I've been learning a lot about the role of the brain and the central nervous system in our experience of pain. One of the people who studies this and writes about it is Lorimer Moseley, co-author of Explain Pain. His TED Talk explains, in 15 minutes, some important discoveries in pain research.
While low back pain may be one of the most common complaints seen by doctors, neck and upper back/shoulder pain is the most common complaint seen in my office. So many people spend their days sitting in front of a computer, head forward and motionless for hours at a time, it seems inevitable that eventually the neck and upper back are going to begin to protest. I encourage clients to get up and move as often as possible and especially to move in directions that are different from or opposite to the direction in which they've held themselves for extended periods. The body wants to move and likes variety of movement.
Have you ever wanted to do massage at home with your partner but didn't know where to start? Do you try doing massage but get tired quickly? Are you wondering how to please your partner, who keeps asking for "harder," without hurting yourself? If so, you need to take one of the Massage for Couples classes I'll be teaching at Forest Park Community College on Saturday, October 1, 2011.
This class is ideal for couples who would like to massage each other at home, athletes, dancers, performing artists, and anyone else who would like to learn simple massage techniques they can use at home.
Self-massage is a great self-help technique for common aches. However, sometimes it's hard to reach the places you want to massage or it's difficult to relax while trying to massage yourself. This is where tools can make a great difference.