching: Booyah Stik Stretch Strap Wellness: Hand Warmer Bob & Brad Amazon Store and other products Bob and Brad Love Check out our shirts, mugs, bags, and more in our Bob and Brad merchandise shop​ The Bob and Brad Community is a place to share your experiences, ask questions and connect with others regarding physical therapy and health topics. Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material on this website is for informational purposes only and are not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider. Affiliate Disclaimer: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We are highly selective in our products and try our best to keep things fair and balanced to help you make the best choice for you.

This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in May of 2021. For the original video go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FRleYEHkXA&t=390s Bob: Today we're going to talk about the danger if my shoulder clicks and pops. Learn why and how to fix it, we're going to cover it all. Brad: That's right, Bob, we're going to carry on. Bob: We don't want a noisy shoulder. Brad: Okay, let's go on with these shoulder problems because it's not uncommon for people to have clicks and crackly shoulders. And people get concerned, is this something I need to see the doctor about? Very good concern, and it's possible, yes. But we're going to explain to you why you may have those clicking and popping in your shoulders. Sometimes it's just like grinding. I'll say to my patients is it like Rice Krispies? If you ever had those, and they say, “yeah, that's kind of like it.” Or it could be something like a clunk, clunk, or pop, whatever, there are several different reasons that we're going to show you why this can happen. It can make you feel better just knowing that your shoulder is not literally falling apart. Bob: Well, we'll show you some things that might help take it away too. Brad: Absolutely, that's going to be a little bit later. Bob: A lot of times, you don't actually hear it, you feel it, the grinding. Okay, let's show what some of the causes could be. Brad: Sam is going to be grateful and happy to help us out. So, we're going to look at the shoulder. If you're going to have these noises and whatnot, they're going to come from the ball and socket of the shoulder joint typically. Here's the socket which is a very shallow socket and then the nice, rounded ball on the humerus. Brad: Keep in mind, it doesn't look so clean, it has a lot of connective tissue around it. And that can start to cause some of these problems. We'll get back to that. Bob: One of the problems, is that quite often the shoulder bone here moves forward in the socket. It's not back in the socket where it should be. And that causes things to grind, it can put pressure on the labrum, and it can put pressure on the tendons coming through. And you're going to show that, right, Brad? Brad: Exactly, so this represents a tendon coming through from the supraspinatus, and that comes over, and connects to the humerus. Now sometimes that tendon can slide back and forth. Bob: That can make a sound. Brad: Right, also there's a tendon toward the front that goes for the bicep tendon, and that can pop back and forth. Bob: Yep, or it can also get squished right there under the acromion. And that can cause noise after a while after it gets scar tissue. Brad: Exactly, so along with it are arthritic changes. Let's say the ball of the socket is getting arthritic. Bob: It's getting flaked. Brad: Yeah, it's not smooth anymore, it becomes rough. And that can also be that Rice Krispy sign. Bob: And then there's the labrum. Brad: The labrum which we did mention already, but we're going to show you. This brown rubbery stuff represents a capsule and some other tendons. But right here’s a labrum, and that's kind of like a cartilage material. And sometimes that can rip, Chris has one of these, it's been confirmed. And that'll make a clunk sound. Bob: It's not holding the ball in the socket the way it should be. And again, if your ball is not in the socket like it should be, it could put pressure on that labrum. It's just not working the way it should. Brad: So obviously, number of reasons. Now, sometimes these can be bad enough that you may need surgery, but the big rule of thumb, is if your clunks or snaps and Rice Krispies and there's no pain with it, you just feel it, that's a pretty good sign, you don't have to get too concerned about it. Bob: Sometimes it's a precursor to pain. I mean, I would like to take it away if you can. Brad: Yes, and we're going to show you some good rules on how to do some exercises and how to correct it before it turns into a problem. Bob: One other thing, Brad, we forgot to mention is the shoulder's not going to work the way it should either if the rotator cuff, the four muscles around the shoulder, they're not working as they should. So that's why Brad's going to show a strengthening exercise too. Brad: And that goes back from, Bob mentioned, that ball can come forward oftentimes out of that socket if you will, and then you get those noises. Bob: Yeah, and if the rotator cuff is working as it should, it should rotate the ball correctly and not cause problems. Brad: Exactly. All right, so, here we go. The first thing we can look at is posture. It all boils down to the fundamentals. If the posture is not right, the mechanics aren’t going to be right. Bob: Look at this, if I'm rounded out and I bring my shoulder up, that's as far as I can go. But now if I straighten up. Look how high my shoulder goes now. Brad: You get about an extra 20 degrees of free mobility just by changing your posture. Bob: Right, and this is also causing it to impinge, which can lead to some of the problems we were just talking about. Brad: Right, so you look at your posture, and sometimes you can take a picture of yourself when you're not aware of yourself or have someone tell you, and you might find that your shoulders are forward and you're not aware of it. And we need to bring them back. So, just squeezing back, I would call them W's, if you bring your arms back, squeeze your shoulder blades behind your back, and do 10 of those throughout the day. Bob: That's the first exercise I give patients, is I tell them, go home, and start doing some of these. Brad: You can use a wall, and try to touch your elbows to the wall and hands to the wall. That way you kind of know where you're at, you might start out not even being able to touch the wall. And the goal is to get back there. My left side is always tighter. I work on that myself. Bob: I can tell. Brad: Yeah, exactly. So posture, look at that. Number two is we're going to look at two specific ranges of motion that you'll see. One is flexion, we talked about that, going up in front, or extension, going back. Bob: You compare one shoulder to the other shoulder if you have one that's better than the other. Brad: Let's say, my left shoulder is the good shoulder, and the other has the clicking and popping. The left shoulder goes all the way up, and the right shoulder goes up two-thirds of the way and it might start the click or pop or maybe that's all it goes or a combination, we want to see if we can get this range of motion back to normal. And we've got a couple of tricks to show you. Bob: Yeah, we've got whole videos on this, but we'll show a couple of them right here. Brad: Right, our favorite ones. If your hand only getting up part way, you can just take the other hand to help it. Bob: Absolutely. Brad: Start with posture, and then the good arm goes up and stretches the bad one. You don't push it into real sharp pain, just a little stretch pain is all and then go back down. Up and down and do those 10 times. And then do those three or four times a day. To get more aggressive, we like to use a stick. Bob: Oh, you can hold the stick with the bad shoulder leading and bring it up. But I think you should show the Statue of Liberty. Brad: