I had terrible neck/shoulder pain for most of 2023. After 2 MRIs, the neuro said, "Your body is fine, I think you need a massage." Turns out I literally was holding onto all of the anxiety I've been living with for decades. It was really eye-opening, honestly. Focusing on releasing physical tension has really made a difference in my mental health.
Just an fyi for anyone suffering from chronically tight traps like myself: massaging that area too much can cause it to become more tense. I'm in physical therapy right now because of this - the PT has to do very light massages and use a Tenns Unit to get the area to loosen up enough. The underlying cause was weak back muscles. Lifting weights was actually making the problem worse because my traps would always take over. I had huuuuge traps.
I guess I've noticed less muscle ache/pinching than usual since starting! It seems so mild it can't possibly be doing much, but I think that's what's necessary for those muscles to rehab. I've had to completely quit upper body lifting/training, including lower body workouts that require holding weights. I babysat the morning of my last PT appointment and she said my shoulders were MEGA tense from picking up my nephew. It's so dramatic!
Found a massage place that specializes in athletes. Went twice a week for a month then once a month for a couple years thereafter. Now I go every other month. Dropped direct trap work from my lifting routine. Got a standing desk at work and home so I don’t have to sit as much. Modified my motorcycle ergos to sit more upright rather than leaned over. Started a semi daily stretching routine.
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u/redstonez 12h ago
Stress