I find that this massage is predominantly beneficial to those who suffer from stress, tension, depression etc. I find clients presenting with pain in this area have occupations or lifestyles that consist of remaining in a single position for long periods or they have an occupation which means they are in a constant state of tension and find it difficult to switch off. Professions for example like social work, legal professions, computer operators, those in professions that demand driving long distances like sales people and even people who work in factories on conveyor belt work and checkout operators at the supermarket. Even some hobbies can cause similar damage to these muscles like knitting, sewing, cross-stitch, tapestry spring to mind. Pottery, artists even standing baking can aggravate already damaged muscles and tendons.

To relieve this I begin work stroking along the shoulder blades and down the upper arms, back across the top of the shoulder and up the side of the neck sweeping across the base of the skull, down the neck and across to join the should blades again. I do this several times increasing pressure on each sweep to warm the muscles and get them relaxed for the next stage. I then work the clients left side first. Beginning by working around the shoulder blade I work small areas at a time up on to the left shoulder and down the upper arm. I then concentrate on the top of the shoulders from the top of the arm to the side of the neck pinching and releasing as I go. Next I work across the back of the neck and up the neck to the base of the skull before working the right side shoulder and neck to the top of the arm and around the shoulder blade. All the time I am working at this point I am checking for and breaking up any ‘knots’ I encounter so some areas get more intense work than others depending where and how bad the muscles are. I then return to the long sweeping strokes that I began the treatment with decreasing the pressure with each stroke. Lastly I cover and leave the client to rest.