Absolutely. So, let's talk about this one a little bit. The arm that is forward would be the shoulder that we need to stretch, then the back arm is doing the work, just relax the left. But the Statue of Liberty stretch is much easier. Bob: Well, it's easier and it's more effective. First, you're going to start off, let's say you don't go up that high. You're going to work your way up a little bit. And then you can lean forward and put traction on the shoulder, so much more effectively. Don't let the arms slide down, but you come back and work your way up a little higher. To progress the Statue of Liberty, eventually, you hope you get all the way to the top and you can just give it a little good, long stretch, and you're going to find out it improves your range rather rapidly. Brad: And again, this shouldn't create any sharp pain, if it does, do not do it, it's just not the right stretch. Also, use a stick about four or five feet long with tips on the bottom so it doesn't slip or slide or poke a hole in your furniture. Bob: Right, the Booyah Stik tends to have a nice grip by the way, and you can say Boo-yah. Brad: Boo-yah! All right, and the other one is the extension, going backward. And you can just take a cane even for that, you don't need such a long stick for this one. And it's like you're paddling a canoe and you just stretch back. And again, you'll check one side compared to the other, the good side goes back farther. Bob: This is one again you could clasp your hands and bring them back. Now, Brad has trouble with this one. So, he actually uses a towel. His shoulders are tight going back. Brad: Oh yeah, I'm a tight-shouldered person. I'm not sure what's wrong with my shoulders, but they're getting better. Bob: You probably don't want to reach for that wallet in your back pocket. Brad: Well, hey, yeah, we want to keep it in there. Let's go to the next one. Bob: Well, we just did the range of motion. I'm going to throw one more in there. How about hanging? Brad: Oh yeah, once you get to the point where your range of motion has improved and you're almost there and it doesn't hurt that much, there's no sharp pain, but you want to get more aggressive to stretch it, just hang on a pull-up bar or something very sturdy that'll hold your weight. Bob: Yeah, we have our wall anchors here, and we have a whole bunch of devices here. We have our pull-up system of ours, and you get three of these anchors with it, and you just put it in the wall anchor and then you can go ahead and just hang. Brad: Yeah, obviously I wouldn't buy them just to hang, I would buy them to do pull-ups. Bob: If you're going to do pull-ups too, this is the system you're going to want to get. Then we have the hanging handles. These are what you'd get if you just want to hang. Brad: Yep, specifically for hanging. Bob: And what's nice about it is you can start off by putting some weight on your feet and then eventually go to the point where you lift your legs up. It's good for your back too, by the way. Brad: Yeah, it's good for decompression of the back. Good for posture, good for your shoulders, and hand strength. There are a lot of benefits to it. Bob: Do you want to do strengthening it all, Brad? Brad: Yes, I do. Now the strengthening part we mentioned before about a weak rotator cuff, probably 90% if not 100% of the therapists are going to show you this exercise for the core strengthening exercise. You're going to need something stretchy like a band and anchor it, we're using the wall anchors here because it works very well. And then we keep the elbow in and rotate out. The elbow stays in by the ribs, 90-degree bend in the elbow. Not extending the arm, not where the elbow comes away. Bob: Yeah, a lot of times we would put a towel underneath the armpit. Brad: If the towel drops out, it means your elbow got too far away from your ribs. And this is a great way to get that posterior rotator cuff strength, which is usually the problem, that's why we do it so much. 10 of those, and then do those three times a day. Well, as it gets better, you can go two sets of 10, but the repetitions per day are probably more helpful. Bob: All right, the final thing is I'm going to show you this one, this is more advanced. What I put up here is one of our looped bands, and these are for pull-up assists, and you can actually do a lot of moves with it. But this again, you're going to want to make sure you don't have loose shoulders or arthritic, like rheumatoid arthritis. Brad: This is probably for a more active person. Bob: Yeah, this is the active person, maybe a little bit younger. What I'm going to do is, when he was showing the ball in the socket, I'm trying to put the band right on the ball itself. So, I don't want to be too far over, I don't want to be over onto the scapula or the clavicle. Brad: Right about where that black band is. Bob: Yeah, there you go. See, that's going to pull the ball back into the socket. And while it's in this position, I can work on flexion, I can work on external rotation, I can work on internal rotation. It's just a great way of teaching that shoulder to stay back in the socket. After you do this a few times, the clicking stops. Brad: Yeah, this is one, if you're a therapist and you're not aware of this, you may want to do this with your patients. Bob: Yeah, and a lot of times I'll put my thumb or hand on the band to keep it from sliding, I'm trying to keep it on the shoulder itself. It's better to error by having it down a little bit further than have it too far up because then it's not working. So, a beautiful exercise. Brad: It is. Since you have the big loop band, if you have those, I like the smaller one, this works well for doing that external rotation. So, you stand on it either one foot or both depending on how much resistance you want, keep your elbows bent at your sides, and rotate out. Be sure to use the right size band. You might use a smaller one like the yellow one. But I like this because you get both sides and it puts some pressure down, so it does a little more strengthening than the other way. It's just another option. Bob: It's very mobile too. Brad: Oh, it is, you can take the band with you. Bob: Yeah, and you can snap people. Brad: Well, they are fun, you must be careful. We don't want to recommend any of those childish things. We are a family show. Bob: Right, be kind, take care. Visit us on our other social media platforms: YouTube, Website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, TikTok, Wimkin Mewe, Minds, Vero, SteemIt, Peakd, Rumble, Snapchat Bob and Brad also have a Podcast where we share your favorite episodes as well as interviews with health-related experts. For this week’s Giveaway visit: https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products Pain Management: C2 Massage Gun (US) Fit Glide Q2 Mini Massage Gun (US) Knee Glide Back and Neck Massager Eye Massager T2 Massage Gun Foot Massager X6 Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head Leg Massager Holy Cowabunga Cream Uni Massage Gun D6 Pro Massage Gun Back Massager Fitness: Resistance Bands​ Pull Up System Pull Up Bands Wall Anchor​ Grip and Forearm Strengthener Hanging Handles​ Hand Grip Strengthener Kit Stress Balls Stretching: Booyah Stik Stretch Strap Wellness: Hand Warmer Bob & Brad Amazon Store and other products Bob and Brad Love Check out our shirts, mugs, bags, and more in our Bob and Brad merchandise shop​ The Bob and Brad Community is a place to share your experiences, ask questions and connect with others regarding physical therapy and health topics. Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material on this website is for informational purposes only and are not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider. Affiliate Disclaimer: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We are highly selective in our products and try our best to keep things fair and balanced to help you make the best choice for you.

