With the cold and wet weather, I start seeing lots of people with upper back, neck and shoulder problems for massage and I believe there are a number of reasons for this.  Firstly, cold makes muscles, ligaments and tendons shorter – it’s just physics.  Shorter muscles mean that tightness increases and so does discomfort.  Secondly, we raise our shoulders and pull them in when we are cold.  Thirdly it is commonly known that damp, cold weather will cause aches and pains, especially in joints, although I don’t think science yet understands why.

So what can we do about all this?  Here’s 5 tips I often suggest to clients:

1.      Check how you sleep.  If you sleep with one arm under the pillow, that creates a lot of tension in your neck and shoulders.  Try laying on your back to begin with and allow your body to relax for a few breaths.  Also, watch when you pull the covers up around your neck – if you clench your fist, that too puts tension into the neck and shoulders.

2.      When you’re driving, aim to keep your shoulders down.  Play with shrugging your shoulders hard up towards your ears and letting them drop heavily down.  Do that a few times and wherever they drop down to is a relaxed position – aim to notice when they creep up and drop them back again.

3.      When sitting at a desk or PC, again it’s very common for our shoulders to creep up, so do the same thing here.  Shrug your shoulders, let them drop and try working like that.  Also, watch that when you put your forearms on the desk, do you lift your shoulders?  If you do, this too will add lots of tension during a working day.  Awareness is useful – just notice what you do and adjust your posture as necessary.

4.      If you carry a bag, handbag or laptop bag, think about how you do this.  I see lots of ladies with handbags with one shoulder raised to stop it slipping off.  This will cause problems over time.  Try carrying your bag in one hand, or put the strap across your body, or at least swap shoulders regularly.  If you use a laptop bag or carry a heavy work bag, use a rucksack.  I know they’re not very sexy, but by using both straps on your shoulders they spread the load and also have the useful effect of stretching your shoulders down under the weight.

5.      Use a scarf.  Related to point 1 about the effects of cold on muscles, I think this does more than anything to prevent and ease neck and shoulder tension.  Wear the scarf inside the neck of a shirt, jumper, jacket and it creates a nice seal holding warm air against your body.  Do this outside, or in the office or a train or car if you are sitting in a draught.

These simple do to tips will really help – give them a try.