It is quite possible that most adults at some point in their life suffer from shoulder, neck and back pain – due to their lifestyle, their work, or generally, from having a poor posture.
This has affected me over the years, so I am aware of how problematic it can be, but fortunately for me, I also understand what can be done to eliminate the problem.
It’s fair to say that a lot of it is work related – either from working too hard, or being in a certain position for lengthy periods of time. Think of a hairdresser for instance, a manual worker, or someone in an office sitting in one position for long periods of time.
This causes a repetitive strain injury, resulting in tired aching muscles and tightness to the surrounding tissue. Meridians are sometimes affected by this and pressure points can also become blocked. Reaching for pain killers is a temporary solution, but doesn’t tackle the real problem.
This appears to be quite common these days with people experiencing painful shoulder, neck and back pain, which can lead to keeping them up at night due to the discomfort. It can affect daily routines at work and also concentration.
Regular deep tissue massage is a very good remedy for these problems and will often require a full 90 minutes treatment.
I have noticed that pain sometimes originates from one area, but after being treated and dispersed, it can show up somewhere else. This is why regular treatments are recommended, because it is difficult to eliminate long standing problems in one visit.
This is a normal response in someone that has been experiencing so many problems. Pain is eliminated in one area, then moves along to another point ready to be dispersed.
Sometimes, I will approach the massage differently. After working on the back, I will ask the client to turn on their side. When this side is completed, I will ask them to turn onto their other side.
The good thing about massaging in the side position is that it exposes muscles which makes it better for getting into the problem areas. Going in at different angles can have a real beneficial effect and allows for a more precise treatment on the areas that are painful. These side positions helps me to reach the problem areas much better.
Occasionally, I advise clients to look at their lifestyle to see if they can make some minor changes to their daily routine. This could be anything, such as…
Exercises for stretching.
Holding the dog’s lead with the other hand to prevent one side tightening up.
Evaluate their weight training and exercise routines to see if these are contributing to the problems.
Exercises for stretching. Simple stretching exercises are useful because they lengthen the muscles and allow them to become more supple.
Holding the dog’s lead. This can sometimes cause one side to go into spasm. I suggest holding the dog’s lead with the other hand as the constant pulling can make you tense all down the one side.
Evaluate your weight training and exercise routines. If you are constantly suffering, then you may need to refrain from this for the time being to allow the muscles and tendons to relax a bit. These movements can compress and contract the muscles, but what you may actually need is to lengthen everything in order to smooth out the tissue.
If you are suffering from shoulder, neck and back pain which is causing you some discomfort, then a treatment from an experienced therapist could be very beneficial to you.