Trigger finger is a condition in which one or more of your fingers or thumbs gets stuck in a bent position. Your fingers or thumbs may bend or straighten with a snap - like a trigger being pulled and released. Trigger finger is also known as stenosing tenosynovitis (stuh-NO-sing ten-osin-o-VIE-tis). Inflammation narrows the space within the sheath that surrounds the tendon in the affected finger. Often you may develop adhesion in the sheath that can also narrow the sheath. If the trigger finger is severe, your finger may become locked in a bent position. If your work or hobbies require repetitive gripping actions you are at a higher risk of developing trigger finger. Trigger finger is also more common in women and in anyone with diabetes. (See video for a demonstration of knot going through pulley) Symptoms may include: 1. Finger stiffness, usually more pronounced in the morning 2. A popping or clicking as you move your finger 3. A nodule or a bump in the palm at the base of the affected finger which may be tender. 4. Finger catching or locking in a bent position. It may suddenly pop straight 5. Finger locked in a bent position, which you are unable to straighten Trigger finger can affect any finger, including the thumb. More than one finger may be affected at a time, and both hands might be involved. Massage It is important to understand many of the muscles of the wrist and hand originate in the forearm. You do not need to know the specific names or functions, but you will be well served to apply massage to the muscles on the front and back of the forearm. You may also massage the palm side of the hand (palm, fingers, and thumb). Use the air-filled attachment. Massage until no longer tender. Over the nodules or bumps and the base of the fingers, you should try cross-fiber friction massage over tendons. Start with the small ball attachment and you may eventually work up to the flat head attachment with rounded edges. You will turn the head attachment sideways to apply the cross-fiber massage. If still too tender after 30 seconds stop the massage and try another time. If tolerated may go up to 5 minutes. May do 3x per day if tolerated on the following day. This article and video are part of a series of videos on how to treat your pain with self-massage. Check the full series of videos along with the downloadable guide sheets for each video on our website here: https://www.bobandbrad.com/massage/ Bob & Brad's Massage Guns C2 Massage Gun (US), T2 Massage Gun, EM-19 Massage Gun, Q2 Mini Massage Gun (US), X6 PRO Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material on this website is for informational purposes only and are not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider. Affiliate Disclaimer: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We are highly selective in our products and try our best to keep things fair and balanced in order to help you make the best choice for you.

This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in January of 2023. For the original video go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RA0w_v08Bpc&t=12s Bob: When you bend over to lift something, you don't want any movement coming from your back. You want it all coming from your hips. So, I don't want you to round the back, I want you to keep the back straight. Brad: Wow! Shall I demonstrate on a real person? So, he's saying if you round your back over to flex forward it puts a lot of stress going through that spine. But if we keep straight and use the legs and the hips to bend and lift, it is better on your back. Bob: The back stays straight. And we're going to show you the stretches that allow your hips to do that. Brad: Very critical. Bob: All right, the first stretch we're going to show you is the rectus femoris. The rectus femoris does go up to the pelvis and if it's tight, it could pull your pelvis over. So this is the couch stretch, where you actually put your leg up on a couch, and it's a very aggressive stretch. Brad: Yes, it is. You wouldn't want to do it on a chair like this, it's kind of hard. It kind of hurts your foot, doesn't it? Bob's tougher than nails. But yeah, on a nice soft couch, it works well, and carpeted floor. Bob: Brad will show it on the bed now. Brad: Now you can do this same muscle and same hip stretch, lying on your side, or prone, on your stomach in bed, or on a carpeted floor. So I'll do the side-lying one first, I'm going to show you how to do it with a stretch strap or without. You don't have to have a strap if you can comfortably grab your foot. You grab the top of your foot, and you're going to pull up and back. Now, just bending your knee doesn't do it, you must flex the knee, or bend it, and then bring the knee back. Bob: Right, pull the hip back. Brad: Now I can feel that rectus femoris. From the knee, all the way up to the hip, stretching. If you have a strap or a belt, then make a loop, that could be easier. Bob: It's a lot easier. Brad: I've got better leverage, I'm more comfortable. And you're going to stretch, hold and relax. If you want to do a long 15 to 30-second stretch, you can, but that's kind of difficult. Bob: Then you can flip right on your stomach if you want to do it in this fashion. Brad: If you don't have a belt, and you can comfortably, grab back for your foot, and then you stretch. Brad: This is easier with a belt or a strap. If you have one of these straps, it's nice, you don't have to grab your foot. Bob: There's a reason we call these advanced. It works well. All right, the next stretch we do is called the frog sit. I started this one about three months ago, and I could only go back a few inches. Now I can go all the way down. You get your legs apart, your feet apart and sit back. It's nice to see the gains. Brad: Again, Bob is tougher than nails. He's got it without any cushion. If you want to put a pillow under your knees, or under your feet, and it feels better, that's fine. I'm going to use a cushion here, and my shoes on, because I'm kind of wimpy. Bob: And you can see how his feet are apart. Brad: Yep, and then sit down. Bob: You do pretty well with that, Brad. Brad: Ooh, yeah. But it's stretching, Bob. I feel it. Oh yeah. Wow. I'm feeling better now, Bob. Bob: You look better, too. All right, the next one, Brad, is the pigeon pose. I'm already in that pose. It really stretches the hip flexor. Brad: Yep, from the front angle, it looks like this. Bob: Right, the front foot is turned out a bit. Brad: I don't do this one but it's a good stretch on my hip. I've got some other ones I do. The idea is to stay upright, I'm assuming, Bob: Yep. Let's go right into the next one. Let's do the 90/90 because it's easy just to sit down and put both legs out at a right angle. And now I try to twist and bring myself to the back leg. Brad: I don't do this one, because it hurts my back. I'm not even going to try it. Bob: Then reverse the 90/90. And then I can go into the pigeon pose. Brad: Yeah, those two work together quite well. Bob: All right, this next one is to help you squat deeper. So, you start off, and you can slide against the wall. You can go down as far as you can and eventually, you can actually add some weight. Brad: Sure. Bob: And you just sit here. Brad: How long do you sit there? Bob: As long as you can. Not very long. Brad: I like that idea. At the beginning of the video, we talked about lifting properly and keeping a straight back. And that will keep your back straight. That'll help train you and strengthen you, too, so you do lift and squat properly. Bob: And then you'll probably have to have someone help you stand up. Brad: Well, hey, maybe just don't squat quite so long. Bob: All right, that's it. Brad: All right, very good. Keep those hips flexible, strong, and ready to roll. Bob: And save your back. Visit us on our other social media platforms: YouTube, Website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, TikTok, Wimkin Mewe, Minds, Vero, SteemIt, Peakd, Rumble, Snapchat Bob and Brad also have a Podcast where we share your favorite episodes as well as interviews with health-related experts. For this week’s Giveaway visit: https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products Pain Management: C2 Massage Gun (US) Fit Glide Q2 Mini Massage Gun (US) Knee Glide Back and Neck Massager Eye Massager T2 Massage Gun Foot Massager X6 Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head Leg Massager Holy Cowabunga Cream Uni Massage Gun D6 Pro Massage Gun Back Massager Fitness: Resistance Bands​ Pull Up System Pull Up Bands Wall Anchor​ Grip and Forearm Strengthener Hanging Handles​ Hand Grip Strengthener Kit Stress Balls Stretching: Booyah Stik Stretch Strap Wellness: Hand Warmer Bob & Brad Amazon Store and other products Bob and Brad Love Check out our shirts, mugs, bags, and more in our Bob and Brad merchandise shop​ The Bob and Brad Community is a place to share your experiences, ask questions and connect with others regarding physical therapy and health topics. Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material on this website is for informational purposes only and are not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider. Affiliate Disclaimer: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We are highly selective in our products and try our best to keep things fair and balanced to help you make the best choice for you.

