Headaches Treatment & Prevention – Part 3

Just because you have a Neck or Shoulder problem it doesn't mean Seated Acupressure Massage is the best treatment for you.  There are many benefits of Deep Tissue Massage for Neck & Shoulder problems and I wanted to share some: Because Deep Tissue Massage is carried out on a massage table allows us to use a greater variety of advanced techniques (which are not able to utilise while you are sitting in an oniste massage chair).  By ustilising all our massaging applicators and advanced techniques it makes Deep Tissue Massage more effective at:

• Alleviate pain
• Restore flexibility
• Address muscle spasms
• Address knots

Deep Tissue Massage is more flexible so we can reach all the affected muscles.  For example with Seated Acupressure Massage we only treat some of the muscles and don't do any work on the chest.  If you have poor posture then Deep Tissue Massage can open up your chest which is normally tightens up when you have poor posture. Put simply Deep Tissue Massage is best for addressing problems with your Neck or Shoulder while Seated Acupressure Massage is best for reducing stress and anxiety.

Studies have shown that an alert body and active lifestyle boosts not just productivity, but also happiness and satisfaction levels. There is now an explosion of research studies that demonstrate the harmful effects of sitting all day, which I have covered in past blog posts.

• the impact on muscles (in part 1)
• the general impact on the body (in part 2)
• the impact on your heart and the increase risk of cardiovascular disease (in part 3)
• the increased risk of certain cancers (in part 4)

In my last blog post, "Taking a Break", I explored the reasons for taking a break and looked at the latest research on the length of break you need to take and the frequency. So now I want to focus on strategies to get you moving… Use an Exercise Ball for a Chair Unlike sitting in a chair, sitting on a exercise ball engages your core muscles and helps improve your balance & flexibility. Occasionally bouncing can also help your body interact with gravity to a greater degree than sitting on a stationary chair. Use the Stairs Walk up and down stairs, rather than take the lifts.  Even if you only walk up or down one flight of stairs and then take the lift the rest of the way it will have a positive impact on your health. Walk & Talk Meeting If you have an informal meeting with a colleague why not suggest a walk & talk meeting, weather permitting you could always go outside and get some fresh air too! Pedometer Using a pedometer will help you asses how many steps you take throughout the day. Taking a roundabout way to your desk, taking the stairs or walking to the next tube station as part of your commute will help you increase the number of steps you take daily. Exercise while you Sit at your desk An Amercian start up company, FitnessCubed, has come up with Cubii, an under-desk elliptical trainer that allows you to do basic exercise while you sit at a standard office desk. (It requires no changes to your existing desk set up.) They have also produced a mobile app that allows you to track your workout and you can also share your work out results – so you could even hold an inter-office competition.