Constant Sternomastoid pain

[Beau]

Morning Kit

 

Hope you are well?

I've been in touch before with you regarding a long term problem a few years ago and your advice was much appreciated..

 

I thought I would drop you a  email updating where I am and hopefully maybe getting a little advice along the way..

After years of doing different stretches,yoga,deep tissue massage,chiropractor and acupuncture I was at a loss as how to manage my neck and shoulder problem..

I got in touch with you and you're help was much appreciated but I didn't put you're advice into practice properly..

 

I since met a physio a few months ago who took a look at me and found I was very stressed and causing a lot of tension in  my body..

So I started back on the Yoga , using Adrianne's from Youtube and then incorporating some of you're stretches and I've managed to get the pain under control but I can't seem to get rid of it completely ..

So I started from the beginning two weeks ago to use you're book Stretching and Flexibility and work my way through it..

 

I have a couple of questions which I was hoping you could answer please?

 

My problem has been my right hand side Sternomastoid and right hand side Trapezius and then into my shoulder blade..Also on top of this I've noticed that my right hand hip  is tight as well.. The Physio did say it was all down my right hand side..

 

So anyway I've started the book and get relief after doing the stretches but the next morning I feel like I've played a game of Rugby!

I'm doing the first 7 stretches and then added one in after the first week..

Is it normal at 50 years of age to feel like this?

I am a Joiner/carpenter to trade so I am active.

 

Also with the book do you keep adding stretches in as they come in the book so eventually you are twice a week doing the complete book?

 

I take my time and also try and do them at the same time of the day  while concentrating on my breathing...

 

Any advice would be much appreciated..

 

Thanks again Kit

 

Kind Regards

 

Andrew Balfour

 

 

 

[Kit_L]

@Beau: sorry to be late to this party; for some reason, the system did not alert me to your post.

Re. Stretching & Flexibility: each lesson is a class—once you have done the first seven, then there's the Unnumbered Lesson. Just follow the instructions literally: each class is just that: a class, with a beginning, middle, and end.

So, best practise is do two classes (or parts of classes) a week. You can mix and match these to suit time and which exercises feel best in the body. Only you can work that last part out.

As a joiner and carpenter, if you are right handed, the tension pattern you describe is to be expected: it is a reflection of the way you have used your body, up to now. Everything about that can be changed, in time.

To complement (I would say, "supercharge") these efforts, consider adding a lying relaxation practise, daily. This will really help to address the whole-body tension you mention. Go to the Audios tab on our site (https://stretchtherapy.net/), scroll down, make sure you listen to the "Background to relaxation practise" recording, then download any that interest you, and put on your phone. Good luck, and yes, the tension you describe is 'normal', in the statistical sense, in our culture today. It is not desirable, though, and it can be changed.