This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in February of 2018. For the original video go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZcfJfn32oQ&t=18s Bob: Today we're going to talk about 15 common exercises you should never do. Never, ever. We’re going to make sure that you never do them and we're going to explain to you why you shouldn't do them. Brad: Sure, that helps a lot. Bob: All right, so let’s talk about the first exercise. It's a common exercise. I think the government used to have you do it, didn't it? It’s the windmill. What you're doing here, what's really hard on the back and the discs of the back, is flexion and twisting at the same time. Brad: Sure. Brad: If you want to hurt your back, this is what you should do. Do windmills without a doubt, they are really bad for you. Brad: Particularly as you get a little older, you're even more prone to it. Bob: Right. So, I could feel that right in my low back. By the way, I'm going to be doing all 15 of these exercises today. I'm going to be in bad shape by the end of the day. Brad: Yes, Bob, you are. That's why I'm going to just watch. I'm going to crack the whip. Bob: Next one, most people know this, I think, but maybe they don't. You should not be doing full sit-ups because it puts a tremendous amount of stress on the discs of the back. Brad: Right. Particularly, right in the low back. And particularly the ones where you reach for your toes. Bob: Right. Right. They've done studies on this. They've actually stuck a needle in the disc of the back, and they've measured the amount of pressure and this puts a tremendous amount of pressure on it. I don’t know if it'd be worse but certainly not better is, if you did supported sit-ups. Where your feet are supported. So there are devices, those benches you could slide your feet underneath. Or you have somebody else hold and you're doing the full sit-ups. And then you see some people holding a weight and that makes it worse. Brad: Yeah. Grab that kettle ball. Bob: No, I'm not going to do that! I'll blow a disc. Brad: Or doing sit-ups on an incline. It certainly works the stomach muscles well, but it hurts the back. Bob: It's also working the leg muscles when someone supports your feet. You're working your hip flexors. Brad: Yeah, hip flexor and that rectus femoris. Bob: So, staying right into this theme also avoid v-sits. Again, it’s hard on the back. And if you want to make them even worse, do v-sits with a twist. Brad: Right, right. Bob: It's the same principle again, you're bending the back and you're twisting it at the same time. Brad: Right, with a lot of pressure in the middle there. Bob: Yeah. Just bad for the back. I mean, I’m done with those and I’m going to do some extensions to counter all the bending. Brad: Don't worry, if you want to get your core and your stomach strengthened there are much better options. Bob: There are a million ways to deal with that. Brad: We have videos on core exercises, but we must stick to the goal here. Bob: Right. The next one is triceps dips off a bench. So, you're going off the end of a bench. It’s a tremendous amount of stress on the shoulders. It's at the end range. There are better ways to strengthen the triceps. We had a whole video on that. Brad: Yeah, so when the shoulder's coming to end range extension here, which anytime you put a joint at end range, it's more susceptible to injury, no matter what. Bob: Yeah. And you can get some impingement with that even just the way you're putting your shoulder into place like that. Next, I'm jumping off into a different area here. This is a simple one. Anybody who runs a lot, I want to make sure you don't run on the same side of the street all the time. There's always a little bit of a camber to the road, a little bit of a tilt. Brad: So the water runs off the road and doesn't stay in the middle. That's a functional thing. Bob: So if I run down the right side of the road and come down on the other side, I'm always on the same tilt. And you're putting the same stresses on your ankle, and your knees, and your feet. If you're susceptible to plantar fasciitis. I'm sensitive enough that I can tell when I'm on one side of the road too much. I know legally or safety-wise, it's best to always go against traffic, but I actually go out against traffic, and then in with traffic is what I do. Brad: Right. Yeah, use good judgment, you know, use a different route or something. Bob: I try to pick roads that have wide shoulders so that we don't have to worry about it. Brad: I had a patient who had tendonitis on her peroneals. and she was on a walking program, walking the same side of the road and I said, well, switch sides. And within a couple of days, it started to get better. Bob: It went away. Brad: Right. Bob: And that's the same about a track. You don't want to go around the track in the same direction every time, you want to reverse that. So just a little helpful hint, that really makes a big difference. The next one is upright rows. Brad: Oh yes. So, we're talking about this. Bob: Yeah. Look what has happened here. His shoulders are internally rotating. When we're testing a shoulder for impingement, we actually internally rotate the shoulder and bring it around. Because that is usually what causes or enhances the impingement. Brad: Right. Bob: So, this is going to make the impingement worse. Brad: So, like you said it's a test to provoke it. Why would you do an exercise that provokes it? Bob: Right. So obviously you're not going to do this, usually, with a bar, you put weights on a barbell which puts even more stress on it. So, we want to save the joints. There are other ways to work those muscles. Bob: All right, this one is just kind of a silly one. I see people doing this sometimes. I've seen an occupational therapist do this one time. They think they're doing chest strengthening, but which weight does gravity go? Gravity goes down. So, I'm working the shoulder right now. Bob: I'm not working the chest. To work the chest, you must go against gravity, which means you must be supine with this motion. Brad: Right. Unless you have the infamous wall anchor, that's a different story. Bob: Yeah. Now he's working the chest. Because the resistance is coming from behind him. Brad: That's the big thing about the weights. They only give one direction of resistance, and that's down. Bob: That's why it's really hard to do lats. Latissimus dorsi because you must pull down. You can't take a weight and pull it down, because it's going with gravity. Brad: Yes. Bob: But we digress, don't we, Brad? Brad: Yes, let's carry on. Bob: All right, the next one is loaded side bends. Brad: I see a lot of people do this one. Bob: So, they're basically bending to one side. Brad: But they only have weight on one side. Bob: I don't do these. But again, it’s hard on the back. It's just putting unilateral stress on the back. Brad: I'm assuming they're thinking it’s working the core, which is true. It works some core muscles, but you put a lot of stress on the spine and there are better ways to do that. Bob: Yeah, unilateral stress. I've seen people, even a fitness guru on YouTube, that did this one. I'm like, really? I would think they would know better, but I guess not. The next one is behind-the-neck press-ups. Brad: This is particularly bad because not only does it stress your shoulder joints, but you must get your head forward to get out of the way. Because if you have an iron barbell there, it kind of hurts when it bounces on your neck. Bob: Yeah, you're in a bad position for your spine. We're not big fans of these anyway. I mean, you have a small shoulder muscle pushing up a long lever arm. I've just seen so many injuries with this. Brad: Well, not only that, but if you have impingement, it's going to impinge. And if you don't have impingement, it puts you higher at risk for that. So, you may have problems. We’re going to get comments on this, I know. Bob: Right because a lot of people like doing these. Brad: They love to do the military press and they don't have any problems, but there's going to be a certain percentage of people that will get problems. Bob: Yeah. We have to go with the odds, and the odds are