Is the way you breathing causing your neck pain? – Part 2
In my last post, I explained how both your scalenes and sternocleidomastoid can become both tense and painful from shallow breathing. Obviously deep breathing will help as it will address the cause. But what if you have a bad habit of shallow breathing, and know its causing tension in your neck muscles?
First there are some stretches that will help.
- Sternocleidomastoid Stretch
The sternocleidomastoid muscle runs like two long strap-like muscles on either side of the front of the neck.
To stretch it, rotate the head to one side as far as is comfortable. Then tilt the head to the same side, as if trying to reach the ear to the shoulder.
Hold for 30 seconds and then repeat on the other side of your neck.
- Scalenes Stretch
The scalenes muscle groups is made of three muscles; anterior scalene, middle scalene & posterior scalene. Due to the location of these muscle tightness can contribute to tension headaches & can refer pain both to the chest and shoulder. In addition the brachial plexus a network of nerves that supplies signals to the shoulder and arm. Therefore tension within these muscles can also restrict these nerve signals, causing pain and pins & needles (paraesthesia) down the arm to the hand.
Stretching the scalenes is relatively easy. Start by sitting in a chair. Put your right hand under your bottom and sit on it. This pins the shoulder down so that your neck can stretch without raising the shoulder. Tilt your head directly to the left bringing your left ear towards your left shoulder. If you don’t feel much of a stretch, bring your left hand up to Gently pull your head down towards the left more. Hold for 30 seconds. Repeat this stretch tilting the head slightly in front of and behind the shoulder as well. This stretch can also be done lying down. See picture below.
Finally you can book a Seated Acupressure Neck & Shoulder massage.
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Can Sports Massage help prevent sports injuries?
Athletes who are looking to improve performance and increase their competitive edge do so by adopting a training schedule to enhance their skill, strength, stamina, suppleness and speed. The degree to which they develop and utilise these qualities will depend on other factors such as the level of competition, the sport played, and possibly their position in a team. However, no matter which sport, the aim is nearly always to increase the level of training and thereby subject the body to gradual and controlled overuse. This overuse can often create problems and imbalances in the muscles. If these are ignored and allowed to become chronic, they will not only hinder the athlete's rate of improvement, but also in many cases their performance may well suffer and ultimately the athlete may be susceptible to developing more conditions that are serious. Certainly if they are unable to perform at their best, they may be more at risk from other more traumatic forms of injury. So it is essential to treat muscular imbalances early. Whether it is to carry out our normal daily activities or to participate in the majority of sporting activities, it is necessary to have normal range of movement at any given joint(s). It has been suggested that a lack of flexibility can increase the risk of musculoskeletal injuries as reduced muscle flexibility may restrict joint range of movement creating abnormal movement patterns. For example shortened calf muscles may restrict ankle dorsiflexion, causing an altered gait pattern while running or walking. This may produce a compensatory pattern of walking, with a laterally turned out foot, eventually leading to pain in the hip or knee. A sports masseur can determine if the muscular imbalance caused by training has impacted the range of movement of the client by assessing the range of movement. By detecting these muscular imbalances early, before they become more serious and cause pain or impact an athlete’s performance a sports massage can prevent injury. The prevention of injury is the biggest benefit of sports massage.
Is the way you breathing causing your neck pain? – Part 1
If you have had a treatment with us, we may have talked to you about importance of deep breathing, if you have tension in your neck. Shallow breathing, thoracic breathing, or chest breathing is the drawing of minimal breath into the lungs, usually by drawing air into the chest area using accessory muscles rather than throughout the lungs via the diaphragm. This means that you over use some of the accessory muscles of breathing, including the scalenes and sternocleidomastoid muscles both of which are located in the side of the neck. The scalenes elevate the 1st rib during inspiration and the sternocleidomastoid raises the sternum. Unfortunately, these accessory muscles aren’t built for routine respiration, and they exhaust and eventually injure themselves which may result in pain and/or a reduced range of movement (i.e. inability to turn your head fully from side to side). People shallow breath when they are nervous, stressed, anxious, or when they concentrate. So simply stopping and taking one deep breath after you send each email, can reduce the over use of your scalenes and sternocleidomastoid.
The hidden cause of lower back pain
The psoas muscle is a very deep muscle that connects your torso to your legs. It affects your posture and helps you to stabilise your spine. In fact, whether you run, bike, dance, practice yoga, or just hang out on your couch, your psoas muscles are involved. A person suffering from IlioPsoas syndrome may have pain in the hip and thigh region, as well as hip stiffness and in some cases a clicking or snapping hip. Other signs which may indicate an unhappy psoas muscle are:
- Knee pain - if there is no obvious source then it may be your psoas muscle.
- Constipation - a tight psoas muscle can cause or contribute to constipation.
- Menstrual cramps - a tight psoas muscle can put pressure on reproductive organs contributing to menstrual cramps.
