Balls!

I often recommend to my clients that they try using tennis balls to work on their upper back (trapezius and rhomboids). Here is a nice article that touches on this and includes some other useful links. There are various sized inflated balls to be found cheaply at Walmart type stores, and these can be useful in many ways. Try laying on a 4" or 8" ball under various parts of your body and just see how it feels and where it feels beneficial. This can be a great way to loosen up and even make adjustments. Try it, and let me know what you experience... Here is the link: http://www.shiatsubag.com/main/page_tennis_ball_therapy.html And here is an excerpt:

"Who can benefit from myofascial ball therapy? EVERYONE! Tennis balls are one of the most recommended physical therapy tools for recovery and rehabilitation of soft tissue dysfunction. They are simple to use, readily available, and one of the most inexpensive physical therapy tools you can buy. “How-to” videos, pictures, and articles for treatment routines covering virtually every part of the body are available online for free. These resources are good to take a look at and offer techniques to treat specific areas, but you don't really need much instruction. The basic procedure is to identify and target the sore and tight areas of your body, and with the ball supported by the floor or a wall, let that targeted area SLOWLY sink onto the ball. You will feel some discomfort as the tissue fibers are being released from their contracted state. Concentrate on relaxing as much as possible and hold the area for at least 10 seconds. Release the pressure, take a breath and repeat. At least 10 seconds is beneficial, but longer periods are recommended. You can remain stationary, or shifting your body slightly as you continue to relax, roll around on the targeted area."