against you. If you do those, you're going to get hurt eventually in our opinion. The next one, Brad, is actually a wide-based pushup. So what we're talking about is you get your arms way out, like out to the side here and then going down, and your shoulder is internally rotating. And again, we can get that impingement going on. Brad: Sure. Bob: I like to put my hands back more with elbows in and it works the lower part of the chest. But just especially wide-based, with your hands up a little bit further, up even with the shoulders, I can just feel that even. It just doesn't feel good on the shoulders. Brad: Sure. So, your elbows are in and not out wide, particularly when going down. That's what he is talking about, the internal rotation of the humorous if your arms are out far from your body. We're not going to get into details, but you'll just have to believe us on that. Bob: If you're doing some type of jumping exercises, certainly avoid concrete. But the other thing is we want to make sure you're jumping right. One thing, a lot of times people land, especially women, tend to want to land with their knees a little bit in. You definitely want to make sure that your knees are lined up with your feet when you land. Brad: Right. So, you can see, you know this would be the plum line where we want to keep the knee in there. Bob: As opposed to inward. Brad: Right, puts a lot of stress on the ACL and the knee joint. Bob: Same even when you're doing squats and stuff like that. You want to make sure these are all lined up here. Brad: Right, good mechanics, not putting stress through those joints. Bob: Another thing, Brad and I are not big fans of the quad extension machine. You know the one where you get your ankles hooked in, and straighten your legs. You're putting a really heavy high amount of stress onto the patella and even on the joint itself. And it's not functional. Maybe if you're a kicker, but I like full-chain functional activities for strengthening. It's just a good one to avoid. It's not a good one. Brad: Right. I think people like it because it really does make those quads work and you can see it. It looks like, wow, it does really work the quad. Because I used to do them at one time. Bob: I did too, I did too. And then you start getting imbalanced though, too. I think sometimes where the quads are maybe a little bit stronger than the hamstrings. Although, you can do the hamstring on a machine like that too. All right, the final one is, we're going back to those v-sits and some people take a medicine ball, or they'll take a kettlebell and do rotations. It's the same thing again, you're flexing the back and you're twisting the back at the same time. I know it feels like you're really working hard and you are, but it really is causing a lot of possible stress to your back, and possible injuries. Brad: Sure, you bet. Bob: All right. You know, we welcome the comments. I know a lot of people may not agree with some of these, but this is based on our 700 years of experience working with patients. Brad: Yeah, we like to keep you safe for the long run, not just when you're young and healthy, but when you get older like us. Bob: Become old like us. All right, thanks for watching. Visit us on our other social media platforms: YouTube, Website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, TikTok, Wimkin Mewe, Minds, Vero, SteemIt, Peakd, Rumble, Snapchat Bob and Brad also have a Podcast where we share your favorite episodes as well as interviews with health-related experts. For this week’s Giveaway visit: https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products Pain Management: C2 Massage Gun (US) Fit Glide Q2 Mini Massage Gun (US) Knee Glide Back and Neck Massager Eye Massager T2 Massage Gun Foot Massager X6 Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head Leg Massager Holy Cowabunga Cream Uni Massage Gun D6 Pro Massage Gun Back Massager Fitness: Resistance Bands​ Pull Up System Pull Up Bands Wall Anchor​ Grip and Forearm Strengthener Hanging Handles​ Hand Grip Strengthener Kit Stress Balls Stretching: Booyah Stik Stretch Strap Wellness: Hand Warmer Bob & Brad Amazon Store and other products Bob and Brad Love Check out our shirts, mugs, bags, and more in our Bob and Brad merchandise shop​ The Bob and Brad Community is a place to share your experiences, ask questions and connect with others regarding physical therapy and health topics. Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material on this website is for informational purposes only and are not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider. Affiliate Disclaimer: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We are highly selective in our products and try our best to keep things fair and balanced to help you make the best choice for you.

How can massage help Carpel Tunnel Syndrome? Doesn’t the median nerve get entrapped? Yes, but hear us out. Upton and McComas years ago suggested a phenomenon known as double crush syndrome. They suggested that a high portion of patients with a peripheral lesion (for example the median nerve at the carpal tunnel) also had a second lesion elsewhere. For example, in the neck or forearm. They implied both lesions contributed to symptoms. In other words, pressure on the median nerve in the neck or forearm made the median nerve more sensitive in the carpal tunnel. The median nerve (nerve roots) can get irritated in the neck. It can also get entrapped or irritated in the pronator teres in the forearm. So, we often treat the neck with posture and exercises and also massage the muscles of the forearm. Also consider this: The carpal tunnel contains the median nerve along with 9 muscle tendons (the four tendons of the flexor digitorum profundus, the four tendons of the flexor digitorum superficialis, and the flexor pollicis longus (FPL) tendon). Stick around and we will show these muscles at the end. The median nerve also innervates these muscles. If these muscles are tight and it stands to reason they may place more stress on the tendons going through the carpal tunnel and put more stress on the median nerve. Therefore, we find it makes sense to massage the muscles of the forearm and even the meaty part of the thumb (thenar eminence). The pronator teres originates immediately above the medial epicondyle (inside bump of your elbow). (thenar eminence) (Pronator teres origin) Head attachment choices can be based on the following: a. Big Round Head Attachment: Good for larger muscle groups like the glutes, quadriceps, or hamstrings. Allows you to cover more surface area. Moderate in aggressiveness. b. Small Round Head Attachment: Less aggressive to moderate. Great for tendonitis if used sideways. (Big & Small Round Head) c. Air-filled (Pneumatic) Attachment: Probably the least aggressive head. Great for use around bony surfaces and sensitive muscle groups. Good for relaxation. d. Bullet Head Attachment: Aggressive. We have found it to be helpful with treating trigger points or knots. e. Plastic Flat Head: Moderate. Good on the IT band, pectoralis major (with ribs underneath), or plantar fascia (bottom of the foot). Great for tendonitis if used sideways. f. Steel Flat Head: (Can be heated up or cooled down prior to use). Moderate to Aggressive. g. Knobby Attachments: Generally, for larger muscles. More aggressive. h. Field Goal: Can be used along both sides of the spine. Also, some have recommended its use on the Achilles tendon. This article and video are part of a series of videos on how to treat your pain with self-massage. Check the full series of videos along with the downloadable guide sheets for each video on our website here: https://www.bobandbrad.com/massage/ Bob & Brad's Massage Guns C2 Massage Gun (US), T2 Massage Gun, EM-19 Massage Gun, Q2 Mini Massage Gun (US), X6 PRO Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material on this website is for informational purposes only and are not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider. Affiliate Disclaimer: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We are highly selective in our products and try our best to keep things fair and balanced in order to help you make the best choice for you.

