First Blog of 2021 Better Days to Come!!
This has been a very challenging year for the whole bodywork/massage industry or any personal service business. Now it is time to move forward and adjust to a new norm which we will all have a part in creating. I closed my clinic and I am now back to teaching CE’s and working privately with Active Isolated Stretching sharing the work of Aaron Mattes.
I thought it would be appropriate to share a few stretches for the neck to let go of some good old Covid 19 stress.
Here are a few stretches that can be done from a massage table and incorporated into your current sessions. I have found with being a massage therapist for over 25 years the neck is a very guarded area and building confidence in your client to trust movement again is essential.
Lateral Neck Flection Stretch:
Technique
Client will lay on their side dropping lower arm and head off the table, they will then lift their head laterally. Apply downward pressure on the shoulder toward the foot of the table to keep the shoulder from shrugging and create space for better neck movement.
Muscles Stretched
The three scalenes, sternocleidomastoid, erector spinae, and prevertebral muscles
Muscles Contracted
Same muscles (antagonist) opposite side
Neck Extension
Technique
Client will be laying prone on the table with arms hanging off table and holding on to the table legs. They will drop their head down then move into extension while you support at C-7 to isolate the movement.
Muscles Stretched
Upper erector spinae, splenius cervicis, splenius capitis, semispinalis cervicis and semi- spinalis capitis
Muscles Contracted
Sternocleidomastoid and prevertebral
Feel free to check back in for Active Isolated Stretching posts and let us know if you have any muscle you would like us to cover.
Written by: Bruce Baltz LMT
Spiriphysical, LLC