Easy tips to release tension in neck and shoulders.

One of the most common deep tissue massages I find myself doing is to help release tension in neck and shoulders. Clients arrive complaining of tightness in the shoulders, frequent headaches and general aches and pain in the upper body. When questioned about what's been going on recently or how they spend most of their day, I can quickly deduce why they are in need of a massage and what methods to apply.

So what are the main reasons and what easy tips can we do to help release tension in neck and shoulders?

REASONS:

One of the most common causes of tension in the upper body and neck is stress. What’s important to know is that whatever stress, tension or even trauma we experience, it is held in the body, mostly around the neck and shoulders and over time it can build up. This can lead to the tension headaches, neck pain or even shoulder injuries.

We think we’re coping a lot of the time, but then the physical manifestations present themselves.

Poor posture can also put tension on the upper body. Sitting for long periods of time with the head pulled forward puts a lot of load on the small muscles around the neck and upper back. The average head weighs about 5kg, but as it edges forward it can double, treble or even quadruple the weight on the spine and upper body. See the forward head tilt in the below image. Notice the spine curvature and the shoulders creeping forwards which closes the frontline across the chest.

Forward head tilt

Another common reason to create tension in the neck and upper body is something as simple as dehydration. Lack of enough fluids or drinking lots of tea or coffee without hydration of water, is not ideal for our body. Our cells rely on regular hydration for every basic function, and without enough water, it affects not only our tissues like muscle, tendon and ligaments but also our brain, blood pressure and digestion. Headaches are often a result of not enough water.

Maybe you can resonate with one, two or all three reasons above. If so, and you are someone who repeats these causes day in day out, with no release, no stretching, no counterbalance, then, you can guess what’s going to happen! Those small muscles in your upper body will soon feel achy and tight. And worse case scenario, it can lead to kyphosis which is rounding of the upper back and even a small hump at the back of the neck. I see these more and more with my massage clients.

You need to put regular techniques in place to help.

EASY TIPS:

• Lie on a long foam roller lengthways with your arms out. 1 min for every hour you’ve sat still. The weight of your arms will help to pull the shoulders back, but you must breathe slowly and relax those muscles.

• Drink a small glass of water every hour and two glasses if you’ve had a tea or coffee.

• During the day, set small alarms to move, stretch and take some deep breaths. If necessary, you can do a few stretches while seated. Twist, bend forward and back and side to side, reaching with your arms and opening your chest. This will keep the synovial fluid lubricating the joints especially in the spine and release the build up of muscle tension.

• Practice the double chin. You can do this sat upright moving your head forward and back so that your head sits on top of your spine. By doing it against a wall or lying down you’ve got something to push against. Hold for a few seconds and then release.

• Spend a few minutes at the end of each day in absolute quiet and take long deep breaths. Breathe right into your ribs. Focus only on the breath. And allow your shoulders to relax with every deep breath. That will really help you lower cortisol especially before bedtime.

Keep doing these and you won’t need a massage! But of course, you know where to find me if you’re local and need some deep tissue release.

For more details of my sports massage go to: https://www.nicolapeaty.com/sports-massage

Sports massage