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Did you know that the pain in your shoulder and neck probably originates from your hand?
According to Jill Miller, author of several books on yoga, everyday activities such as writing, tapping on a keyboard or even holding a mobile phone create tension in the hands that then travels upward into the shoulder or neck.
How to remove pain using a tennis ball
Jill Miller, on a well-known American show, explains how with the help of a tennis ball a person can release tension in the hand and subsequently get rid of pain in the shoulder or neck.
The procedure is simple:
1. Place a tennis ball on a hard surface or table and press it with the hand you use most (usually the right) at the spot where your thumb meets the rest of the palm.
2. Then repeatedly move the ball with your palm forwards and backwards and also side to side.
3. It may hurt a little at times, but that is okay.
4. Gradually you will feel stress and tension leaving your hand.
5. Then increase the pressure on the ball and rotate your hand as if there were an orange instead of the ball and you were trying to squeeze juice from it.
6. Do this for about a minute.
7. Finally stand up, raise your arms above your head and try to push them as far back as possible. Notice whether the hand you just exercised stretches a little further than the other hand. This is physical evidence of its improved flexibility.
8. If you want, repeat the entire exercise with the other hand.
You can also watch a visual demonstration of how to perform the whole thing in the following video (in English):
How this method works
The method presented is a form of acupressure.
Therapist Bipasha Mukhejee from the Modern Reflexology site explains that on our palm there is an acupressure point whose pressing can release accumulated stress in the neck and shoulders.
This point is sometimes also called the “Hidden Valley” and is located between the fleshy part of the palm connected to the thumb and the root of the index finger in a kind of hollow.
Besides using the ball, you can also activate it by putting your palms together and using the thumb of one hand to massage the indicated point on the other palm with moderate pressure for 2 to 3 minutes.
After finishing, switch hands and perform the massage of this point on the other hand.
