Meaningful resource articles and education 

Here are a few meaningful resource articles that I have taken from different sources to help educate clients on some of the types of active rehab we offer and are passionate about. Some of these systems take more than a few words to explain, so please take a moment now to scroll down and read these articles.

ELDOAS vs SPINAL DECOMPRESSION MACHINES FOR TREATING BACK PAIN

excerpt from Stephanie McCusker

What are spinal decompression machines?

There are a number of different types of devices that have been designed and marketed to help utilise traction to decompress the spine, ie: the inversion table and the programmable spinal decompression machine.  These treatments are often used to treat conditions like herniated discs, degenerative disc disease, sciatica, and spinal stenosis.

Inversion table:

The most popular and affordable type of spinal decompression device is the inversion table.Inversion therapy involves being positioned upside down - generally hanging by the ankles/feet for a few minutes a day. It uses gravity to help to remove the pressure from the spinal discs and the surrounding muscles and nerves.  This could relieve painful muscle spasms caused by spinal disc compression. It is a convenient and affordable treatment that can be done at home and requires minimal effort.

However, as inversion tables utilize gravity and your full body weight to stretch your spine, the ligaments and tendons continue to stretch and can no longer protect spinal vertebral discs from further injury.  In essence, you just “keep stretching”.

If not used correctly, most people will overindulge doing it too hard for too long too often which can lead to injury and occasionally, permanent damage. It is also very general as there is no way to target a specific area of the spine or joint. As well, it does not address the cause of back pain and can relieve the symptoms of spine compression temporarily. 

Programmable Spinal Decompression Machine:

This machine is designed to stretch the spine gently, relieving pressure on the discs and nerves between the vertebrae. The person’s muscles remain completely relaxed in a neutral supine position. 

The machine gently pulls the lower or upper half of the body, depending on the area being targeted. Treatment usually lasts between 20-45 minutes and can be found in a specialized therapy clinic (ie: physio or chiropractic clinic).

This machine is programmed based on the amount of “pull” the health practitioner deems is appropriate and can adjust to the patients body weight and other parameters. It is programmed to exert gradual, gentle force for short intervals of time before releasing.  It does this in specific patterns andf can also target different areas of the spine. It is easy to do and requires no effort by the patient.

However, it is expensive and can only be done at specific locations. This type of spinal decompression is still general - a general area may be targeted such as the lumbar spine or neck bot not a specific joint. And like the inversion table, it does not address the cause of back pain and can only relieve the symptoms of spine compression temporarily. 

ELDOA Exercises:

Etirements Longitudinaux avec Decoaptation Osteo-Articularae

The ELDOA are postural exercises (LOADS – Longitudinal Osteo-Articular Decoaptation Stretches) that you can do yourself with the primary goal being to increase the space within a chosen articulation.

The basic principle at work during an ELDOA consists of creating a posture that will target a specific joint. The posture is created by the clients themselves actively creating tension through a specific posture to “fix” the targeted joint and create traction to free the space above the fixed point. Body awareness is created combined with specific breathing patterns to guide the myofascial motor controls to free the locked up segment or joint.

As the ELDOA “creates space”, there is an improvement in joint mechanics, increased blood flow, reduced pressure on the discs, a reduction of pain, spinal disc rehydration, better muscle tone, improved posture, and a sense of well-being and awareness. It consists of very specific programmiing that can target the exact joint space that needs correction. It addresses the cause of most back pain issues including postural strength and normalising asymmetries in spinal alignment for longer lasting back pain relief. It is an active treatment vs passive so will always have a longer lasting outcome.

The only drawbacks to ELDOAs are that they take time to master the techniques as the postures are most effective when done correctly. And it can be difficult to find a Certified ELDOA Practitioner with the skill level to work with specific spine injuries. They also require effort and consistency to experience the benefits so are more challenging than passive therapy (ie: inversion table and/or spinal decompression machines).

Fundamentally the biggest difference between spinal decompression machines and the ELDOA is that:

Spinal Decompression Devices are PASSIVE and GENERAL while

ELDOA Exercises are ACTIVE and SPECIFIC.

With Spinal Decompression Devices, because this process is completely passive with no effort by the patient, the moment the person stands up, all of the spine compresses again and there has been no educational process for the ligaments, muscles, and correct posture to maintain the effect. The pain relief may be fast but temporary.

Also… the decompression method using a device is very general. Yes, it can work more with the lumbar, thoracic, or cervical area possibly - however it is not able to target a specific joint within the spine.

However, when a joint sustains an injury, it loses range of motion for several reasons:

  • Inflammation and Swelling

  • Pain and Muscle Guarding

  • Muscle Spasms

  • Damage to Soft Tissues (which can destabilize the joint)

  • Joint Stiffness (from prolonged immobility further limiting range of motion)

  • Fibrosis and Scar Tissue

So, when you get general spinal decompression from a machine or inversion table…it is the healthy joints that are actually more likely to decompress - not the joint or joints that are actually damaged!

Active Spinal Decompression through ELDOAs involves clients actively working and exercising to stimulate and reeducate all components of the functional spinal unit. The process progressively strengthens the supporting structures—like intervertebral muscles and ligaments—helping to maintain spinal space over time. Clients can specifically target damaged or compressed joints, ensuring the therapy benefits the affected areas rather than just the healthier ones.

