- Karina Vogt
Karina's Korner

Move It or Lose It
When an injury or pain impedes our ability to move and use our bodies, it can feel like our health is in a downward spiral. What can we do when we find ourselves in this situation?

A young ballet dancer named Gabriella was in the midst of a prestigious ballet intensive and pushed herself too far. She disregarded her persistent knee pain, which was a warning sign from her nervous system, until she woke up one morning a few weeks into the program and was unable to bend her knee. After seeing the school’s physician to rule out structural damage, Gabriella came to me for MAT treatment. A range of motion examination showed that her left hip was more limited in flexion compared to her right hip. After we worked on her left hip, her bilateral hip flexion became symmetrical for the first time that she could remember, and her knee pain went away. She was able to fully bend her knee and finish her ballet intensive with increased range of motion. By working on her hips, her knee issues resolved allowing her to perform at her peak.
The more that we can all keep our muscles in balance, the better our systems will function as a whole. And always remember...laughter is the best medicine!
-Karina Vogt
References:
(Cramer, S.C., Orr, E.L.R., Cohen, M.J. et al. Exp Brain Res (2007) 177: 233. Doi: 10. 1007/s00221-006-0662-9).