As a massage therapist, I’ve treated more than my share of people with shoulder injuries or pain. What causes shoulder pain, how massage therapy can assist, and what you can do on your own to alleviate the pain are all discussed in this article.
There are several potential origins of shoulder pain, including direct trauma, overuse, or an accident with another car. Pain can strike suddenly or develop slowly over time. The problem may have begun long before the pain appeared, even if it was acute.
It would be best if you tried to be as specific as possible while describing the discomfort you’re experiencing in your shoulder and its duration and etiology to your registered massage therapist (RMT). This will aid your massage therapist in pinpointing the source of your shoulder pain, which is typically poor shoulder posture, and treat you accordingly.
The root cause of all injuries: poor shoulder position
Most Torontonians spend their weekdays hunched over a desk, typing at a computer, and staring at a screen. That’s 40 hours of slouched posture, with the head and shoulders forward and the arm reaching for the mouse to make thousands of clicks daily. CRAZY! Unsurprisingly, many clients call me complaining of shoulder pain and injuries.
Do you remember your mother warning you not to make that silly look again lest you remain permanently expressionless? Maybe she was mistaken about the face, but she was right that where you put your body repeatedly is where it will stay. The fascia, the connective covering of the muscles and the body (think saran wrap) will tighten around the new altered posture to maintain it through adaptive shortening or lengthening of the muscles.
The Pectoralis major and minor (chest muscles) become exceedingly tight and short in those with rounded shoulders. Because of the forward and upward pull, the upper shoulders and neck also become highly tense. On the other hand, the upper back and the muscles surrounding the shoulder blades become exceedingly weak and overstretched, so even if you wanted to stand up straight, you couldn’t because of the super tight pecs.
The shoulder capsule and ligaments become loose in this reclined position, unable to properly support the shoulder joint. The shoulder will be less protected from harm because of this. The muscles that span the shoulder will also have to work more than usual to re-stabilize the shoulder. The result will be constant discomfort and strain in the shoulder muscles.
The joint’s normal mobility between the bones is disrupted, a phenomenon known as altered joint biomechanics, when the body is in this position. The shoulder tendons will be compressed as the arm bone (humerus) adapts to its new biomechanical environment. While a result, the tendons are constantly being compressed while the arm is used. OUCH!! Tendonitis, or even tendon rupture, can develop from chronic irritation and inflammation of these tendons.
Now, if you have shoulder discomfort, you may have noticed that it fluctuates, getting better and worse at different periods. Injuries will heal because the human body has an incredible capacity for self-repair. The damage and suffering will return unless the underlying cause (the reclined position) is addressed, and this is where massage therapy comes in!
Instead of just treating the symptoms, massage treatment for shoulder discomfort seeks to address the underlying source of the problem: poor posture. Myocare’s registered massage therapists in Toronto’s financial district have extensive shoulder treatment training. All shoulder muscles are massaged as the first step in these procedures. Muscular discomfort is alleviated as a result of a reduction in chronic tension and firm knots. Then, we move on to releasing individual muscles one at a time, beginning with the Pectoralis major and minor and moving on to the neck and biceps muscles. The shoulder joint and the blade return to their natural resting posture when these muscles are relaxed and allowed to lengthen again.
Because the shoulder joint’s biomechanics are restored to normal in this posture, damaged tissue can repair, and the discomfort disappears.
The absence of discomfort indicates that the acute swelling has subsided and recovery has begun in earnest. Our RMTs will provide targeted strengthening exercises to aid in a speedy and complete recovery. Your shoulder ache should go away for good once you start doing these exercises, which will also improve your posture.
Ways in which you can aid yourself
In addition to calling one of our RMTs to schedule a massage, you can improve your posture by performing a few straightforward exercises. The five-point stance is a specific physical activity. In addition to stretching and strengthening some of your muscles, this exercise also helps retrain your brain on ideal posture. This routine has only five easy stages, as you may have guessed.
First, with your feet shoulder-width apart and about a foot away from the wall, stand flat against the wall.
As if you were trying to tuck a long tail between your legs, 2. Tuck your tailbone in.
Third, lean against a wall with your back and shoulder blades against it. To the extent that it is possible
The fourth step is to point your fingers down.
5. Pretend you’re trying to create a double chin by tucking your chin in, leaning your head back against the wall, and dragging the very top of your head upwards with a rope connected to the ceiling.
Repeat this three times, each time holding the posture for 15 seconds. Perform these exercises at least once every day, and in a few weeks, you should see a change in your stance.
Contact us at 416 995 6601 or schedule an appointment with one of our therapists through http://www.myocarermt.com to learn how massage therapy can help you recover from a shoulder injury.
Read also: https://maglysis.com/category/health/
