Once the trigger point is activated, there are a number of known activities that keep it aggravated. A backpack, ill-fitted bra straps, a tight coat or shoulder bag will press into this area and are known irritants and create additional microtrauma. Using a cane that is badly fit is cited as a problem. I find …
Self Care – Neck tension when wearing a heavy coat Read More »
This is one of the most active trigger points among clients because there are so many ways to activate the pattern and the trapezius is hard to avoid moving during the normal day. If the stiff neck or headache is persistent see your bodyworker for lasting relief. This problem can be hard to resolve when …
Annie (her alias) is a Texan grandmother in her late 60s. She started working with me years ago. She has some real problems with degenerative discs in her neck. We’ve been through a lot. I’ve worked on her, literally, from head to toe. Last winter, she came to me with troubling news. They had found …
Client’s Description People complain of a couple of different things. Active people complain of pain on the top of their shoulder when lifting their arm. When I ask them to lift their arm, it doesn’t really hurt until their elbow gets level with their shoulder and the tip of the shoulder begins to rotate upward. This is …
Client’s Description People complain of burning along the inside of their shoulder blade. This makes you want to rub up against a doorway or get one of those massage canes to get at it. It is my experience that people are quick to notify a body therapist (like me) to rub on it when it …
People complain about pain in the upper neck that makes them irritable. The pain that extends down toward the shoulder is often described as tension. They describe things that aggravate it but seldom are able to describe the incident that created the injury. There are other trigger points that produce pain in that area, so I …
Client’s Description People complain about tension in their shoulders so I press on for more specific information. They only complain about burning in their shoulders if this is really aggravated. They will admit that tags in their shirts bother them. It is not likely that they came in for a massage because their tags are bothering them, …
People touch their temple and say, “I have a headache right here.” When I ask them for other things that are bothering them, they usually complain of a stiff neck. It is also common that they trace from the neck around the back of the ear to the temple. When asked about their eyes, the often …
