pandiculation Archives - Somatic Movement Center https://somaticmovementcenter.com/category/pandiculation/ Discover the secret to living pain-free. Thu, 27 Feb 2025 19:39:32 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 What is Pandiculation? https://somaticmovementcenter.com/pandiculation-what-is-pandiculation/ Thu, 21 Apr 2022 13:30:06 +0000 http://www.somaticmovementcenter.com/?p=6730 You can listen to Sarah's podcast on this topic here: What is pandiculation? Pandiculation is generally defined as the act of stretching oneself and yawning, especially upon waking. However, our automatic pandicular response has far more significance than simply prompting us to stretch and yawn. As you'll learn in this post, pandiculation is [...]

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]]> What Really Causes Muscle Cramps? https://somaticmovementcenter.com/what-really-causes-muscle-cramps/ Tue, 25 May 2021 17:07:21 +0000 https://somaticmovementcenter.com/?p=12943 What really causes muscle cramps? Muscle cramps have long been attributed to electrolyte depletion and dehydration, especially when they occur in athletes. However, research does not support these theories, and instead points to altered neuromuscular control and muscle fatigue as the culprits. In this post, I'll summarize the research and explain why muscle cramps [...]

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]]> New Video: Why Stretching Doesn’t Work https://somaticmovementcenter.com/new-video-why-stretching-doesnt-work/ Mon, 15 Mar 2021 14:36:42 +0000 https://somaticmovementcenter.com/?p=15012 In this video, I explain the two reasons why static stretching isn't effective for releasing muscle tension and relieving pain: Because static stretching activates your stretch reflex (myotatic reflex), and because it doesn't change the learned messages that your nervous system is sending to your muscles to stay tight. You can learn more in these [...]

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]]> What is the Stretch Reflex (Myotatic Reflex)? https://somaticmovementcenter.com/stretch-reflex-myotatic-reflex/ Fri, 15 Jan 2021 16:49:06 +0000 https://somaticmovementcenter.com/?p=11902 You can listen to Sarah's podcast on this topic here: What is the stretch reflex (myotatic reflex)? From a young age, we’re taught that stretching is a necessary part of any workout routine. If we’re involved in sports or physical training, we stretch to warm up, cool down, and during breaks to help [...]

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]]> How Muscular Learning Leads to Pain and Degeneration https://somaticmovementcenter.com/muscular-learning/ Mon, 09 Nov 2020 18:28:45 +0000 http://www.somaticmovementcenter.com/?p=6627 How Muscular Learning Leads to Pain and Degeneration Chronic pain is invisible, and can be all too easily ignored by people who haven’t experienced it. But if you suffer from chronic pain, you understand the stress, helplessness, depression, and fatigue that accompany it. You might deal with financial hardship as a result of missed [...]

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]]> The Benefits of Exploring Micromovements https://somaticmovementcenter.com/micromovements/ Mon, 05 Oct 2020 19:24:53 +0000 https://somaticmovementcenter.com/?p=14622 The Benefits of Exploring Micromovements If you practice Clinical Somatics exercises, you know how slow and gentle they are. But if you're in a lot of pain to start with, your nervous system is highly sensitized, or you're dealing with joint inflammation or a structural issue, even the slow, gentle exercises might exacerbate your pain. [...]

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]]> Unlocking Your Body: Your Personal Process of Releasing Tension and Pain https://somaticmovementcenter.com/unlocking-your-body/ Mon, 24 Jun 2019 19:26:46 +0000 https://somaticmovementcenter.com/?p=12139 Unlocking Your Body: Your Personal Process of Releasing Tension and Pain Many people ask me how long it will take them to release their chronic tightness or get out of pain. I wish I could answer this question, but the truth is that everyone's patterns of muscular tension and pain are so unique that [...]

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]]> What is the Gamma Loop? https://somaticmovementcenter.com/gamma-loop/ Mon, 29 Apr 2019 18:06:04 +0000 https://somaticmovementcenter.com/?p=11806 You can listen to Sarah's podcast on this topic here: What is the gamma loop? The gamma loop (also referred to as the alpha-gamma loop) is a feedback loop in our nervous system that regulates the level of tension in our muscles. The way the gamma loop works can get a little confusing, [...]

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]]> Why Stretching Doesn’t Work https://somaticmovementcenter.com/why-stretching-doesnt-work/ Fri, 01 Feb 2019 19:58:31 +0000 http://www.somaticmovementcenter.com/?p=6776 You can listen to Sarah's podcast on this topic here: Why Stretching Doesn't Work From the ages of twelve to twenty-one, I was a ballet dancer. It was all I did and all I wanted to do. Being extremely disciplined, I stretched for half an hour every night before bed so I could get more [...]

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