Archives for July 2017

Trap Stretch

One of the most common complaints I hear from people who work in an office is tight shoulders. There are so many ways you can get chronic tight shoulders, but one of the most typical ways is stress. Stress results from holding tension in your shoulders. Other common ways to get chronic tight shoulders are driving or being at a computer, situations in which your shoulders are up for long periods of time. Sleeping on your side with a thin pillow can also cause chronic tension in your shoulders. Holding a purse or backpack on one side or the other can be the source for tight shoulders.

Today I want to show you a technique that I personally use when I am in the office. This technique is used to get a deeper stretch that helps relax shoulders. It also only takes about five seconds!

1. Take your hand and put it underneath the chair to hold on. You want to contract your shoulder and shrug it towards your ear. Do this for five seconds. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Then relax.

2. As you relax, bring your head down towards your shoulder and turn it towards your opposite hip. Then, shrug your head again for five seconds (keeping your head towards your shoulder and your opposite hip). 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Then relax.

3. Next, do the same thing but turn your head a little further towards your opposite hip to get a deeper stretch. Do this three times on each shoulder.

This stretch will help relax your shoulders so you can get on with the rest of your day! Go ahead and try it out for yourself!

Sherlock the Pain

Many people have pain and they don’t know the cause. Why does it get better at certain times and worse at other times? The answer could be right in front of you!

Lots of massage therapy clients come to me with particular pain and they want to know what is causing it. While I am not all knowing, but specific questions help guide me to figuring out the root cause of pain. Some examples are:

– When does it get worse and better?

– What are you doing the hours before you feel the pain?

– If you feel this pain everyday, what positions are you putting yourself in for an hour or more each day?

Like a detective, I continue asking health, lifestyle, and postural questions to guide us through the process of solving the mystery. We work together to come up with possible causes. Then I give them homework:

BE MORE AWARE

It sounds simple, but it’s true. It is very common to go about our day and our habits not realizing what we are doing to our bodies. It is so rewarding when clients return to me with a smile on their face because they realized something they were doing that could be associated with their pain. They immediately change and start to feel better.

Don’t get me wrong, there are times when doctors and therapists are needed. However, there are also times when the pain is coming from postural habits we do with our bodies that we have control to change.

Most postural and muscle imbalances come from 5 places: the way we
work – sit – walk – drive – sleep.

So if you feel pain and don’t know why:

1. Become more aware of your body

2. Pay attention to the activities you do the longest in the day and go from there.

So go solve your mystery and feel better!

Gardening Posture

With the warmer weather making it easier for many plants to grow, summertime is an excellent time for gardening. I have a lot of clients complaining about their back pain as a result from their gardening. So here are a couple of pointers for correct postures to help prevent back pain while gardening:

1. Standing while bending over your garden:

Wrong way: Hunching your upper back while bending over stresses your ligaments and muscles in your upper back, as well as your discs.

Right Way: Keeping your back straight while hinging at your hips avoids stressing your back’s muscles, discs and ligaments. In this position, you want to keep your butt out while aligning your neck with your back. Start to bend at the knees when you hinge to about your knee level. At this point, you should be in a squatting position. Put your hands on your thighs to support your weight. You should alternate your hands, with one working in the garden and the other supporting your weight. If you are working with both hands at the same time, I strongly advise taking frequent breaks since your weight is not being supported by your hands. Not taking frequent breaks would put more stress on your back.

2. Kneeling in Garden:

When you are kneeling, try to get as close to your work area as possible to avoid reaching. Reaching results in more stress on the back. Just like in the other position, you want to hinge at your hips while keeping your back straight and your butt out. Put your hand on your thigh to support your weight, Again, alternate your hands, with one working and the other supporting your weight. When you are working with both hands simultaneously, take frequent breaks.

I hope you found these tips insightful. Use these tips to garden without the risk of back pain!

Trap Stretch

Sherlock the Pain

Gardening Posture

Contact

678-856-8030

Tricia@LiveFreeMassage.com

Office Address

Active Life & Health Center

6849 Peachtree-Dunwoody Rd.
Building B-4, Suite 100
Sandy Springs, GA 30328

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