Our Top 5 Tips to Avoid Text Neck Pain!

 

The perils of “always on” technology:

Okay, so your “text neck” probably won’t actually kill you (unless you are texting and driving). However, it’s becoming increasingly likely that at some point in the next 5-10 years of tech use, you’ll develop a repetitive stress disorder. So we’ve compiled some tips for text neck to help your phone becoming a pain in the neck!

The phrase carpal tunnel syndrome (wrist pain) has been part of the collective conscious for several decades. It’s so common as a disrupter of productivity that it has spawned an entire industry of ergonomics solutions. These range from special keyboards to Star Trek styled full desk/monitor set ups. All keep you at your desk longer making trades, typing contracts, writing legal memos.

And then the 2000’s came along. Most of us jumped all in with smartphones and laptops and tablets.

Update September 2020: So now we’ve all got Zoom issues too! Not quite the same as text neck as we don’t have to look down. But a lot of folks are complaining about headaches and TMJ from so many meetings staring at a screen. All the more reason to play with strategies to lessen screen time throughout the rest of your day! In addition, masks are vitally important from a safety perspective…and also are contributing to some jaw, neck, and head tension. On the plus side, covid massage safety protocols are working great! So getting a neck pain massage in Midtown or Fidi to help is totally safe!

Suddenly we could be productive all the time.

Standing on the subway platform?

Let me check my email.

Taking the train in from CT?

Let me just go over those sales reports.

Date just went to the bathroom?

Let me text my assistant to make sure I’m set up for tomorrow’s board meeting.

Unfortunately, there are costs to constant device use that might change your mind about your phone and tablet.

Looking down at our phone, tablet, or laptop, pulls our head forward and down. This imbalances all the muscles holding up your head (ahem… text neck). These imbalances can cause any and all of the following:

• neck pain
• shoulder pain
• TMJ
• headaches
• low back pain
• carpal tunnel syndrome
• anxiety
• low energy
• depression
• memory loss

For More Information: Neck Pain Massage in New York 

Work From Home Tips: Don’t Ignore Your Self Care!

 

Work From Home Tips – Ways to improve your home office

I’ve now been a 10 year self-employed writer, then a 13+ year massage therapist, a life coach, and most recently have grown my practice to have 28 employees. Including 23 massage therapists who train under me and see clients at my practice. In that time I’ve had to learn self care for the entrepreneur (or working from home in general) the hard way! So I’ve compiled some of my best work from home tips for you. 

Update September 2020: Wow, this post is now super relevant…we’ve all been stuck at home here in NYC due to COVID-19. Originally this post was focused on self-employed, since those were the folks usually working from home. Now, EVERYONE is working from home to some degree. So we’ve made a few updates and edits, and included a great free ergonomics video at the end from our Bodyworks DW TV subscription series of self-care videos. Enjoy!

I’ve seen working from home from a lot of different angles. Both from my own experience and from working with and talking to hundreds of self-employed massage and coaching clients.

Along the way we’ve learned good practices for keeping your work life from feeling like it’s all-consuming. And ways to actually get and feel the freedom you were looking for going in… And the stability you thought you might never see again.

So, for the entrepreneurs, whether just starting out, or building out your third 100+ employee company, here’s some of our best self-care for the entrepreneur advice for de-stressing.

And for the rest of your now working from home and not sure when (or if) you’ll be returning to the office, here are some welcome work from home tips!

For More Information: Work From Home Tips: Don’t Ignore Your Self Care!

Deep Tissue Massage for Back Pain: What are the Best Therapeutic Techniques?

 

Back pain massage is one of the most common requests of our massage therapy clients. Deep tissue massage for back pain can be a life saver! Our spine protects and houses a large part of our central nervous system. When trauma or dysfunction happens to your body, it is going to want to protect this region first. One way that your body does this is by sending pain signals to the area. The pain is a signal to rest and heal. Unfortunately, with our busy lives, we tend to ignore this signal. 

“Splinting” (ie contracting) the spinal muscles is another way that your body protects itself. This can help with an immediate injury. But it can exacerbate chronic back pain and tightness. Back pain massage is a holistic approach to rectify this dysfunction. Therapists communicate through touch to your nervous and muscular systems. The massage helps your brain understand that the original injury has healed. When your brain processes that it realizes that it doesn’t need to protect anymore. So it lets your back muscles go. The splinting is no longer necessary.  

Great massage therapists employ many different deep tissue massage techniques

Back pain can be the result of a wide variety of neuromuscular issues. And responses to various kinds of trauma. Therefore, our approach for each client case is unique. Crafting an effective massage requires an understanding of how each technique is going to affect your specific body. Each technique has a specific intention. And also produces a different sensation and result. Massage therapists frequently combine techniques to achieve an overall result. This includes reduction in pain, tightness, and restriction!

For More Information: Deep tissue massage for back pain