Loosening chronically tight muscles/stiff joints

August 21, 2013 6:50 PM

My neck and lower back muscles are very tight from years of sitting in front of a monitor. This causes me discomfort and is gradually decreasing the range of motion of the relevant joints. What can I do about this? I practice yoga three times a week, which helps only a little. I can't afford regular massages (let alone Rolfing or craniosacral therapy, both of which have been helpful in the past). What else can I try? Tai chi? Acupuncture? Specific stretches?
posted by zeri to Health & Fitness (25 answers total)

A physical therapist will give you targeted stretches and exercises that will help.
posted by moira at 6:54 PM on August 21, 2013 [1 favorite]

I highly recommend the McKenzie exercises for the treatment of neck and shoulder pain. They really, really helped with mine (which resulted from my stubbornly locked trapezius muscle).
posted by sevensnowflakes at 7:02 PM on August 21, 2013 [6 favorites]

For $20 and a few minutes a day you can use a foam roller to help loosen those muscles, especially in the lower back and hips. It really does help.
posted by googly at 7:11 PM on August 21, 2013 [5 favorites]

Frequent Epsom salt baths.
posted by Iris Gambol at 7:13 PM on August 21, 2013 [2 favorites]

Like moira said, stretches and exercises are good.

Get ones you can do at or around your desk. That way you can set a timer to remind you to move around and do a few exercises every half an hour or so.

People at my work use a product called Guardian to remind them to move.

I bought one of those big rubber bands that physiotherapists use and tied one end to my desk to provide some resistance. Not bad for five bucks.
posted by fonetik at 7:19 PM on August 21, 2013

Solve the real problem: get or build yourself a standing desk.

Self-link: I've written about it here, and I love it. Don't know where my chair is now, and don't care. The back problems, the knee and posture problems I've had for years are quickly going away. Spending your whole life sitting is really, really bad for you, and what you're describing are the symptoms of that, so you should stop.
posted by mhoye at 7:36 PM on August 21, 2013 [1 favorite]

When you say that you can't afford regular massages or Rolfing, what do you mean? Could you budget for 30 minutes of targeted deep tissue massage or Rolfing session in the affected area, once a month? That should be around 40 or 50 dollars- $10 or $15 a week saved up, and it will stretch those stretches a lot further.
posted by windykites at 7:59 PM on August 21, 2013

T'ai Chi is good for everything... a bit slow going though, patience and perseverance is required. A friend hurt her neck from a fall and tried doing yoga for a while, which did not help.. someone recommended t'ai chi to her, and it is helping her a lot.
posted by snaparapans at 8:06 PM on August 21, 2013

I'm a fidgeter, so when I had a yoga ball as a desk chair (I had to switch it out sometimes; it was kinda short) I bounced on it constantly. I also kept rolling back and forward, sometimes stretching quite a bit back from my desk (while gripping it and letting it roll along the underside of my legs). It felt really good in a slow, controlled kind of way.

I have lower back issues as well, and this (combined with working on core strength) lessened the problems.
posted by Madamina at 8:10 PM on August 21, 2013

Get a better pillow.
posted by These Birds of a Feather at 8:17 PM on August 21, 2013 [1 favorite]

if you have medical insurance, it may cover some physical therapy. I was astonished at how my physical therapist manually undid years of clenchy tight trigger points - it wasn't pleasant, she had to manually stretch the fibers, but it worked amazingly.
posted by fingersandtoes at 8:41 PM on August 21, 2013

I've found self stretching and massage with Thera Cane helpful. It comes with a small booklet and there are other books on it too that focus on how to best use it.


posted by greta_01 at 9:10 PM on August 21, 2013

Walking, swimming, sciatica exercises with a tennis ball, ball chair with and without the base on off throughout the day, standing to work for part of the day, making sure you have a sleep arrangement that's letting your body truly heal from the day.

