Aches, pains, stresses and strains

As a Remedial Massage Practitioner, I would estimate that 90% of my clients manifest symptoms of what I tend to refer to as the ‘21st Century Stressed Neck & Back Syndrome’. Stiff painful shoulders, restricted movement of the head, stiff necks, pain in the upper back, and experience headaches that do not respond to ‘over the counter’ medication. These people are usually in professions where large parts, if not all, of their working day at a desk in front of a VDU screen. Some have well planned workstations, but not everyone is so fortunate. However, even when a workstation is ergonomically perfect, it is down to the worker to be sufficiently ‘in tune’ with their body to be aware if there are any imbalances in their posture. In modern day living few people spend time in quiet. They are plugged into Ipods when walking in the street, radios and CD players play during car journeys. Radios, Hi-Fis and TVs are always on in the house. Let alone the constant mobile phone usage. In lifts, supermarkets and other retail outlets, there is seldom an occasion where our ears are not being assaulted with music. Constant outside distractions result in people becoming de-sensitised and completely unaware as to how their body feels when posture is correct. They are unaware of their bodies at all until pain sets in. On these occasions they often say that something has ‘suddenly just gone’. In fact there have been warning signs creeping up on them for some time, in some cases over years. However, lacking in bodily sensitivity these signs have been ignored, if noticed at all. A Doctor, Alan Hedge coined the phrase, the ‘Yuppie Hunch’. It is easy to do!!; Sit at a desk in front of a computer. Bend over the keyboard. Peer at words or figures on a screen. Extend your hand, arm and wrist out at an angle to work the mouse. Gradually slump further and further forward as the day goes on. All of this, coupled with long hours spent in rush hour traffic; the worry of missing work deadlines; family worries and concerns, it is no surprise that the physical and emotional stresses of life become quite overwhelming, and manifest themselves in our physical state. Muscle stress increases as the pressure mounts and there you have it; the Yuppie Hunch”. It is now becoming more generally accepted that when a body is stress free and relaxed, people can think more clearly and creatively. They can work harder and perform better. A combination of small actions in the workplace can avoid the build up of muscle tension that leads, long term, to the aches and pains and restrictions in movement. • Include in the day, several breaks away from the computer. ( only need to be a few minutes) • Have a look at your chair. If the seat is too high, you probably perch on the edge, thereby leaving the lower back without support, and the likelihood is that you are hunched forward rounding your spine. • If the arms of the chair cannot fit under the desk, the likelihood again is that you hunch forward and your elbows are unsupported as you reach forward to the keyboard. These arms held in suspension add strain to the neck and upper back muscles. • Do you use a wrist support? If not, there is a possibility that, over time, you could develop RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury) if you spend hours per day inputting information. This could manifest itself as carpal tunnel syndrome. This condition is very painful and debilitating. If left untreated can result in the need for surgery. • If the font on your VDU screen is too small, you will be squinting and holding your head forward. Every inch your head is forward from vertical, there is an extra 10lbs of pressure on the neck muscles trying to support it. Muscles held in a constant state of contraction restrict the flow of blood through the fibres. This results in the muscle being starved of nutrients and allows a build up of waste products that eventually cause pain and restricted movement. We do not live in a culture where the caring of the body is taken seriously until something ‘goes wrong’. Car maintenance is taken much more seriously money. Our poor bodies struggle on against all odds, because a monthly massage is too much of a luxury. As a therapy, massage can help strains and sprains heal more rapidly and is useful in treating muscle and joint disorders. It is however most widely used to counter the effects of exposure to stress. Some of the effects of stress: Anxiety and depression. Lethargy. Insomnia. Frequent tension headaches. Hypertension. Breathing problems. Digestive disorders. Evidence shows that massage reduces the production of stress hormones in the body that weaken the immune system. Posture Matters was set up by Kathy in 2005 to provide quality treatments and to encourage people to invest in their wellbeing. Posture Matters is a mobile practice providing Remedial Massage, Sports Massage and Reflexology, & On-Site Stress Management Chair Massage.