This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in November of 2022. For the original video go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ortxiDURobc&t=33s Brad: We're talking about core strength for the seniors, particularly, but for anyone. Very important for seniors as far as getting out of bed easier, getting up from a chair easier, making your posture better, and decreasing and managing low back pain. We're going to show you a very simple way to do it. You don't have to get on the floor in any contorted positions. Bob: Absolutely not. Brad: When we think core strengthening, so many people think of getting down on the ground and doing sit-ups, doing the plank, or doing some oddball things. Bob: Leg raises. Brad: Yes. But this is much easier. This is what I want you to do, all you need is a wall. Even if you walk with a walker and you're relatively stable you can do this one. So, listen closely. Go up to the wall, and you're just going to be about arm's width away so you're touching the wall. That's about the distance you're going to start with. You should have shoes on, something so your feet to grip the floor. Not socks or barefoot, for sure. Bob: You don't want to slide. Brad: You're right. Get your feet shoulder-width apart. Now we know the right distance. Then put your fingers right here on your lower stomach and tighten those stomach muscles so you can feel them tighten. If you've got a lot of fat tissue there, just work with what you've got. Tighten it up and then hold it tight. Brad: Reach back out to the wall, while you keep your stomach tight, and go to your forearms with good posture. Don't just bend at the waist, that doesn't count. Brad: You must go forward with your back straight. It's a little different. If you feel uncomfortable, start out closer and that's okay. And then keep your stomach tight as you're here. Hold that for 20 to 30 seconds. You'll feel that stomach get tight and tired. Brad: Now, if you do this and it's too easy for you, don't get too far out. The other option is simply to take one leg and lift it off the ground, about two inches is all you need. Bob: That's going to force you to tighten up your stomach even more. Brad: Yep, and just do that so you get those 30 seconds done. Simply push away, back up. If you have a walker or whatever, then you're fine. And that's it. Bob: I’ll tell you; it really helped my shoveling snow. Brad: To learn how to tighten the core? Bob: Yeah, right. It’s really a lot better on the back. Brad: Yep. So, this is something that we've got from Doctor McGill. He's a world-renowned therapist. Bob: He's the back guy. Brad: Yep, he's the back guy. Visit us on our other social media platforms: YouTube, Website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, TikTok, Wimkin Mewe, Minds, Vero, SteemIt, Peakd, Rumble, Snapchat Bob and Brad also have a Podcast where we share your favorite episodes as well as interviews with health-related experts. For this week’s Giveaway visit: https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products Pain Management: C2 Massage Gun (US) Fit Glide Q2 Mini Massage Gun (US) Knee Glide Back and Neck Massager Eye Massager T2 Massage Gun Foot Massager X6 Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head Leg Massager Holy Cowabunga Cream Uni Massage Gun D6 Pro Massage Gun Back Massager Fitness: Resistance Bands​ Pull Up System Pull Up Bands Wall Anchor​ Grip and Forearm Strengthener Hanging Handles​ Hand Grip Strengthener Kit Stress Balls Stretching: Booyah Stik Stretch Strap Wellness: Hand Warmer Bob & Brad Amazon Store and other products Bob and Brad Love Check out our shirts, mugs, bags, and more in our Bob and Brad merchandise shop​ The Bob and Brad Community is a place to share your experiences, ask questions and connect with others regarding physical therapy and health topics. Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material on this website is for informational purposes only and are not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider. Affiliate Disclaimer: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We are highly selective in our products and try our best to keep things fair and balanced to help you make the best choice for you.

This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in September of 2022. For the original video go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_hYSZaCsok&t=329s Brad: I want to tell our viewers this quick little story to prove a good point. This gentleman was in his forties at the time, and he is watching a security camera, and he is watching this person walk away on the security camera. He asked another employee, he said, "Who is that old person that works here?" Bob: Right, and it was him. Brad: Yes, and the reason why he looked so old is that he is walking with a poor, slumped posture. Bob: I love this guy, but he's got poor posture. Really humped over. Brad: Posture makes all the difference in how you look. I see people at the YMCA, they're in their sixties and seventies, God bless them, they're exercising, but their posture is so rounded. And you do not want to wait until you're in your sixties to fix this, because it's hard to straighten up to look young again. Bob: Right. Brad: Posture makes a big difference. We're going to show you some easy tricks on how to take care of this. Before we get to the simple, little exercise of movements, I just want to relate this to everyday life. Every day, everyone brushes their teeth. It's not a problem, and you know why you're brushing your teeth. If you don't brush your teeth, they're going to rot out by the time you're 65 or 70. Bob: They'll be gone. Brad: Right, so you just do it. Well, if you want to look tall, with a good-looking posture, you need to do simple exercises every day. Bob: Every day! Brad: Just like brushing your teeth. It's as simple as that. Okay, let's get on to the first one. We're going to show you four options, simple movements, or exercises. Pick two of them out and do those throughout the day. They only take a few seconds of your day. They're easy to do and they work. First, if you want to do it lying down, on the floor, or on your bed, Bob will demonstrate. Bob: Or the snow. Brad: Or the snow, snow angels. So, look at Bob, he is keeping his arms flat on the floor. Bob: So, what happens if my arms can’t go flat on the floor, Brad? Brad: Yeah, if it's too tight, like mine, that's okay. That's going to get better the more you do it. Bob: Right. Don't force it down. Over time, it should get better. Brad: Right. None of these should create pain. You only have to do five. If you want to do 10 that’s fine. Now when you're doing this, make sure you add a chin tuck. So, Bob will demonstrate that the chin goes down, and his head stays in contact with the floor. Bob: You can have a rolled towel here underneath your head. Brad: You can. If you're already slouched you may not be able to do that. Bob: Right. You might have your head up off the floor. You might need a pillow. Brad: Yeah. And your head is hanging there because it's that tight. I've had many patients that way. You can do the chin tucks while you're seated, as well. Chin tucks, chin tucks, chin tucks. Do them all day long if you want. Well, I'm exaggerating, but they are good to do a number of times throughout today. Brad: