Relief Is At Hand(s)
Your strained wrist or sore back may feel like minor injuries, but they can lead to wear and tear on your joints when left untreated
Your strained wrist or sore back may feel like minor injuries, but they can lead to wear and tear on your joints when left untreated, says osteopathic physician Andrew S. Kirschner, D.O., founder and medical director of a pain-relief program called Back Together. To spare yourself future suffering, Kirschner's new book, Back Together: Hands-On Healing for Couples, shows how you and a partner can help alleviate each other's musculoskeletal pain with simple at-home techniques. Start with the seated trapezius release, ideal for easing shoulder and lower neck stiffness.
Seated Trapezius Release
1. Place your hands on your partner's shoulders, your fingers toward the front, thumbs at back.
2. Use your thumbs to locate the thick "belly" of the trapezius, the large triangular muscle at the back of the shoulder. Your partner can tell you exactly when you hit this spot, as it may be tender.
3. When you've identified the trapezius, apply gentle, gradually increasing pressure in a small circular pattern.
4. Change directions intermittently until you feel the muscle's tension dissolve beneath your thumbs.
