A client came to me recently about her pain sensations in the neck, shoulders, back and wrist area of her body. This is a result of a sedentary desk job and lifestyle habits of the COVID-19 lockdown. In order for me to address her pain, let’s begin with understanding “How does one feel Pain?” There are three types of stimuli that activate your pain receptor in the peripheral tissues:
- Mechanical (pressure, pinch, muscle-stretching)
- Thermal (heat)
- Chemical (including lactic acid)
Each stimuli is recognised by nociceptor (pain receptors) which exists in muscle, joints, and skin; and each nociceptor has selective sensitivity to stimuli. Mechanical and Thermal Stimuli are usually brief, whereas chemical stimuli are usually long-lasting.
It is scientifically proven that a sedentary life or inactivity places pressure on the joints for an extended period of time, resulting in uneven wear and tear, loss of flexibility, and pain. According to Meier Orthopedic Sports Medicine, the most important element towards relieving pain, stiffness and other health risks of sitting is by “avoiding prolonged periods of sitting by incorporating small bursts of movement, activity, and standing throughout the day.”
With addressing my client’s pains, I created a custom training program to suit her lifestyle needs, physical capacity and external stressors. In her unique situation, the training program consists of mobility training in the form of restorative yoga movements and stretches to help lubricate and make her joints flexible. Followed by developing strength in the muscles through rubber resistance bands at regular intervals of sets, reps and specific rest and working time.
If you are also feeling stiffness in the mentioned effected areas, or would simply like to wind down. Then the following 3-Part Restorative Yoga Video Playlist was created to share easy-to-perform at home yoga movements to help you ease your neck, shoulder, back and wrist pain, while opening up your hip flexors to improve blood flow.
Drop me a comment if you have a question, or inquire about my customised training programs at rainevalkyrie@gmail.com
References for information in this article: Pain and Disability: Clinical, Behavioral, and Public Policy Perspectives, Practical Pain Management, Meier Orthopedic Sports Medicine, and Tortora’s Principles of Anatomy and Physiology.
Raine Baljak 