Parkinson’s disease affects the brain and nervous system to create a lack of awareness for the body to stand up straight, which can lead to many issues including tight muscles. The forward rounding posture caused by Parkinson’s can cause serious shoulder pain as well as other complications due to poor posture.
Luckily, there are great exercises and tips to improve your posture and relieve shoulder pain caused by Parkinson’s.
Throughout the body, muscles are covered in connective tissues called fascia. If you feel tight in one part of your body, you can start feeling tight in other areas because of the connected nature of fascia. Myofascial release uses pressure to break up tight fascia and is something you can do yourself.
The anterior chest, or commonly known as the pecs, can dramatically affect the function of the shoulder girdle and balances between the front of the shoulder and the back muscles: i.e. rhomboids, middle trapezius, and the posterior deltoid. Parkinson’s causes the pectoral muscles to get overly tight and pull the shoulder forward, displacing the humerus (arm bone) and cause movement of the shoulder to become problematic and painful.
This self-myofascial release for the anterior shoulder will loosen those tight muscles in the chest.
All you need is a soft ball. Here’s how to do the easy self-myofascial release technique for the anterior shoulder:
- Start by bringing your arm into an upward 90-degree angle at the elbow.
- Place the softball in your opposite hand.
- Press into the tissue between your sternum (chest bone) and your collarbone.
- While applying forceful pressure, roll the ball out towards your arm. Lift the ball and repeat that motion a few more times in that line.
- Move the ball down an inch and repeat, moving the ball from the middle chest to the arm.
- Keep moving the ball down until you are halfway down the ribs.
- Next, place the ball just under your shoulder
- Press and roll the ball downward along the outside of your chest, just inside edge of the axilla (armpit). Repeat a few times, really pressing into tissue.
- Switch hands and repeat this whole process on the opposite side of the chest.
- When you are done, you will immediately feel a little looser through the chest, which will allow the shoulders to roll back a little.
Do this daily and certainly before exercising.
If you don’t have a softball, your fingertips alone can provide an even more exact area to press and massage your pectoral tissue. Some people even prefer this to the softball.