Clasp your hands behind your neck, then slide
them up onto the back of your head, pulling your
hair up and out of the way. Tuck your chin in so
that the muscles at the back of the neck are gently
stretched.
Person massaging: work up and down the neck and
back muscles from just below the shoulder blades
right up to the base of the skull. Take your time and
go gently to start with. Use your fingers, thumbs or
knuckles to work the muscle fibres lengthwise. You
may feel harder lumpy bits in the muscles – they
are the scarred patches so concentrate on them.
Spend about 10-15 minutes doing this.
2 Side lying massage position.
Patient: lie on your side, with your head dropped
sideways (without a pillow if that’s comfortable
enough). Your top shoulder should be relaxed and
dropped in the direction of your hip, with your hand
around your buttock to hold it like that. Your hips
and knees should be bent up so you don’t roll
around. This position stretches the upper trapezius
muscle running from the shoulder up the neck to
the base of the skull, which is usually the first one
to strain and tighten during bent forward work.
Person massaging: massage along the length of
this muscle. Concentrate on the hard patch of scar
tissue usually found between the shoulder and the
neck. Start gently. You can work more deeply into
the muscles once they have warmed up. Spend
about 5-10 minutes working on each side.
Home care programme
14
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