Also see if you can bring an ergonomics consultant to evaluate your work area and make recommendations to help you reduce strain and injury.
posted by batmonkey at 9:51 PM on August 21, 2013

Tight muscles often indicate a mineral deficiency. Magnesium and potassium come to mind as the first two possibilities.
posted by Michele in California at 10:29 PM on August 21, 2013 [1 favorite]

Have you been to the doctor though? I'd have thought 3 yoga sessions a week would have fixed it if it was just about tension and relaxation.
posted by glasseyes at 5:51 AM on August 22, 2013

You definitely want to try a foam roller.
posted by elizardbits at 6:33 AM on August 22, 2013

Read this book. It will help immensely. Kelly Starrett is a genius.
posted by SheIsMighty at 7:00 AM on August 22, 2013 [2 favorites]

I suggest dealing with the central problem: extended sitting. Buy or make yourself a standing desk. My home solution has been to put the monitor on a milk crate and two phone books, and put the keyboard on a shoebox turned on its side with a piece of wood on top. Doesn't look too great, but it's much better than my chair - and if I need to sit down, it just takes about a minute of rearranging and putting the milk crate, shoebox, etc under the desk.
posted by Urban Winter at 8:14 AM on August 22, 2013

Best answer: (Apologies for the long post - massage therapist here)

Tai chi and acupuncture are excellent adjuncts, esp. for increasing stress relief. However, the best thing you can do for yourself is move, both in terms of getting out of your chair and stretching.

Step one: only sit for a maximum of 20 minutes. Set a timer or an alarm - something - to remind you to get up out of your chair every twenty minutes, even if only to stand up for a few seconds.

Step two: at every 20 minute break, do the Brugger exercise for 20-30 seconds. You can do it seated, but you are getting up off your chair every 20 minutes, right?

Step three: do neck stretches at least three times a day (preferably a couple times during the day at work as well).

Other things to try:

• Get or borrow The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook and start working on your trigger points with a tennis ball (I prefer a harder rubber ball, but ymmv).
• Get or borrow Becoming a Supple Leopard (mentioned above by SheIsMighty) and follow Kelly's recommendations.
• Echoing fingersandtoes, if you have insurance, find a practitioner who understands trigger points (physical therapist, chiropractor, DO) and have them work on/with you.
• Check out local massage schools/colleges for "clinic days" where you can get a massage from a massage school student for low(er) rates.
• Ask friends for a massage therapist recommendation, and see about bartering for massage. I know MTs who have traded massage for bookkeeping, website help, and car work.

I have had the best luck with doing trigger point work on myself (I don't travel anywhere without my trusty hard rubber ball), stretches/yoga, and qigong. But for initial relief (and to get the metaphorical ball rolling), seeing a MT/PT/DC is a good bet.
posted by sazanka at 8:21 AM on August 22, 2013 [17 favorites]

My medical insurance is paying for me to get a series of massages to treat back spasms. Maybe yours will, too. I had to get a referral from my doctor.
posted by The corpse in the library at 8:30 AM on August 22, 2013

a friend of mine told me that squats and kettlebell exercises (specifically Russian/American swings) pretty much cured her chronic back and neck pain. She does 2 sets of twenty twice a week. You'll need to start with a low weight and build up. I'm going to start doing them to see if it helps my chronic pain.
posted by hotelechozulu at 8:50 AM on August 22, 2013 [1 favorite]

If you have a clinic that offers Community Acupuncture, it's typically $30/session. Worth a try. And if you do, ask about cupping. It improved circulation in my neck and shoulder area. You can also purchase your own set online for cheap.

Also agreeing with all the posts re standing desk, possible mineral issues, keeping up with the yoga and trying the targeted exercises. Easy does it with the kettle balls though.
posted by AnOrigamiLife at 9:05 AM on August 22, 2013

Acupuncture has never been shown to be better than placebo, so don't waste your time or money with that.

2nding McKenzie, I like 7 Steps to a Pain-Free Life.
posted by flimflam at 9:57 AM on August 22, 2013

I second the standing desk. A BIG help for me.

I went a little different rout than most, becuase I really like my desk. I raised my desk to my ideal height and bought one of those 'drafting' type chairs that are tall (like a bar stool). I can sit at a "normal" height, with a foot rest, and can stand at a "normal" height without needing to raise or lower my desk. It is always perfect sitting or standing.

Sitting for hours is bad for you: Mayo Clinic, NPR, NY Daily News, CBS News, etc...
posted by Leenie at 12:05 PM on August 22, 2013

Want to second: standing desk, better pillow, Becoming a Supple Leopard, Trigger Point Workbook, and LACROSSE BALL—the best $2 you'll ever spend.

Trigger points are magical.
posted by squasher at 11:16 AM on August 27, 2013 [1 favorite]