Our friend Tom’s laptop keeps shutting down on him while he’s working. It happens several times a week. The laptop isn’t broken — it actually warns Tom twice that it needs to be plugged in before it shuts down! Tom just needs to stop what he’s doing, acknowledge the alerts, and take action. Many of us hear the alerts our bodies are giving us in the form of aches and pains. They're saying, “Pay attention, do something about this!” But we ignore these messages, limp along, and make do as we slowly lose mobility.
Knots in the muscles
Movement is very beneficial, but it takes a bit of thoughtfulness and self-reflection to avoid injury. Knots in your muscles, also known as trigger points, are evidence of an upset muscle. The muscle has lost its resilience and is in a hardened, tense state.
Check your neck
In our repetitive stress article, we shared a video that explained how trigger points in the neck can wreak havoc in many parts of the body. You can do some home care with a tennis ball or another ball of equal size. Sit with your back to a wall, with the ball between the back of your neck and the wall. Find a tender spot and sustain the pressure there for 30-60 seconds. Then move on until you’ve treated the length of your neck on either side of the spine.
Get yourself a tennis ball
As we discussed in our article on self-care between appointments, a tennis ball is an inexpensive and versatile tool you can use to massage many parts of the body. It works because massaging muscles increases blood flow and decreases tension. Here are 9 ways to reduce knots using a tennis ball.
With a little ingenuity, you can even release trigger points while you’re typing away at the keyboard. If you have a standing workstation, you can work with the ball on the bottoms of your feet.
Parkside’s got PNF
Many of our massage therapists are well-versed in Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation, also known as PNF stretching. It was developed in the 1940s to treat conditions like multiple sclerosis. PNF techniques can also help soothe your trigger points and increase your range of motion. Contact us or schedule an appointment to learn more.
“While there are multiple PNF stretching techniques, all of them rely on stretching a muscle to its limit. Doing this triggers the inverse myotatic reflex, a protective reflex that calms the muscle to prevent injury.”
Trigger points explained
This animated video explains the fascinating world of trigger points in greater depth:
Come visit us at Parkside
Come see our expert team at Parkside Clinic where we tailor our care to your specific condition and tap into your body’s natural healing ability. Make an appointment, or if you have any questions, contact us.