Solutions For Relieving Chronic Muscle Tension

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A recent question posed to “Ask Rob and Collette” :

I’m 46, active, not overweight and pretty muscular. I tend to keep my muscles tighter than I could because of concentration on an activity or a sub-conscious idea that I’ll drop something I’m holding or lose my balance. I catch myself over-exerting pressure or force whether I’m stirring food, scrubbing pots or carrying a bale of hay. I often use a little more muscular contraction than necessary.

Can you give me any tips on how to relax my right shoulder in particular, which I often find I have elevated an inch or two, mainly from concentration and tension?

Rob Fortini answers:

I would first suggest meditation as way to train your mind and body to relax. I would use imagery that elicits a calming effect, and when I noticed that I was tightening up, or using more force in my daily life than was necessary, I would think of this calming imagery that I had used during meditation. Soon, you will find that you have trained yourself to be relaxed.

As an ancillary to this method I would pursue some type of massage therapy: deep tissue massage, myofacial release, shiatsu,Swedish, the Alexander technique (posture alignment), and the Feldenkreis method (also a kind of posture alignment), are a few. Massage would be helpful in releasing tension that you tend to hold.

Lastly, I would suggest a regimen of strength training. The use of free-weights would firstly use up the energies of tension that trouble you, and secondly train your muscles to respond with the appropriate force during any given situation.
I hope these methods bring you relief, and thank you very much for your question.

Yours truly,
Robert E. Fortini, CFT

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