By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer
Lately laboring long hours over my books and computers along with my regular workload has made me feel like some of my massage clients: I’ve had s sore neck, aching back and painful shoulders. So I do what I tell my clients and everyone else to do when they have this kind of pain and intense amount of computer or book work. Follow these easy tips to help you reduce your muscle pain. I’ve been doing them all the past few weeks and it’s getting me through final exams!
1. Since I don’t have much time for table massage as often as I need massage, I’ve been stopping by Whole Foods Gold Coast and Lincoln Park to get chair massages at the WWM massage stations. Check out hours and info here.
WWM Chair Station at Whole Foods Gold Coast, 30 W Huron. Image by Sue Shekut.
2. At night I’ve been using Herbal Muscle Heat balm to help reduce muscle pain and relax my tight muscle knots. I posted about this balm before and it really works. Check out my post here.
Herbal Muscle Heating Balm
3. When I get home from work or take a study break, I use the Miracle Ball Method to self massage my low back and shoulder trigger points. Link here for more info.
4. When I work too long on the computer, I get really sore upper back and neck muscles. For those days, I grab a cold pack from the freezer and wrap it around my neck and shoulders. It helps reduce inflammation and also acts as a mild analgesic (pain reliever). Read more about when to use heat or ice here.
5. I also find that soaking in a hot tub with Epsom salts helps relax my sore muscles, but using an ice pack first helps keep me from increasing inflammation in sore muscles.
6. Lastly, get some rest! Taking time off from the computer or from the desk helps your body relax and rejuvenate.
Related articles
- How to Minimize Muscle Soreness During Exercise (brighthub.com)
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