The thing about shoulder pain…
Shoulder pain is one of the most common reasons that people come to see me. People experiencing pain doing yoga poses, or doing overhead movements in the gym, lifting their kids, or even lifting at their job. But the solution to this pain might surprise you…
Our daily life absolutely does not help with keeping our shoulders supple, strong and mobile. (Ever checked your screen time report on your phone? It might shock you!). Us adults have I’m hoping somewhat better self control over our device usage, but when I see all the young kids and teens walking around head and shoulders forward it actually breaks my heart. I know they’re going to be in pretty bad pain in the not too distant future.
Think for a moment about what happens when you reach for your phone or ipad to have a quick scroll on social media, or to check your emails. Many times what we are seeking is actually a feeling of connection. Maybe there’s someone who has a really funny account and we love to check in and see what they posted today, or maybe we see who liked or commented our last post, maybe we start to feel a tiny bit lonely or isolated or even just disconnected from our partner and so we reach for our phone. What we’re really reaching for is connection.
Think now about your shoulders’ involvement in this…each time you feel isolated, disconnected, you put your shoulders up and forward to look at your phone. Imagine what the tissues of your shoulders are holding onto? Maybe you can see what traditional exercises and stretching can only take you so far and you are still feeling pain, pinching, and aching.
Our fascia is the container for our soul. It contains all of the experiences we have had in our lifetime and even that of our ancestors too.
Let me tell you a story of a past client that really touched my heart. A few years ago a healthy, active young lady came to me with pain when doing overhead presses in the gym. She had tried stretching, strengthening, all the things and still the pain persisted. We had done about 3 sessions of Myofascial Release and it was improving, but hadn’t fully resolved yet. During our fourth or fifth session, as I was doing a gentle fascial release hold on her shoulder a memory came to the surface. It was from a long time ago when she was a little girl. She had to leave her home suddenly in the middle of the night. Her Mom told her that her job was to hold onto her stuffed animal and her pillow. She realized that a part of her had gotten stuck at that moment and was still holding onto those things as if that moment was still happening. The awareness of this holding in her fascia and her adult observer knowing that she was no longer in danger and no longer a little girl at that moment in the past allowed her fascia to release and the pain to resolve.
This is just one, of many examples of what the body is holding onto and we most often have no awareness at all.
Myofascial Release helps you to reconnect to your body, it creates a space that is safe enough for your to feel what is being held, to release it and to help you come back to the hear and now.
Shoulder pain, is almost never just about the shoulders. For a full recovery, its vital to treat the whole person, including all of their past experiences.