What’s wrong with this picture? The model is obviously well sculpted and hopefully will paid for the toll that this exercise will be taking on her nervous system overtime. Take a close look at the picture above on the left. Look carefully and …

What’s wrong with this picture?

 The model is obviously well sculpted and hopefully will paid for the toll that this exercise will be taking on her nervous system overtime. Take a close look at the picture above on the left. Look carefully and what do you notice? Do you see it?

This exercise is neurologically incongruent.  Her right arm is flexed at the same time as her right hip. When does this ever happen in gait?

 Do you remember crossed extensor responses or tonic neck reflexes? If not, see here and here. When we walk the right arm and left leg or flexed while the left arm and right leg are extended. During a tonic neck response, and that is rotated to one side the upper and lower extremity (upper greater than lower) should extend on that side with flexion on the contralateral side.

During a tonic neck reflex, the head is rotated to one side the upper and lower extremity (upper greater than lower) should extend on that side with flexion on the contralateral side. In the picture above her torso is rotated to the left while looking straight ahead which is effectively right neck rotation and her extremities are flexed on that side.

 In the picture above her torso is rotated to the left while looking straight ahead which is effectively right neck rotation and her extremities are flexed on that side.

Who thinks of these things? Certainly not folks that are paying attention to appropriate neurology and physiology!  Oh yeah, and the ad was for massage cream. Jeez…