The remarkable Soleus muscle.
 
Located in the back of the lower leg, attaching to the Achilles tendon and the heel is the Soleus muscle. The Soleus is a remarkable muscle generally known for its resilient endurance and contractile strength. 
The soleus muscle (as well as other muscles) holds up the body when standing to maintain the centre of mass and preventing us face planting forward. As the soleus is a muscle that points the foot down, it is therefore a powerful muscle that propels us forward during walking and running.
A fun fact here is with its powerful contractions, the Soleus compresses blood vessels to propel blood back to the heart against gravity, earning its reputation as the body’s second heart (known as the Musculo-venous pump). Taking a walk every day is usually a good idea for the cardiovascular system anyway.

Strength and elasticity for the Soleus

It is important to keep this muscle strong using a range of exercises for the lower leg. We can improve elasticity using ankle mobility exercises as well as stretches for the lower leg.
The stronger and more elastic the Soleus the more force it can produce, thus improving your gait and centre of mass.
Regarding restricted range of motion, tightness and pain patterns, the soleus characteristically develops 3 areas of trigger points mainly referring to the inner part of the heel with tenderness to touch and deep in the upper calf muscle towards the knee.
The pain in the heel is one of the main complaints from running athletes and may sometimes be misdiagnosed as Achilles tendonitis. In saying that, chronic shortening of the soleus muscle can lead to increased tension of the achilles tendon, potentially leading to Achilles Tendinitis.

For this reason, a thorough assessment of movement patterns is important given that the recovery times and treatment approach can differ depending on the assessment findings.

Myotherapy techniques like joint mobilizations, manual myofascial release techniques and dry needling may significantly improve symptoms and restore function of the soleus and the lower leg. 

If you are experiencing any of the above, let us help you.

It is quite obvious to see when someone presents to the clinic with neck pain, with a rigid stance and the look of struggle, something is not quite right.
Here are some of the most common phrases I hear regarding neck pain.

• I woke up this morning and I can’t move my neck.
• I was at the gym doing pull ups and I felt a pinch in the neck, its really painful, I cant even turn my head to the same side.
• I think I’ve “pinched a nerve” in my neck, it hurts so much. It even hurts when I breathe.
• My neck is killing me and I can feel it along the shoulder blade too.

Now there are a few possible causes for this presentation of symptoms including the muscles, nerves, joints and discs in the neck. However, most commonly the Levator Scapulae muscle aka, “The stiff neck” muscle is the usual suspect.
Although the Levator Scapulae is involved in movements of the neck and shoulder blade, it can become over worked and overloaded. I must say, it doesn’t have the best reputation when it gets angry.
Pain arising from this muscle will feel like a sharp pinch at the angle of the neck and the top of the shoulder with pain spreading down along the spine and the border of your shoulder blade. In addition to the pain pattern, it also significantly restricts the range of motion of the neck mainly turning to the same side and very limited movement to the opposite side and  sometimes shortness of breath due to pain.
The Levator scapulae muscle can be overloaded and is likely to develop trigger points while sitting at a desk for long periods or training in the gym. Some factors include:

• Using 2 or more screens at work
• Sitting at a desk for long periods of time
• Carrying a heavy bag over the shoulder
• Poor neck posture / muscle imbalances around the neck
• Sleeping in an unsupported neck position
• The neck exposed to a cold draft
• Poor muscle strength around the shoulder blade
• Weights training
  • Overhead press
  • Push ups / bench press
  • Pull ups

At Myomentum, we use a range of manual therapy techniques that help reduce these symptoms significantly. We then provide a long term management plan to prevent these symptoms in the future.

We look forward to helping you.
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Lets get started.