Massage Warsaw- Massage Therapy – Warsaw Acupuncture

Category: Shoulder Pain

  • Learning to Sit: Posture & Ergonomics for Work & School

    Office Ergonomics
    Don’t just sit there…. Get to work!”  used to be a familiar sound from the boss.  These days, however, most of us do all of our work sitting down on the job.

    As you can imagine, spending 8 hours a day in one position is not the best for our bodies.  Improper sitting can subject your body to unnecessary stress that may eventually lead to pain and discomfort in the neck, shoulder or low back.  Here are some tips to reduce discomfort:

    • Don’t remain in one position for long periods. Try standing up or walking around about every 20 minutes.This routine can be incorporated into your work routine by taking phones calls, filing or reading while standing up rather than sitting. Try delivering a message to a co-worker in person rather than e-mailing or using inter-office mail.
    • Try using the hands-free option on your telephone or a headset rather than holding the phone to your ear with your shoulder as this practice over time can lead to neck and shoulder strain.
    • Listen to your body. When you feel tension or stress in certain area of your body like the neck, back and shoulders, change positions or try some gentle stretching exercises

    Position your chair at a height where:

    1. The work surface is “elbow high.”
    2. Your feet are comfortably positioned flat on the floor
    3. When working, your elbows & knees are bent at 90 degree angles

    If your chair is not adjustable, use a foot rest such as a phone book to attain this more ideal position

    Position the height of your computer screen:

    1. Sit comfortably in your newly adjusted chair
    2. Close your eyes and relax, then, slowly reopen them.
    3. Where you first gaze as you open your eyes is the place to put the center of your screen

    You can raise the height with books or a stand if needed.

  • Does it hurt to breathe?

    rib pain

    Have you ever experienced a sharp pain in your ribs, abs or back from breathing?  There is a possibility that you might have had a “rib out” or a dislocation of your costo-vertebral joint (the joint where the rib joins the vertebrae).

    Surprisingly this is more common than you might imagine.  The joint that holds the ribs to the vertebrae is quite weak and shallow giving a range of movement to the ribs.  Unfortunately this means that it is easier for the joint to get out of place.  Typically ribs pop out with something as simple as a sneeze or reaching for something on the top shelf.  The pain comes on quickly and intensely and can feel aggravated with movement or breathing.  When it is new and acute the pain may be felt just about everywhere in the upper body and be triggered by a variety of movents.  After a few days the pain may become more localized to one area (typically along one of the ribs) and to a few different types of movements.  Oftentimes ribs will pop back in on their own, but the best plan of action is to have it treated soon so that things don’t worsen.

    I have found success in treating this condition with a combination of acupuncture, massage, mobilizations and stretching techniques.  In a successful treatment the rib literally ‘pops’ back into the joint.

  • Finding the Right Back Pack for your Child

    Your child’s backpack may be hurting his or her health. Studies have shown that as many as 50% of teenagers suffer from back pain, which may be caused by a number of factors- one of them the improper use of backpacks.

    “Backpacks should not weigh more than 15 percent of a child’s body weight,” advises Ken Shim. “Anything heavier can cause back pain or other health problems.”

    Make sure your child stays healthy by packing it light and wearing it right.  Here’s how:

    Loading a backpack:

    • Load heaviest items closest to a child’s back.
    • Arrange books and materials so they won’t slide around in the backpack.
    • Pack only necessary items.

    Wearing a backpack:

    • Wear both shoulder straps.
    • Select a pack with well padded shoulder straps.
    • Adjust the shoulder straps so backpack fits snug to the child’s back and rests in the curve of the lower back.
    • Wear the waist belt if the backpack has one·
    • When the backpack is overloaded, use a book bag on wheels instead.
    Child’s Weight (lbs)
    		Maximum Recommended Backpack Weight (lbs)
    50
    5
    70
    7
    90
    14
    110
    16
    130
    19
    150
    22
    170
    25
    190
    28

  • How Exercising Improves Your Health

    Years ago, people who were in pain were told to rest, but now we know the exact opposite is true. When you rest, you become deconditioned — which may actually contribute to chronic pain.  Your muscles may lose strength and shrink and your body may lose stability.  As tough as it may be to start an exercise program, your body will thank you.  Here are some benefits of  exercising:

    • Help you maintain a healthy weight. Exercise burns calories, which can help you drop excess pounds. This will reduce stress on your back and joints
    • Enhance your mood. Exercise improves blood and oxygen flow to your muscles and contributes to an overall sense of well-being. Looking and feeling better can improve your confidence and self-image as well.
    • Boost your energy level. Regular exercise can actually give you more energy to cope with chronic pain.
    • Improve your sleep quality. Regular exercise can lower your stress hormones, resulting in better sleep.
    • Protect your heart and blood vessels. Exercise decreases the risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attack .
    • Help you build strength. The stronger your muscles, the more force and load you’ll take off your bones and cartilage — and the more relief you’ll feel.
    • Increase your flexibility. Joints that can move through their full range are less likely to be plagued with aches and pains.
    • Make your body release endorphins. These chemicals block pain signals from reaching your brain. Endorphins also help alleviate anxiety and depression and stroke.

  • Epsom Salts and Muscle Soreness

    Well, I slept off the chocolate brownie diabetic haze and I am ready to blog. The title isn’t that catchy. Just plain old “blog” but for now it works. My favourite blog title of all time has to be “Bob Loblaw’s Blog” (say it 3x fast and you’ll see what I mean).

    Anyway, I’m seeing a few athletes today so, let’s start with something really simple and enjoyable to do, but has big benefits. Epsom salts. It’s not really salt, and no you can’t just substitute table salt if you run out. And they would probably taste terrible on your eggs or dinner. But they are a great therapeutic tool that everyone should use. Epsom salts are high magnesium content crystals that look, well, like salt. Easy to use too. Just add a cup to a bath tub of hot water, let them dissolve, and then have a good soak for about 10 minutes. While you are just chilling out and blissing out, the epsom salts will be busy drawing out the lactic acids and metabolic waste products from your sore and achy muscles while the hot water will be flooding your muscles with fresh oxygenated blood.

    I am a big believer in the salts and soak my hands in a basin of epsom salts after a hard day of work. Many professional athletes have one after a good workout as part of their regular training regimen. I advise my clients to have one after a more therapeutic massage, but it is hard to convince them to do so.  I am noticing a funny pattern that typically the ones that complain about feeling sore after the treatment didn’t have an epsom salt bath. At the same time, clients that I am afraid will feel the soreness after a treatment have very little to complain about if they have an epsom soak after. In fact, I have a 100% success rate with epsom salts.  I have never heard a complaint of post massage soreness from a client that had an epsom salt bath after the treatment.  So, go ahead and have one. Even if you’re a “shower” person not a “bath” person, give it a try. Don’t think of it as hygeine. Think of it as therapy. And for those of you that simply enjoy baths for relaxation and stress relief, add some epsom salts to increase the bath’s therapeutic value.

    Ken Shim, RMT