Moving your feet while you lay in bed can help you get rid of a stiff back, stiff neck or tight hip muscles.  Moving your feet actually causes movement in all of the muscles up to your head.  Why?  Because they are all attached!

Here are some simple pain relief movements you can do.

Lay on your back.  Uncover your feet if you are in bed.  Hold one foot toes up and swish your foot from side to side.  Pretend your foot is the windshield wiper on a car.  Do this movement until your muscles start to tire or for about a minute.

If you place your hand under the top of your upper leg (your hip joint) you will feel movement there.  And “all” you have done is move your foot!

Then rest for at least 20 seconds.

While you are resting, pay attention to the sensation in your leg.  Warm & buzzy?  Nice.

Now make circles with your foot in one direction until your leg starts to become tired or for about one minute.  If you cannot make big movements just make small movements; that will work just as well.  Then rest and observe.

Do all of the movements you can think of with one foot, in every direction you can think of.  Rest between each movement.  Then do the same movements with your other foot.

This is good to do when you are going to sleep or when you wake up…or both!

Imagine:  Moving your feet to get rid of pain in your neck.

If you have back pain or headaches or other pain, maybe you have already seen a massage therapist.  Perhaps it helped  a lot and perhaps it didn’t.

If your massage did not help much, you will learn a lot from this article about selecting a massage therapist who can make a difference with your pain.

If you haven’t tried massage yet for your pain, this article will help you select the best massage therapist in your area for your situation.

And, please remember:  Rome wasn’t built in a day.  That means it may take more than one session for you to get the relief you seek.  You may have several areas that are causing your pain and that all need to be “treated.”

Do I believe massage therapy help most pain?  Absolutely, yes!

If a massage professional has a good working knowledge of what causes pain in the carpal tunnel area, he or she can make a world of difference to you!

Most doctors didn’t learn much about about muscles when they were in school (neither did we) and so when they see a patient who has complaints of discomfort it may not occur to them that it could be caused by muscles.

There are internal things that can cause pain on the outside, too.  Gall bladder pain can be felt in the back and you might perceive it to be muscular pain.  Since we sometimes cannot tell what causes a pain, a visit to your doctor may be in order.

But as I mentioned earlier, it’s likely that you have muscle strain or “trigger points” that are causing your pain.  For instance, more people have pain in the carpal tunnel area caused by trigger points in muscles or muscle strain than true carpal tunnel syndrome.

Many massage therapists don’t have the training or background to understand why you have pain.  They will rub on the painful area around your carpal tunnel, your back or head or wherever, but you may not notice much (or any) relief.  Or it helps a bit but in 1 or 2 hours you are back in the same pain.

The reason for that is they are working on the symptoms rather than the cause of your pain.

He or she is working where it hurts, rather than working on the areas that are actually causing your pain.  That’s a common problem with massage therapists.  Some just rub where it hurts and hope it will help.  Sometimes the cause is actually where the pain is, other times not.

There is an article here at Simple Pain Relief  in the “Massage” Category that will help you find a massage therapist who can give you the most benefit–pain relief–for your massage dollar.  Just scroll down on the right side of this page to “Categories” and scroll down to the Massage category.

A skilled, well-trained massage therapist has the tools to relieve your pain.

There are many types of massage and a few different professional organizations and lots of massage schools.  There are all types of different philosophies, personalities, beliefs and training.   Some massage therapists have a ton of advanced training and some massage providers never go beyond their basic training (which may be short) not even to read an article or book.

Word of mouth is usually a great way to find a good therapist.  If someone you know got relief from their massage therapist that may be a good person for you to interview.

There are credentials that can help you decide, too.  Here are a few.

• Professional Membership in the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA.)
• Nationally Certified in Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (NCTMB.)
• State Licensed.  (At the time of writing, about 3/4′s of states license massage therapists.)

Here’s how to interview a massage therapist.

Most will be happy to give you a brief free consultation.

First of all, don’t ask, “Do you work with people who have (my type of) pain?” or, “Do you treat (this type of) pain?”  There are many massage therapists who will say yes, even though they don’t have the training or experience to successfully treat your specific complaint.

Instead, ask him or her the following questions, and listen closely to his answers.  See whether the answers make sense to you.

• What are the most common causes of (my type of) pain?
• How will you determine why I have pain?
• What is your pain treatment strategy?
• What type of massage training did you have?
• What muscles could be involved in my situation?
• How long do you think it will take for me to feel better?
• Will there be pain or discomfort from the massage?

Feel free to ask additional questions.  Also, ask him to explain any answer you did not fully understand.

You can learn a lot on the phone, but you can learn even more in person.  The massage therapist may actually touch your muscles as he explains, and that will make it even easier for you to understand.

Sometimes when muscles are very tight, as they often are with pain, there may be some discomfort during the massage.  There may also be some tenderness afterward.  That is because you have some areas of tight muscles and they are not yet used to someone pressing on them.

If you have any discomfort from the massage, you may perceive it as “good pain,” which is a fine thing.  Your body is saying, “Yes!  This is what I need!”  Or it may be quite intense and you can ask the therapist to lighten up.

