WHAT ABOUT THIS?: Teaching Awareness of Shoulder Tension with Somatic Practices and EMG

Abstract

Head, neck, shoulder, and back problems increase as people tend to do less physical movement and more static activities such as working at the computer, attending Zoom meetings, driving, or looking at their cell phones. This discomfort may be caused by chronic low-level muscle tension of which the person is unaware. This article describes simple somatic and electromyographic feedback techniques to allow the person to become aware of their covert muscle tension. With this awareness, the participant can begin to implement behavior changes to reduce symptoms. Provided are guidelines and suggestions on how to implement these practices and behavior changes.