I always tell people that my job is easy. The hardest part is knowing where to push and how long to hold the pressure. In our massage practice, it's important to workout these spots on a daily basis. Obviously, getting massage on a daily basis is not reasonable but if you supplement our 1 time a week treatments with self trigger point care, you can greatly reduce your daily pain.
Rhomboid (between the shoulder blades) Release
Place the ball on the wall or on the floor.
Lean against it or lay on top of it. If you do it on the ground your body weight will create a deeper release. It will be more painful but worth the effort. Roll until you find a pain point and hold position for 2 minutes or until pain subsides.
2. Lat Release ( Side Rib Cage)
Same as the previous. Either lean against the wall or place on the ground. You will try to stay close to the side of the shoulder blade on the rib cage. Extend the arm up as the picture indicates. You will find that releasing this spot will simultaneously release the tension in your neck. Again, hold for 2 minutes or until the pain subsides.
When you release these trigger points correctly, you will feel the weight off your shoulders. For assistance come into Hadl Clinical Bodywork in Fort Worth, Texas to learn how we do massage differently.