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Connecticut Massage Therapist Robert Graves on Stress. Do you feel like this at work?
The above photo illustrates a common case of "Upper Crossed" syndrome. Connecticut Massage Therapists see this pattern frequently. The anterior neck muscles, most importantly, the sternocleidomastoid, are stressed from cervical flexion. On the other side of the plane, the rotator cuff muscles, such as supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis are also tight from constant medial rotation of the arms. The upper chest muscles, such as pectoralis minor/major are also constricted. On the other side of that plane are the upper trapezius, scalenes, splenius capitus, and all the cervical muscles. This pattern forms a "cross", because different muscles work against each other on opposite planes in an "antagonistic fashion". But in other cases, muscles also help each other to stabilize areas of the body. Also, the erector spinae group, and in this gentleman's case, the left Quadratus Lomborum are also affected. Constant leaning forward (spinal flexion) stresses the postural muscles to such an extent that it almost becomes "normal" to feel constant pain. Essentially, the body is locked into this position on a constant basis, completely static, so the muscle spindles are contracting constantly in one direction, usually in a forward plane. It takes a lot of effort and discipline to break this pattern. Limiting coffee and staying well hydrated helps a lot! Take a break to stretch every hour, if possible. Personally, I have found an hour hike in the CT woods, over varied terrain, to help a lot when I feel like this from building this website! Stress: I made a decision to become a Connecticut Massage Therapist because I had reached a point in my life where stress had begun to take its toll. I can fully empathize with my clients stories of long hours, neck aches, etc., as I've definitely "been there". As you probably know, Stress is directly related to heart disease, muscle pain, and other ailments. Many families these days are making ends meet with dual incomes to pay the mortgage, the bills, etc., and There is so little personal time to unwind. This often contributes to a lack of sleep, which then leads to more complications, such as emotional imbalances, hormonal imbalances, and of course, more muscle pain! I understand how important your session time is to you, and I also know that massage work is a big investment. I always make sure I am grounded and ready for you when you walk in the door. I do not believe in rushing things; I also will not do more than three massages per day, and I believe in being as physically prepared as possible for each client, especially when performing deep tissue massage work. I usually budget enough time in between sessions to rest and recuperate, change the sheets, and "re-energize" the room. I never want my clients to feel rushed when leaving the space also. Why introduce stress into the start or end of the session? But please let me know if anything can be improved upon, whether it is the appointment process, time factors, or anything else! For me, this is a huge part of being a good Connecticut Massage Therapist. If you area "baby boomer" and a bit overweight, and are feeling stressed just be sure to embrace yourself, and not judge yourself too harshly. There are solutions that work, just take it all one step at a time. This site can help give you some insight into stress, weight gain, exercise, sleep, nutrition, etc.
Stress, heart, and Fat solutions for Boomers
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