Dear clients of past, present and those who read my blog,
Thank you all for your support and custom throughout 2012 which has made this a very busy and eventful year. As always, I have enjoyed working with each and every one of you and I hope that you have benefitted from the massage therapy that has been tailored to your needs.
Last week we had a look at non-specific lower back problems and how massage therapy can help relieve the pain. Of course, when treating a client with a painful lower back I would always consider the whole body and this is the same as someone who complains of a stiff neck. Often, both head and neck strain is caused by tension in the supporting muscles of the neck and this can be because of either physical or emotional stress. This makes the muscles feel tight and uncomfortable and the pain is most often felt in the upper back and back part of the neck. You may experience tension or stress headaches which can cause discomfort; this often spreads from the upper back and neck over the head. It can feel like something is pressing on the top of your head or being wound tightly around it. Tiredness, too much screen time and the pressure of deadlines all put our muscles under pressure - not just the muscles in the neck and back, but our eyes, too. Read here how the symptoms of stress can be relieved with massage.
Unfortunately back pain is common and affects most people at some point during their lives. It is often triggered by lifting something incorrectly, sitting badly, sleeping awkwardly, bending, having a fall, stress or from sustaining a sporting injury. This is known as acute (sudden onset) lower back pain. In most cases it is not due to a serious disease or a chronic back problem. Chronic back pain is measured by duration - pain that persists for more than 3 months and is often progressive. As with acute back problems, the cause of the pain can be unclear and this is known as non-specific lower back pain. The pain can range from mild to severe. This is the most common form of back discomfort in adults and the type of back problem I often see and treat regularly.
I recently treated the dancers in Michael Clark’s brilliant latest creation at the Barbican, entitled New Work 2012. The performance had rave reviews being described as:
Are you slumped over your laptop reading this? Or hunched over your mobile phone? Perhaps you are at the end of a long day and are leaning back in your seat because your lower back has started to ache. Sitting at a computer all day can take its toll on the body which can lead to back pain, neck pain, knee pains and sometimes a tingling of the hands and fingers. With prolonged bad sitting habits, this could easily turn into Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. In this blog post I will have a look at how you can maintain good posture and be comfortable at your desk all day.