If getting down on the floor is difficult. Obviously, that's not an option. I'm going to show you the next one, number two. This is a good alternative to laying on the floor. Go to a wall that doesn't have pictures hanging on it, so you don't knock them off. Then butt up against the wall and shoulders. Do the chin tuck with your head, touching the wall. If you can, if not just stretch it the best you can. And then the wall angels. Now, as you can see, my shoulders are inherently tight. My shoulders are touching, I'm chin-tucking. Bob: Go way up, Brad Brad: That's as far as I'm going, Bob. Bob: That's it? Brad: That's it. I'm sorry. You know, I swim a lot too. Some people are going to have that and that's okay. The big thing is your shoulders are back and your chin is tucked in. So, when I walk away it becomes a habit of looking tall, and strong versus "blah". Bob: Looking young. Brad: Yeah. Looking young and strong, things are good. Okay. This fourth option is going to be limited because you need some simple equipment. If you happen to have a pull-up bar at home, a good way to work on your posture is hanging. I'm going to use hanging handles, this is even better because I'm going to use the wall to help force posture without me working at it. If you have a pull-up bar, you can do that and use the same method. If you have to jump up to get to it, it's too high. Use a stool so you can grab it and then let your body weight down with your legs slowly. So, if you're against the wall, it’s a nice advantage. Shoulders, and head back. Do the chin tuck. I know everything is good. My butt's up against the wall and slowly let down. You're going to decompress your back. You're going to work on your shoulders. Open up that AC joint where you get decompression. So, this is good for posture. Good for shoulders and your back and just hang out here. Bob: It might make you taller. Brad: Yeah, go down. If you have pain in your shoulders, don't put that much weight on it, have it controllable by having your legs forward. Bob: Yeah. Over time you might be able to tolerate more. Brad: Yeah. Bob and I use these on a regular basis. Again, wonderful for my shoulders, and has been working well for my swimming. I don't know why I can't go higher on the wall angels. Bob: Yeah. I was only 5'4" when I started, now I'm 6'6". Brad: Again, it's an option that not everyone will have. Use one of the other ones and work towards that. And finally, Bob, we just want to add on a bonus thing. Bob: What's that? Brad: Walking. Bob: Walking, that's right. When you walk, you can take your arms and put them behind you and stretch, straighten yourself up first, and then walk. Brad: Yeah. And if you want to walk like this, it forces those shoulders back. Bob: Yeah. You look like a professor. Brad: Yeah. But don't lean forward. Bob: Right, make sure everything is upright. Brad: Yep. And the neighbors will go by and say, "My goodness! Look at Bob. He looks 10 years younger". All right. Take care. Stand tall. You're going to look younger and feel better. Bob: Be careful out there. Visit us on our other social media platforms: YouTube, Website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, TikTok, Wimkin Mewe, Minds, Vero, SteemIt, Peakd, Rumble, Snapchat Bob and Brad also have a Podcast where we share your favorite episodes as well as interviews with health-related experts. For this week’s Giveaway visit: https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products Pain Management: C2 Massage Gun (US) Fit Glide Q2 Mini Massage Gun (US) Knee Glide Back and Neck Massager Eye Massager T2 Massage Gun Foot Massager X6 Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head Leg Massager Holy Cowabunga Cream Uni Massage Gun D6 Pro Massage Gun Back Massager Fitness: Resistance Bands​ Pull Up System Pull Up Bands Wall Anchor​ Grip and Forearm Strengthener Hanging Handles​ Hand Grip Strengthener Kit Stress Balls Stretching: Booyah Stik Stretch Strap Wellness: Hand Warmer Bob & Brad Amazon Store and other products Bob and Brad Love Check out our shirts, mugs, bags, and more in our Bob and Brad merchandise shop​ The Bob and Brad Community is a place to share your experiences, ask questions and connect with others regarding physical therapy and health topics. Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material on this website is for informational purposes only and are not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider. Affiliate Disclaimer: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We are highly selective in our products and try our best to keep things fair and balanced to help you make the best choice for you.

When massaging the hip, your primary focus should be not only on the muscles that attach to the hip but also on the muscles adjacent to the hip. As Kelly Starrett (author of Supple Leopard) calls it “upstream” and “downstream”. You can use any massage head that you find effective. See the guide below. Always start at the lowest variable speed and work your way up. Some of the hip muscles are very deep and under other muscles. Therefore, they are hard to get at. But overall, we want to massage the hip flexors, hip extensors, hip external rotators, hip internal rotators, hip adductors, and hip abductors. Rules: 1. You do not need to massage any muscle that is not sore or tight. 2. Avoid pulse and lymph nodes. 3. Go against the grain (fibers) and with the grain. 4. Stay until you make a change - hopefully no longer painful. 5. Use the correct head. Head attachment choices can be based on the following: a. Big Round Head Attachment: Good for larger muscle groups like the glutes, quadriceps, or hamstrings. Allows you to cover more surface area. Moderate in aggressiveness. b. Small Round Head Attachment: Less aggressive to moderate. Great for tendonitis if used sideways. (Big & Small Round Head) c. Air-filled (Pneumatic) Attachment: Probably the least aggressive head. Great for use around bony surfaces and sensitive muscle groups. Good for relaxation. d. Bullet Head Attachment: Aggressive. We have found it to be helpful with treating trigger points or knots. e. Plastic Flat Head: Moderate. Good on the IT band, pectoralis major (with ribs underneath), or plantar fascia (bottom of the foot). Great for tendonitis if used sideways. f. Steel Flat Head: (Can be heated up or cooled down prior to use). Moderate to Aggressive. g. Knobby Attachments: Generally, for larger muscles. More aggressive. h. Field Goal: Can be used along both sides of the spine. Also, some have recommended its use on the Achilles tendon. This article and video are part of a series of videos on how to treat your pain with self-massage. Check the full series of videos along with the downloadable guide sheets for each video on our website here: https://www.bobandbrad.com/massage/ Bob & Brad's Massage Guns C2 Massage Gun (US), T2 Massage Gun, EM-19 Massage Gun, Q2 Mini Massage Gun (US), X6 PRO Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material on this website is for informational purposes only and are not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider. Affiliate Disclaimer: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We are highly selective in our products and try our best to keep things fair and balanced in order to help you make the best choice for you.

