Question about massage?

[Memster]

My shoulders ALWAYS have knots in them and are extremely tense. When I get massages, the therapist always comments on how bad my shoulders are. It seems that they can never work through the layers of knots in my shoulders.

Is it possible that this is a permanent thing that can't be massaged out?

 

[Douglas B]

It is something that you can't have massaged out but it can be gotten rid of in another way. For as good as a massage feels it is still only working on the top muscles of your back and never gets to the bottom of your problem. It will keep the person giving you those massages in business because of that little problem that they have in not releasing all the muscles. I used to go to the chiropractor at least two times a month at a minimum then I came across these muscle releasing techniques and haven't seen my chiropractor since Dec. I feel no need and after doing the one for my back for about a total of two minutes I feel that it was better than a chiro treatment and a massage both put together. I hope you can find the same benefits. I am adding the one for the neck for good measure, but do the one for the back first.
For your neck:
place your hand alongside your head and push your thumb in under your ear and place it on the muscle there. Take your fingers and place them on the back of your neck on the muscles there. Press them together and hold a good amount of pressure on them. Then relax, take a deep breath an happening, the muscle going limp under the pressure. Continue to hold until the entire muscle has gone limp.
Back:
Place your left hand on your left knee. Place your right hand over your left shoulder and with your fingertips find the muscle next to your spine. Press on it and hold. Relax, take a deep breath and exhale and don’t tense up any part of your body. After about 30 seconds there should be a release happening and when it does slowly lower yourself forward onto your right leg or even over it if you can, the more over the better it is. Continue holding for a total of one minute. Then release but rest your body there for one minute longer. Then reverse and do the right side.

 

[Sabeena]

I cannot be massaged out. Douglas is right, paying someone for massage helps them stay in business but doesn't help you at all. The good news is YOU can take control of it yourself and manage it successfully.

You may have a habit of tensing up your shoulders so much that you don't even realize it any more. I developed that habit as a competitive bodybuilder and a computer programmer. Massage only makes me worse because it hurts which makes me tense up even more.

Now I am 90% pain-free practicing yoga and progressive relaxation 4-5 times a week. Afterwards I do 10 minutes of moist heat followed by 10 minutes of ice on my shoulders. It makes me more aware of my body so I can sense when I am holding too much tension in my body. I have learned to breathe deeply and release problem areas on my own.