In conclusion, there are some benefits to using spinal decompression machines, however, you may now see thatit is not necessarily the most effective for long term healing and spine health. A combination of manual physiotherapy can help normalise the connective tissue and realign the joints and then the patient is able to actively reinforce the alignment using the ELDOA Exercises and continue to create spinal decompression to help target and heal the specific joint space that they need for lasting results.

BENEFITS OF MYOFASCIAL STRETCHING

excerpt from Stephanie McCusker

Myofascial Stretching can significantly enhance the quality and performance of connective tissue by improving its flexibility, hydration, strength, and resilience. Here's how myofascial stretching impacts connective tissues such as fascia, tendons, and ligaments:

1. Improves Tissue Elasticity by lengthening collagen fibers

2. Enhances Hydration and Nutrient Flow by stimulating fluid movement through the tissues to mobilize water, nutrients and waste products which keeps the tissue pliable and reduces stiffness. It also prevents adhesions (sticky areas) in the tissue ensuring better sliding between tissue layers.

3. Stimulates Collagen Production by encouraging fibroblast activity (which produce collagen) which is turn improves the tissue integrity and repair. It also created stronger collagen cross links which makes the tissue more resilient to withstanding mechanical stresses.

4. Prevents Stiffness and Maintains Mobility by lengthening shortened tissues and maintaining range of motion which enhances joint stability and mobility, reducing the risk of injury.

5. Improves Proprioception and Movement Efficiency by enhancing neuromuscular coordination thereby, improving the body's awareness of position and movement. It also optimizes force transmission improving performance in activities requiring strength or precision.

6. Reduces Risk of Injury by increasing Range Of Motion (ROM) and balancing tension across joints preventing uneven loading by ensuring that connective tissues are evenly tensioned, lowering injury risk.

WHAT IS CAUSING YOUR LIMITED SHOULDER OVERHEAD REACH - Is it a shoulder problem or a spine problem?

- excerpt from Stephanie McCusker

Limited overhead range of motion (ROM) can result from various factors, including:

1. Muscle Tightness or Imbalance 

  • Tight lats (latissimus dorsi): Restricts full shoulder flexion.

  • Tight pecs (pectoralis major/minor): Pulls shoulders forward, limiting overhead reach.

  • Weak rotator cuff or scapular stabilizers: Leads to poor movement mechanics.

2. Joint Restrictions

  • Glenohumeral (shoulder) joint stiffness: Reduced mobility in the ball-and-socket joint.

  • Thoracic spine stiffness: Limited extension reduces overhead reach.

3. Impingement or Injury

  • Shoulder impingement syndrome: Structures like the rotator cuff get pinched under the acromion (collar bone)

  • Rotator cuff tendinitis or tears: Weakness or pain limits motion.

  • Frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis): Severe stiffness due to inflammation.

4. Poor scapular Motion:

  • Lack of upward rotation - the scapula must rotate upward to allow full shoulder flexion

  • Dysfunctional scapular movement - Leads to compensation and impingement

5. Postural issues:

  • Forward head and rounded shoulders - common in people who sit alot or have poor posture

  • Kyphosis - hunched upper back - which restricts overhead movement

Limitation of motion in any of these structures will adversely affect the biomechanics of the shoulder girdle and may produce or predispose the shoulder girdle to pathological changes. 

So, if you feels restrictions in your shoulders reaching overhead or you have even had shoulder injuries in the past, you need to make sure that you are improving your spine mobiliy and posture. Not just for your upper back but actually, your lower back and pelvis position. All is in link and if your pelvis is out of normal alignment then it will most certainly affect your upper back and your shoulders.

PREDICTING MEANING IN LIFE AND RECOVERY FROM PAIN

- excerpt from Bahram Jam

We generally have a tendency and desire to choose the path of least resistance in order to achieve our goals. This makes perfect sesne - comparted to effortless tasks, effortful activities are often less pleasurable and more “painful.”

The irony is that the path of least resistance doesn’t always make us “feel good” in the long run. The paradox is that the more we fulfill our natural desire to take the easiest route, the less alive we may actually feel.

When we create, build or do something that take effort, we tend to place more value and meaning on it. That leads to a great sense of satisfaction - and even a sense of feeling more alive in the world. Isn’t that, in the end, what we’re all looking for? Just to feel alive?

Effortless activities rarely give us that same level of satisfaction or sense of growth. When we lie on a beach, sit on a couch, passively watch TV, or scroll through our phones, there’s rarely that deeper feeling of meaning or progress.

Exercise, for example, take effort - but if you consciously associate meaning and value to it, you’re far more likely to stick with it. Otherwise, the easier path wins: sitting or lying down.

The only was to become a “hero” in your own life story is to intentially take on challenges and overcome them. Whether its learning a new language, or instrument, writing an essay, cooking, gardening, running, weight training, dancing - or any physical activity, really - meaning lives on the other side of effort.

Sometimes, choose the path of slightly greater resistance. It might not be easy….but it’s always worth it.