If our eyes are the windows to the soul, our voices tell its story. We are inextricably connected to our voice, it tells others a lot about who we are, where we have been, and what we are currently feeling. What if you are experiencing changes in your voice, how do you get help for it? When is it appropriate to get help? There are times when we lose our voice after yelling at a stadium or feel vocal fatigue after a long event, but if it goes away, we don’t need to follow up. If you experience a change in the way your voice sounds and/or feels that is chronic, and keeps coming back or never gets better, especially if it affects your participation, that is when you should get it assessed. Who can assess a voice disorder? ENTs are the most common first stop, as they can use an endoscope to see your vocal folds and surrounding structures. They make medical diagnoses, for instance, cancer and lesions. However, most ENTs are generalists and have limited training in voice disorders. You want to find a laryngologist, a voice expert, as they will have more experience and possibly better equipment. Videostroboscopy is the gold standard for assessing voice disorders, it uses a similar fiberoptic camera as the endoscope, but it has a strobing light, which enables the viewer to see your focal folds move in slower motion. This allows them to see much more information, like what the edge of the folds look like when they are voicing, periodicity, and slight differences in each fold. The laryngologist will comment on any tension seen between and above the vocal folds, what it looks like, and how severe it is. Tension is a common culprit of harsh, strained, and uncomfortable voice. Getting diagnosed in our society can be a long and arduous path. We often have to be advocates in order to get answers for what happening to us. We get second and third opinions, or never try, because it is so overwhelming. If you are not getting the answers you need, seek out the help of a speech-language pathologist (SLP) who works in the area of voice. SLPs have a wide range of domains that they work in, so be sure to ask if they specialize in voice. These days with teletherapy, you can usually see anyone in your state! The SLP will do their own perceptual assessment based on what they can see behaviorally and acoustically, they might feel your muscles, have you do vocal tasks while recording, ask about your history, have you complete a questionnaire, and try to stimulate a better voice to see which treatments could work. No one should have to suffer with a gravelly and uncomfortable voice, even if you just want to change the way that you sound, find an SLP to work with, they can get you back on track and prevent it from getting worse. Check out my video on a stellar voice relaxation technique HERE Check out my Voice Course Playlist HERE Check out my new YouTube channel HERE

This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in November of 2022. For the original video go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Oq5o-g-vgY&t=83s Brad: Many of our viewers are probably suffering from joint pain with this cold weather. It might be from a poor diet, it just might be arthritis. So we're going to show you a couple of options that are going to help reduce and stop that pain without meds. That means no side effects. I did a little homework on this, and I found an article from January 2022 written by Deborah Fulham Bruce Ph.D. This article is reviewed by a medical doctor and this information is good. Plus, we have over 57 years of hands-on clinical experience. Bob: Oh my god, we're old. Brad: Yeah. And we found this all consistent. Bob: It's true. Brad: I think there's going to be no surprise. One of the things you can do with that joint pain is to use some heat on it. Bob: It feels good. Brad: It feels good. The second option in this article which is not a real big surprise to us is cold. Use cold packs. I must admit, in my practice over the last 25 years I can think of one person with severe arthritis, and she really liked cold. Bob: It's very rare. Brad: Yeah. Most people like heat, but there's always that option. So we're going to cover that as well. Now with heat, one of the things that it does is it helps dilate the vessels and increase circulation. Bob: More blood flow. Brad: And that helps. It just feels good. We're going to talk about differences in what type of heat to use for options. Cold on the other hand restricts and pushes some fluid out. There's some numbing effect from the cold that can help reduce the pain. You can try each one. Bob: You use cold on your back, right? Brad: Oh yeah. I'm a cold person. I don't know if there's an arthritic problem, I don't think it might be coming up though. So, we're going to get the first options of heat that you can use. Number one, as therapists I think we've always used moist hot packs and we have these hydrocollators where these hot packs are soaking in hot water. But people don't have those at home. Bob: Absolutely not. Brad: To make it simple, a few good options are simply a warm shower or doing the dishes in warm water, and getting those hands warmed up. A hot tub. For some people, you could use a sauna or a steam room. However, if you do that, you need to make sure the doctor okays it. If you have a heart problem, you may not want to go into a hot tub or a steam room. Bob: Agreed. Brad: You can have problems with that. Other options for at-home are simply hot packs. There are cold and hot packs that you can do both of those. You can either put this in the freezer, comes out cold, or put it in the microwave and there'll be instructions on it how long to put it in there and put that on your aching joints. Brad: The other option is an electric hot pack. Now there are standard hot packs that usually have two or three temperatures. A big caution with hot packs like that, they're conventional. They don't go very deep. They go about skin deep. They feel good, but you have to be careful if you put it on all the way high and you fall asleep with it. Bob and I have both had patients that burned themselves because they fell asleep with a hot pack on high and it can be a problem. Bob: Absolutely. Brad: Now the other type of hot pack, this costs more but it is definitely superior. It's far infrared. It's a special type of hot pack, far infrared rays will heat up deep into your tissues. Thermotex Far Infrared Heating Pad Bob: 2.36 inches. Brad: Right, over two inches and you can leave them on much longer. The Thermotex infrared heating pad only goes, I believe to 107 degrees is what it heats up to. There's only one setting and it goes deep. And you can leave that on for up to 45 minutes without concern. Bob: Right. Brad: So that's another excellent option. If you have not tried cold on those sore joints, you can try it. An easy way to do it without spending any money is to go to your freezer and take out a package of mixed vegetables, corn, peas, whatever it may be. They work well. They're cold. If you have knee joint pain, you simply put it right over your knee. Do not put cold directly on your skin. There's a potential to get frostbite. Typically, with patients I've had, they designate one bag of frozen peas for their cold pack so that's an option. If this works well, you can actually make a cold pack that works very well. Bob: I've used one. Brad: Simply go to the store and get some rubbing alcohol. It does make a difference on the percent alcohol, this is 91%. If it’s a different percentage it just changes the ratio. So, here's an example I made this last night. I took two freezer bags and it says cold pack on there so no one uses this for anything else. I put one bottle of rubbing alcohol and then two of water. So the ratio is two water to one rubbing alcohol. This is 91%, which I haven't used before. I've always used a lesser and this will not freeze. It's just cold water now, which is nice because it's darn cold and it actually goes over the top of the knee well. Now what I would do with this is I would dump some of it out and add more water. Because I like it so it turns slushy. If I use the alcohol with, I think it's 70 some percent, this would probably come out slushy. And that's something you have to learn. Bob: Got it. Brad: But these work well. You get done with it, put it back in the freezer. Bob: It's cold. My gosh. Brad: You're darn right it's cold, Bob. It's a cold pack. Bob: Hence the name. Brad: Yes. Or you can simply get one of these nice cold packs, make sure you get a good one. If you get a cheap one, you put it in the cold, in the freezer and they come out and they're hard. Bob: It's a big brick. Brad: Those are the el cheapos. They're not worth buying. You're better off making one. Otherwise, it should come out soft. You can wrap it around the joint, your shoulder, your hand, whatever it may be. And the nicer ones like this one, we like iReliev. They make an excellent quality one. You could use it for a hot pack as well. Bob: Yep. Double Whammy. Brad: Two for the price of one type of deal. Also, you could put some ice in some water for an ice water bath. It's aggressive. Bob: Oh, very aggressive. Brad: Yeah, some people like it. It's not going to be for a lot of people. Bob: Right. Brad: So again, cold for 10 to 20 minutes, not longer than 20 minutes is going to be all you need. Again, never on your direct skin. And you know, I think these things can help. No side effects. Bob: If I hold hands with my wife. She's got cold hands. Brad: She’s got cold hands and a warm heart. Bob: Right. Brad: You're a lucky man, Bob. All right. Very good. Enjoy the winter. Keep those hands, feet, and joints feeling good. Bob: Take care. This week we are giveaway a Bob and Brad Hand Warmer that works great to warm cold and arthritic hands. For this week’s Giveaway visit: https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Visit us on our other social media platforms: YouTube, Website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, TikTok, Wimkin Mewe, Minds, Vero, SteemIt, Peakd, Rumble, Snapchat Bob and Brad also have a Podcast where we share your favorite episodes as well as interviews with health-related experts. 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Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material on this website is for informational purposes only and are not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider. Affiliate Disclaimer: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We are highly selective in our products and try our best to keep things fair and balanced to help you make the best choice for you.