When people get treatment for neck and shoulder pain, the therapist may leave out the chest, or treat it too briefly. I see it in people all the time - the connective tissue in their upper chest is shortened, pulling their first 3 ribs and collar bones up, & shoulders/head forward. Mentally, chronic stress or trauma can affect the fascia/connective tissue quality of this region.
Imagine the physical and emotional effects of receiving sensitive therapeutic work along your sternum, collar bones, ribcage and the sides of your neck. What kind of benefits can you receive?
Physically, the most important part of your lymphatic and circulatory systems reside here, in this upper chest/base of neck area we call the thoracic inlet/outlet. Your body’s lymph & all of its vein blood empties into this subclavian region of the upper chest. Additionally, blood flow to your brain also comes from here via subclavian, carotid, and vertebral arterial output.
Keeping the pectoral and front/side of neck area from being chronically shortened/contracted is good for the entire body’s circulation of this fluid. Opening up this area with Myofascial Release Therapy benefits this vital flow by relieving congestion & improving the quality of the connective tissue/fascia.
Many people have Thoracic Outlet Syndrome but do not receive treatment for it. Excessive chest and front of neck tension can elevate the top ribs. The fascia/connective tissue of the scalene, sternocleidomastoid, pectoral major/minor and the fascia of the anterior skirt of the neck can lift the first few ribs up too high, impeding or causing a stenosis of the subclavian vein and brachial plexus, leading to a weakened pulse as well as a host of neurological and ischemic (loss of sensation, tingling) changes to the upper limbs. Excessive chest and neck tension will cause this malfunctioning, and myofascial release helps treat it by turning down the excessive nerve signaling by working with the periosteum, muscle, and fascia. Myofascial Release techniques lengthen the fascia along the front “skirt” of the neck and chest, benefitting all these circulatory systems.
The subclavian region also affects the sympathetic trunk, vagus, brachial plexus, phrenic, and laryngeal nerves. Breathing, vocalization, swallowing, coughing are effected here. There is also a benefit to ease of breath & intra-abdominal pressures.
Women can have this condition after pregnancy from the ribcage being pushed up to accommodate the baby, but it’s not uncommon for men either. As stated above, stress and trauma play a huge role in this region.
A tight chest can also contribute to forward head posture, making your upper/middle back hurt because it is curved too far forward. This look also ages you, so having postural awareness is important. Myofascial release therapy gives you a felt sense of what is too tight/shortened, changing your postural awareness by lengthening that which is chronically shortening so that you feel more open and empowered, emotionally.
So, here you can start to understand that excessive chest/neck tension is not good for your body at all. There are also emotional components that play out with this dysfunctional posture. We do hold a lot of emotion in this region, and the work can help you with resolve in ways that your mind would otherwise continue to struggle with.
Emotionally, this is the region of the heart and throat energy centers, or chakras. These centers house the heart, lungs, thymus, thyroid gland, and larynx. Poor connective tissue quality from excessive muscular tension in these regions can affect the function these vital structures, and have an impact on your ability to love yourself/others, & feel compassion immunity, repair and regeneration, gratitude, metabolism, and expression of truth and love. Our voice chakra in our anterior neck helps us express ourselves and be open to the expression of others.
When the physical and emotional body is balanced, we unleash a potential that we otherwise may have not. We all function so much better with support.
Schedule a free discovery session today & learn more about my services directly.
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