Sitting is the new smoking, so goes the phrase, and if we didn’t think so before, working at home during lockdown may have made it all that more apparent.

Lower back pain, a stiff neck, rounded shoulders, an aching back, sore knees and even headaches are all common complaints from those sitting at a desk for hours on end.

And it’s not just office workers who face issues, students, artists and care-givers know all too well the aches and pains associated with prolonged static positions and unsupported posture.

Poor posture and extended periods held in the same position are the most common causes of neck pain and stiffness. It’s also quite common for other issues to flare up in the same region, such as jaw pain (TMJ), headaches, shoulder pain, tingling, numbness and weakness in the arms and hands.

While the invention of stand up desks and ergonomic chairs are proof of our awareness of the issues surrounding poor posture, particularly that associated with sedentary work, they can be fairly expensive for the average buyer and certainly aren’t a miracle cure.

Finding another career path with less seated work isn’t likely the solution for more people, so how do we combat the symptoms of neck pain, stiffness and back pain related to poor posture and sedentary work?

Ways to avoid stiffness and bad posture in your WFH routine:

• Work on your muscle strength, especially on the deep neck flexor
• Keep posture in mind when setting up your home office.
• You can use a rolled-up towel or pillow against your lower back to provide support to your lower back. This support helps in keeping an arch in your lumbar spine.
• If you have the money, invest in a good ergonomic desk chair, which will be beneficial in providing you correct posture.
• Stretching and movement at regular intervals throughout the day.
• You can perform a quick exercise for your shoulders and rhomboid muscles. Without moving the rest of your arms, rotate your shoulder joint clockwise and then anti-clockwise.
• Another exercise you can try is back extension. Lay down on your stomach with hands straight on your sides. Now slowly raise your chest off the ground by straightening out your arms, without moving your lower body.

What is Myotherapy?

Myotherapy is a type of physical therapy that is used to treat soft tissue pain and restricted joint movement which is either caused by your muscle or myofascial dysfunction. Many people receive Myotherapy for conditions related to bad posture and stiffness. It is an effective treatment which uses some specific techniques to reduce muscular and musculoskeletal dysfunction.

There are various types of procedures based on the treated body part. For a neck massage, the practitioner targets tight muscles in the neck, shoulders, upper back and chest. Myotherapy for bad posture and stiffness can aid in relieving stress which have been known to cause joint pains and muscle tension.

What to expect at your first Myotherapy session?

Before your treatment, your Myotherapist will ask questions regarding your symptoms. You will have to state your medical history including any prior illness or surgery. This information will be kept confidential and will be used to better understand your overall health and to determine areas of caution and potential cause or causes of pain.

The Myotherapist can examine the affected area and other associated muscles. This prior examination will be thorough and assists your Myotherapist to conclude if the symptoms are soft tissue or joint related.

Myotherapy Techniques

Myotherapy treatment is dependent on your assessment. It includes several techniques such as:

• Massage that includes sports and remedial techniques
• Gentle movements over the patient's affected body part using a range of motion or passive stretching
• Hot or cold therapy techniques
• Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation, also known as TENS Therapy
• Trigger Point Therapy,
• Myofascial dry needling

Most sessions last for an hour. Myotherapists work with the patient to identify the factors that might be affecting their condition negatively. These include poor posture, scoliosis, overtraining, and more. From this information, your practitioner will work with you to decide the best Myotherapy for bad posture and stiffness solution.

Benefits of Myotherapy

• Improved Posture

Myotherapy for bad posture and stiffness treatments first assesses the alignment and posture issues to identify imbalances that occur in the body. Myotherapy and remedial massage therapies are individually tailored to the people to relieve them from pain and restore areas.

• Reduced Muscular Pain and Stiffness

Massage therapy and Manual Dry Needling function well together in releasing and deactivating tight muscular trigger areas. The trigger points are often associated with stiffness and muscular pain. Some specific stretches and Myotherapy for bad posture and stiffness can lengthen tight muscles and restore them to their optimal state.

Massage helps in improving blood flow to the tissues which further promotes healing. This even helps in breaking down adhesions. Myotherapy for bad posture and Remedial Massage eliminate pain and tension headaches naturally without any other source like using any pharmaceutical drugs.

• Stress Relief

Massage targets and reduces stress, anxiety, and tension, whilst fostering a feeling of general well-being. Myotherapy will help in lowering cortisol levels and increase endorphins, dopamine, and serotonin which are happy and feel-good hormones. It also lowers excitatory stress-inducing hormones such as norepinephrine, cortisol, epinephrine, and adrenaline.

• Fluent Joint Movements

Myotherapy for bad posture and stiffness helps in reducing the tightness of the body and muscle movements. The tightness may originate from the belly of the muscle or the tendon to its attachment. Joint-related dysfunction can be addressed by the soft tissue. It will assist in taking pressure off from the joint and restore its functioning properly.

Being aware of your body and tending to muscle tightness at the earliest sign of issue is key to preventing injury or prolonged discomfort. So if you find yourself experiencing neck pain, stiffness, back pain or any other posture-related muscle pain or discomfort, book a Myotherapy session with Body Active Myotherapy today!

References:

https://www.motionmyotherapy.com/post/9-benefits-of-regular-myotherapy-and-remedial-massage

https://elitemyotherapy.com.au/have-you-been-experiencing-pain-when-working-from-home/

https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/ConditionsAndTreatments/myotherapy

https://www.myotherapyandmovementclinic.com.au/blog/2016/12/13/sitting-and-posture-related-pain

http://dommckay.com.au/neck-pain/