Jan 27

Written by:
Wednesday, January 27, 2010 

Imagine driving to work when the weather is absolutely wretched. Snow, rain, fog, sleet, ice are just a few items in winter’s bag of tricks. Well, you have to go to work! Once the car is warmed up and you are strapped in, that simple act of driving begins to create tension in your body. 

First, you have that creeping crawl to the main street while you crane your neck to see what is going on up ahead. When you realize you are hunched over the wheel, you try to fix that by leaning too far backwards. You also try to relax that death grip on the steering wheel.  Just when you think the situation is not so bad, traffic comes to a complete halt, and you sit for what seems like forever. By the end of the day, your body has been under considerable stress.

During this time your circulation has not been great and the muscles in your lower back, neck, shoulders, etc. are now tight. Obviously your posture has not been optimal either. Your chest muscles have shortened. The upper back muscles have over-stretched. The neck has been under strain while trying to see problems up ahead. Your shoulders, arms, and hands are tight from gripping the wheel while on constant alert.  Now you feel uncomfortable and may even have a headache. 
 
A Swedish massage is wonderful for helping to release your body from this state of tension. Many of you are familiar with this type of massage that is very relaxing. This massage will stimulate your circulation and increase the blood flow to these tight areas to help combat muscle fatigue and pain. Swedish massage is very soothing and reduces stress. So the next time you lose the good fight while driving in winter, try a Swedish massage to get rid of those aches and pains.