It is okay for you to guide your massage therapists.  Please do!  They want to know how you are feeling and responding.  They want you to feel better.

Sometimes discomfort during a therapeutic massage session is unavoidable, and it’s usually worse the first time than later visits.

But, the payoff from massage therapy for pain relief can be huge.

Start looking for massage therapists to interview today.

“Because You Deserve To Feel Better!”

1. It relaxes the muscles around your chest, ribs, shoulders and neck.  These are the same muscles that get tight and cause headache symptoms.
2. Yoga helps reduce your stress.  When you’re feeling all stressed, your muscles “clamp down” on nerves that go to your head.
3. It helps strengthen the muscles of your backside, and makes you long and strong; it creates muscular balance.  A strong back and a long, strong body helps you have good posture.  Good posture, with your head over your body instead of out in front, reduces headaches.
4. Yoga gets your circulation moving and that helps move the metabolic (body) wastes out of your body.  It reduces swelling which can also be a cause for head pain.
5. It helps you become more “in tune” with your body.  When your muscles start to complain or your head starts to hurt, you will be able to figure out the cause and correct it.
6. Yoga can help reduce your blood pressure, but if you are having high blood pressure headaches, you’d better get to a doctor immediately!

Yoga is a full-body stretching and strengthening movement program with a lot of benefits.

If you take a class, always remember:  It’s your body.  If a move doesn’t feel appropriate to you, or feels like it will make your head hurt or your headache feel worse, DON’T DO IT.  Instead, practice a different movement (pose) or breathing.

So, yoga helps take the pressure off the muscles around your head and neck, and helps you relax, and reduces stress, and improves your breathing (shallow breathing could also be a cause of your headaches by not giving you enough oxygen.)

That’s how yoga can help you get rid of your headaches.

Muscle pain happens for reasons. On this Internet radio show, I’ll share those reasons with you.  I’ll also give you simple pain relief techniques that you can use to become pain-free.

Your body is smart and it wants to be well.  When you have aches and pains, it’s giving you a message:  HELP ME!

You can get plenty of help right here at Simple Pain Relief and also at Simple Strengthening.com.   At Simple Strengthening, you can discover how to exercise easily in your bed!  You’ll also find out which are the most important muscles to strengthen.  Hint:  They’re not in your chest.

Now you have another option for natural, simple pain relief information.  It’s at Pain Relief Radio.com.

As you grew you stopped using all of your muscles and that was the start of aches, pain and dysfunction.

Here’s a guest post from my friend Gini Maddocks of HolisticMatters.com.  She’ll explain why “break” dancing will help you get rid of your muscle aches and pains:

Do you take breaks during your busy day?

You should.

Research shows that the human brain is more efficient when allowed to rest in intervals.

Try this:
Turn on upbeat, familiar music–the kind you like to dance to.

Now let yourself relax into the groove, changing your focus to let your self MOVE.

It doesn’t have to be much to release tension through movement:  a little swaying… some foot tapping… nod your head, jiggle to the beat or close the door to rock and roll.

Studies reveal that even “imagining movement” offers good benefit via your nervous system.  So, close your eyes and give it a try.

Break dancing, the new rage in wellness!

That’s so cute–”break” dancing.  Gini has a way with words!  Take her advice to heart.  When you start to move again and get back into your “groove” you will start to have fewer aches and pains.

Now don’t just jump into exercising all at once.  If it’s been a while your muscles will need to adjust so start gradually.  But start.  Even if it’s break dancing.

You have a smart body and if you have muscle pain that means your body is complaining and wants a little (or a lot) of help from you.  You can relieve your muscle pain.

I will always believe that massage is the best thing to help muscles relax but stretching is the next best.  So, here’s something that’ll help you get “unstuck” and relieve your stiff back.

Are you familiar with the stretches called “cat” and “dog?”  I’ve also heard them called “camel” and other variations.  Sometimes they are done on all fours, on the floor, but I’m going to share a seated version with you.  If you are so stiff that it’s hard to get on the floor, you will appreciate this version.

These are good movements because they get your spine moving from front to back and your ribs moving.  These movements warm the muscles of your back and whole torso, or trunk.  They get your circulation going and can help to strengthen your back.

Here is the seated version:

• Move to the the front edge of a firm, solid chair or seat.
• Sit with your feet flat on the floor, one in front of each hip, toes pointing straight ahead.
• Point your thumbs forward and rest your hands at the side of your chair, hanging your hands near your hips.
• Lift your chest.
• Slowly squeeze your shoulder blades together while you “stick your butt out” and lift your chin toward the ceiling.  This movement should make your back be a “C.”
• Move slowly and thoughtfully.
• Pause there for a second and then start to reverse the move.
• Allow your chin to tuck toward your chest and your back to round outward (in the opposite direction of where you were.)
• Hold in your stomach while you move forward, too.
• You can continue doing these “C’s” and “reverse C’s” in a sequence, one after the other.
• Always pay attention to your body and move slowly and thoughtfully.

Please note: If either move causes real pain in your back, just  flex only to that point.  With practice, it will become easier and you will gain more movement.

