Massage Therapist Self-Care: Upper Body Freedom of Motion

(Massage Magazine Article July 8, 2022; Author Amy Bradley Radford)

I would like to teach you an application for self-care for your most important tools: your hands, arms, shoulders and neck using Pain Patterns and Solutions (PPS) bodywork. PPS is a form of bodywork categorized as structural and postural balancing by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork.

While this work is a type of connective tissue work, there are a few unique components. When employing PPS for the body, we work with adhesions that form up and onto bony surfaces, which are coined platforms.

These platforms of adhesions form in pairs in order to have correct balance against one another and within the body at the same time (head/feet, right/left, above/below). This laying down of adhesions or scar tissue is the body’s natural response to injury and healing, and also occurs for balance, to compensate against consistent perceived pressure and repetitive motions.  

Working With the Ulna Platform

When there is a constant pressure and repetitive motion applied to the hands, forearms, shoulders and neck, such as from performing massage, the body will respond to this constantly perceived pressure and repetitive motion by laying down adhesions along the ulna bone closer to the elbow to add support to the area. This scar tissue will form in a pair, on both the right and left arm, in the same location.

Buildup of adhesion in this location affects the biceps brachii function and attachments. This can create pain in the shoulder and neck muscles.

When adhesions form on the ulna bone in response to pressure from applying massage, the biceps insertion can be pulled down and into that bone via the bicipital aponeurosis. This creates tension that can be felt into the origins of the biceps on the scapula through the tendons creating the potential of tendonitis.

This downward force continues upward through the scapula creating pull and force up through the levator scapula (superior angle of scapula) and into C1-C4 which is the origin of the levator. 

By using the technique described in this article, massage therapists will feel more freedom of motion and have less perceived pain and tension in the neck, shoulder and arm.

Once the biceps is allowed to revert back to a more neutral place of contraction, the tension is taken off of the shoulder, scapula, and the neck via the levator scapula. 

PPS Bodywork for Massage Therapist Self-Care

1. Check the range of motion of the neck, shoulders, arms and hands. Pay attention to areas of pain or restriction and make a mental note of these locations.

2. Using a massage tool with a blade, scrape directly on top of the flat area of the ulna bone, starting at the olecranon process and working up that bone about two to four inches. Using heavy pressure, break down any areas that feel bumpy or stuck. When you feel that you have created a smoother surface, recheck your range of motion, noting any changes.

3. Continue to break down this area until you feel that the pain or pressure has positively changed in the neck, shoulders, arms and hands (about five to eight minutes per arm). Since these adhesions respond to pressure, you can expect this area to reform scar tissue. Working this area consistently is the key to using this technique for self-care.

Biceps pull to levator scapula with pain. 

Beginning assessment for muscle restriction and decreased ROM for neck.