One of the most common conditions that we see as massage therapists is tension in the neck and shoulders caused by poor posture. The shoulders are rounded forward which may cause the head to be further forward than ideal. The muscles of the upper back and neck are forced to work hard to compensate and headaches or stiff neck may result. There are any number of reasons why this may occur but a common cause may be an ill fitting…
Most massage therapists would probably consider that the levator scapula is one of the more significant muscles of the neck and shoulder complex. Massaging and changing the tone of the levator scapula can resolve the pain and discomfort that many clients feel in the neck. According to Ian Harvey, aka Massage Sloth, around 80-90% of stiff neck or crick in the neck then levator scapula is the main culprit. Also forward head posture leads to the lev scap being in…
Had a few clients mention recently that other people have been commenting on their posture and they are concerned to find out that one shoulder is higher than the other. Personally I am in the camp that poor posture and its impact on pain is over diagnosed. There are people with notionally “poor” posture who are pain free and others who have more normal posture who have significant pain issues. The range of asymmetry that someone can normally tolerate is,…
There has been a lot of chatter amongst massage therapists over the past week regarding the appearance of cupping marks on Michael Phelps during the Olympics. Cupping, for those who are not familiar with the technique is a form of alternative therapy where suction is locally applied on the skin using a vacuum generated within a cup. Check out the wiki page on cupping here The supporters of cupping have been quick to jump up and down at the potential…
The vast majority of the clients I see will request that I spend some time working on the neck. Tightness in the neck can lead to headaches or just result in stiffness and limited range of motion. Turning your head to look to the side can become a challenge. With the stresses and strains we put on our bodies through our daily actions, the muscles of the neck often feel tight, sore and compromised. Sitting in front of computers, looking…
A significant number of people suffer from TMJ issues and massage can reportedly help in some cases. Whilst I have some experience with relieving jaw pain through (trigger point) massage of the major jaws muscles such as the masseter, I do not claim to be an expert as such. If you have any questions then please do not hesitate to email or phone me on 0434 631 987. The information on this page is primarily reviews of online TMJ massage videos…