There are many ways for your back to round outward.  You might notice that you can cause your upper back to curve, near your shoulder blade.  You can also curve the middle of your back.  Your lower back can also curve outward.  What does this mean?

Your spinal bones give you flexibility.  That’s how they were designed. When you move, move as many different ways as you can.  Try to get as many different joints and muscles moving as you can.

These 2 moves flex your spinal bones and will help strengthen your whole upper body, too.

We are all supposed to be able to move like this.  You could when you were little.  With some help from you, your body can become more flexible again.  Doing these movements thoughtfully will help you become more comfortable and function better and will help relieve the stiffness in your back.

A hard jarring sneeze or cough can also cause a stiff neck, and this may be even more uncomfortable than the one that comes during your sleep.   An accident that whips your head from side to side or front to back might cause pain in your neck, too.

When the muscles go into spasm, or seize up and keep you from moving your neck, that can be a protective step by your body to prevent injury.  Be mindful as you apply the following steps and pay attention to what your body is telling you.  If something doesn’t feel appropriate, don’t do it.

Here are the 3 natural steps you can take to help your neck relax:

1.  Use heat on the muscles on the tops of your shoulders.  You can also apply heat to your upper chest and upper back.  If heat is not the best treatment for you to use, you’ll be able to tell; you’ll feel slightly worse afterward.  If you use a hot shower, direct the water to your upper back, tops of shoulders (each separately) and the front of your upper chest and neck.

2.  Use ice on the muscles at the back of your neck.  Also, wrap the ice pack around your neck to benefit the muscles on the sides and front.  It may feel like the pain is in the back of your neck, but there’s a good chance that all of the neck muscles are involved.  Some muscles run from your collar bone to the back of your head.  If you only have a small ice pack, your muscles will just have to take turns!

The rule of thumb is:  Heat for tight muscles and ice for nervy symptoms.  Since a stiff neck may involve the nerves in your neck, go for ice around your whole neck and upper chest toward the middle.  Ice will relax the muscles and also helps numb the pain.

3.  Gently, slowly move your neck into slightly different positions but only a very small amount.  Breathe into these little tiny movements.  Stretching tight muscles won’t help, but warming them with subtle, gentle, slight movements will help them relax.

It also helps to place your neck in the most comfortable position you can manage.  That’s called the ‘position of ease.’   Doing the tiny movements while you are in your position of ease helps the most.

If you have a liniment, you can rub it on your neck and shoulder tops.  The rubbing helps at least as much as the liniment.  Remember your chest, too.  Some people will take some over-the-counter pain relief medicine which may help relieve symptoms.  Prescription muscle relaxants apparently relax all of the muscles but they don’t relieve spasms.

Massaging or rubbing tight areas will also help, but don’t expect your stiff neck to get better instantly.  If it’s stiff from sleeping or some over-activity, it may take a couple of days.  If a hard sneeze or some type of jamming activity caused your neck pain and loss of range-of-motion, it might take 5 days or so to gradually feel better.

If you feel that you need to see your doctor, be sure to do that.  Just remember, bodies change all the time.  Just because something is happening today, tomorrow may be a whole different story.  Today’s tests may be inaccurate by next week as your body has begun to heal itself.

Your body wants to be well and it has the ability to heal.  These 3 natural steps will help you get rid of your stiff neck.

I don’t know where my friend Rosalie got that clever title, but it’s a serious problem, and lots and lots of us are affected by it!  The Sitting Disease is caused by…too much sitting!

All that sitting causes lots of muscle and body malfunctions and aches and pains and premature aging.

Knots in your back, problems breathing, constipation, carpal tunnel syndrome, osteoporosis, back pain and headaches and MORE are caused by “The Sitting Disease.”

It’s practically an epidemic!  But there is a simple, natural cure.  Read “The Sitting Disease” and get started on your road to recovery.

Why do some of us grow old so quickly and other stay youthful?

Here are 3 reasons:

1.  Attitude.  Optimists may not always have the most realistic outlook, but they live longer, healthier lives than pessimists and enjoy living more.  Attitude can be learned and unlearned.  A healthy attitude includes gratitude and happiness.

2. Nutrition.  People who give their bodies all the nutrients it needs are much more likely to be healthy and feel better longer.  This gets harder and harder as more of our “food” comes from factories rather than farms and gardens, but it CAN be done.  The best place to buy your groceries is in the produce section, and if possible, the best ones to buy are organic.  Try to eat a lot of different colored foods (and Froot Loops don’t count.)

3.  Posture.  When you lose the fight to gravity, and gravity is winning, your heavy head moves in front of your body.  Then, gravity can pull you forward even more!  Your posture can be corrected, at least enough to relieve some of your pain.  Posture is a BIG key in aging.  When you collapse forward, your organs gets squashed.  How can your heart function its’ best when it is being compressed?  How can your intestines and stomach do their best job?  This is a common cause of constipation.   You can overcome poor posture by stretching the muscles in the front of your body and strengthening the muscles in the back.

George Burns, the comedian, said:  “It’s okay to get older, as long as you don’t get old.”  I’m sticking with George!