Neck and shoulder pain is common.  So common that I can count on one hand the number of client’s who haven’t had their neck and shoulders massaged during an appointment with me.

If I had my way I’d get a massage every week, but I rarely have the time or money to actually do that so today I outline a few ways to obtain relief from neck and shoulder pain quickly and easily, without spending a small fortune.

There are loads of reasons why we get so sore in the neck and shoulders, but here are the top three that I regularly come across.

Posture

Right now I’m slouching at the computer to type this.  I’ll only be here for an hour or two but I’ll be sore afterwards if I don’t take my own advice.  I used to work full time in an office where most of my day was spent at a desk, typing on a computer, taking phone calls or hunched over files. Oh sure. I had an ergonomic chair and my desk was set up to meet Workplace Health & Safety standards with a phone headset, but I rarely sat on my chair properly or actually used the headset.  I was focussed on my work, not on how I was sitting.  Did I have regular breaks? Um, sometimes. Did I do any stretching? Only if you consider reaching to grab another latte from my barista a stretch!

Overuse

Have a think about how much you lift and carry every day.

Your neck and shoulders do an amazing job of holding your head up all day long, and then we start lifting bags of shopping, steering the trolley with the bung wheel, carrying kids and their accoutrements like nappy bag, pram, taking giant baskets of washing in and out of the house, even the indispensable hand bag we carry around every day full to the brim with essentials.  Our muscles fatigue, which can lead to poor posture and injury.

 

Stress

Last but not least, another reason for neck and shoulder pain is stress.  We can actually ‘carry’ it in our muscles. Hunching our shoulders forward or up towards our ears is a common but subtle response to stress, and over time our neck and shoulder muscles get used to being hunched up and stay there.  This can lead to shallower breathing, cause headaches and reduce the range of movement in your neck.

 

 

So what can you do about neck and shoulder pain?

 

Be mindful of your posture.

Sit up straight, imagine that there is a string attached to the crown of your head and that it is pulling you up.  Try keeping your shoulders dropped and bring your shoulder blades closer together at your back.  This helps keep your chest nice and open too, which is beneficial to deeper breathing. Just make sure you’re not jutting your chin forward or raising shoulders up.  You may already feel a stretch down the back of your neck just from those few adjustments.

I have also found yoga to be tremendously helpful in improving my posture and my body awareness and after a few classes to master the basics it’s easy to do at home.

 

Self massage.

Just rubbing your sore spots can make a difference.  You probably do this instinctively already (ever rub your temples when you have a headache?).

If rubbing the sore spot doesn’t provide any relief, try gently squeezing and then releasing the muscle belly (the meatiest bit of the muscle).  This is particularly effective for the upper trapezius muscle (where the top of the shoulder and your neck meet up), not so much for the smaller or thinner muscles. In the photo below, the little red crosses are where the most common sore spots are located in the neck and shoulders.  They are called Trigger Points. These often match up with acupressure points, and if any of you are familiar with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) then you’ll probably recognise some of the points.

You can also use a spiky massage ball, or a tennis ball (pictured below) to massage muscles between your shoulder blades.

Lean your back against a wall and place the ball behind you so that it is wedged in beside your spine (don’t press it into your spine,  just stick to the muscles on either side). Then start rocking up and down and side to side in small circular movements, pressing into the ball.  You can also do this on the floor but it’s harder to control the pressure applied and can get a bit eye watering.

If you have two tennis balls you can massage both sides of your back at the same time by putting them into a sock with about 4 cm space between them and position them so there is a tennis ball on either side of your spine.

Gentle stretching

You can do stretching nearly anywhere and any time, but the key is to be gentle and hold the stretch for at least 30 seconds to get the most benefit.  I also find stretching after the muscles are warmed up gets quicker results such as after a warm or hot shower, or after exercise.  You could also apply a heat pack for a few minutes before hand.

Here are six stretches that don’t require any special equipment and have pictures to follow, and here is a video of two great neck stretches courtesy of Physiohealth.

Meditation and breathing techniques

Smiling Mind is a free app for guided meditation.  They are quick and easy. A fantastic little time out that can help during stressful times, and even has a program suitable for children. Increasing body awareness, breathing techniques and stress reduction in one app! And no, I’m not affiliated with them, I’m just a fan!

 

I hope this post has given you some useful techniques to keep some of those aches and pains away.  I’ll only be taking a few days off over the Christmas break so if you find yourself needing a massage you can click here to book in.  I also have gift vouchers available that can be purchased here.

In the meantime, keep your eye on the Indigo Sea Massage Therapy Facebook page for a Christmas competition and a sale on gift vouchers

Hope you have a great Christmas and a Happy New Year!

x Zoe

**Important Info – If you have had a recent trauma such as a car accident and you’re experiencing neck pain, don’t go to a massage therapist, go to your Dr or hospital okay?  It’s important to rule out skeletal and nerve injury before addressing muscle injury.