Unshouldering the Burden

The number of people who come to me for help with shoulder and upper back problems is probably around 70% or so. Partly, this comes with the territory in a society dominated by sedentary, sitting work stations. It also reflects the fact that our shoulder is an inherently unstable joint. So we are susceptible to rotator cuff problems, torn ligaments, and generally tension and stiffness throughout the shoulders, neck, and upper back.

Unfortunately, most of us have trouble keeping this joint open, and use ineffective approaches like pulling the arm back in the doorway, which gets into the joint between the shoulder and arm that doesn't usually need stretching (although you might feel a bit of relief when yanking on it). These approaches can actually do more damage than good, by overstretching ligaments, which is something you really do not want to do!

So, along with bodywork therapy, I usually show clients one or more techniques to provide self-care. These include acupressure points and stretches along with explorations of body posture and breathing. Here are a couple of those techniques, used to balance the shoulders in a more complete way. The first one is from Ida Rolf, the founder of Rolfing Structural Integration:



And here's a classic stretch for after desk work:



For this second one, I like to breathe in as I bring my hands together, and out when I lower, not holding but moving slowly and repeatedly. I also bring the tips of my fingers together overhead, but it's more important to start by maintaining good position rather than forcing it!