| Greetings!
Welcome to Spring! Hope you had a great Easter and got through the tax season without too much stress. I also hope that you aren't suffering too much from all this yellow/green pollen that is clogging our air. I might just sneeze my head off soon! Anyway, it seems that the trees have calmed down a little bit and all this will be just another memory very soon.
Read on for some relaxation tips and Part 10 of my postural distortion series. This one is on Stiff Necks - sound familiar? Hope it sheds some light on this painful topic.
Take care and see you soon!
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Relaxation Tips
By the time you read this you will have most likely breathed a sigh of relief at getting your taxes done. At least I hope so anyway. Now that the worst of the tax season is over, I wanted to share some of the tried and true relaxation techniques you can do for yourself.
1. First and foremost is to take some time for yourself and do something you really enjoy. Whether that is doing some gardening (sounds like work to me - hehe), taking a nice hike, immersing yourself in a good book or taking a cooking class. Anything that is enjoyable to You.
2. Enjoy a nice warm bath with some lavender essential oils. If lavender isn't appealing you can try any of the following: (Gentlemen - this goes for you too, it isn't just for the ladies!)
Chamomile, bergamot, cedarwood, clary sage, frankincense, geranium, jasmine, lavender, patchouli, rose, sandalwood and ylang ylang all have relaxation qualities to their scents.
The biggest thing to remember with essential oils is that they are all subject to personal preference and what emotions they invoke in you. So take time to smell them and decide which feels the best for you. For instance, if I get anywhere near geranium, I get a headache - so I steer clear of that one! But I know plenty of people who thoroughly enjoy geranium.
3. That last list reminded me of TEA! Of course there are teas like chamomile that are very soothing and great to have before bed. Personally I find that chamomile will put me right to sleep.
4. Then there are tools such as journaling, meditation, prayer, EFT and a whole list of others that you can find to help you reduce stress loads. Sometimes just listening to the right music works wonders. As always - find what works for You.
5. Last but not least - see your massage therapist for a much needed treat! (shameless promotion - I know, I know)
Breath and relax!
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Postural Distortions & Massage  Part 10 of my new series!
In this series, I will attempt to describe some of the common problems that could be helped through massage therapy. If you are afflicted with any of these, massage could be used on it's own or along with your doctor's administrations. Just be aware that some of these problems may take some time to achieve results. Stiff Neck: A stiff neck has got to be the number one motivator to see a massage therapist. It is a terrible feeling to have that constant pain and stiffness in the neck. There are 2 muscles in particular than are primary causes of this condition: the upper trapezius and the levator scapula. Everyone is familiar with the traps - these are the muscles that you can feel at the base of your neck running down to your shoulders and they feel wonderful when massaged. Their primary function is to stabilize the neck. Levator Scapula is a smaller muscle that runs from the shoulder blade to the skull and it's only function is to raise the shoulders in an upward manner.
Causes of over tight upper traps:
- Having them elevated (closer to your ears) for long periods of time. Stress and anxiety, being overly cold, holding the phone with your shoulder, or looking at a keyboard that is placed off to the side of the head so that the head is always turned are all things that may cause this.
- Heavy strain on the muscles themselves, such as carrying a very heavy purse or bag on the same side all the time will cause trigger points.
- Any time these muscles are used to help carry the weight of the arm for long periods of time can overstress them. For example, if you sit without correct armrests while working on a computer (like when using a laptop on the couch).
Self Help techniques:
- Number one - take breaks! Consciously lower your shoulders. Do shoulder shrugs with exaggerated lowering of the shoulders.
- Change the way you work. Be aware of the way your work space is set up. This also goes for your driving habits.
- Take time to notice the when your shoulders are held too high and adjust for better posture.
- Lighten the loads you put on your shoulders as much as you can. You especially want the load to be balanced, but having it off the shoulders all together is even better.
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I look forward to seeing you soon!
Shawn Hammond
The Peace Within Massage Therapy
704-564-2289 |
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