If you’ve been feeling the aches and pains in your neck and shoulders more than ever before, you’re not alone. Working from home will do that to you—especially when you’re not in the most ergonomic setting. If you don’t do anything about those ultra-tight muscles, you won’t just be left with pain—you could also be setting yourself up for a future of headaches. That’s why giving yourself an at-home neck and shoulder massage is so crucial.
“The shoulder and neck area are where tension and stress tend to accumulate,” says R. Alexandra Duma, DC, DACBSP, a sports chiropractor for Team USA who practices out of FICS in New York City. “Massages are a great way to relax your muscles, increase blood flow to your muscles, relieve stress, and even boost your energy. It’s also a great way to give yourself a little break from work every hour.”
Your neck and shoulders seem like a hard place to target on your own, but you don’t need the help of your go-to masseuse to get the job done. Dr. Duma says you can massage away the tension using nothing but your fingers and a little pressure. Here’s exactly how she recommends giving yourself a neck and shoulder massage at home.
How to give yourself a neck and shoulder massage at home
For your shoulders:
1.
Drop your shoulders so they’re not hunched up by your ears, and tuck your chin to your chest to stretch your neck.
2.
Place your fingers (except your thumb) by the area where your neck and shoulders meet—aka the the upper trap/levator scapula. (You should feel this muscle by lifting up your shoulder blade.)
3.
Press firmly and hold for a few seconds. Make sure there’s no sharp pain or you’re not getting any numbness—that means you’re pressing on a nerve.
4.
Release and repeat until the muscles feel more relaxed.
Take it up a notch: While pressing, you can also roll your shoulder back and forward gently and rotate your head to the opposite side and down. For example, you can press and hold the right side of your upper trapezius/levator area with your right hand, bend your neck, and look toward your left knee. You can repeat this on each side; try not to let go of the pressure.
For your neck:
1.
Place the fingertips of both of your hands on the back of your neck.
2.
Using circular motions (you can add some type of topical relief cream or lotion) and moving up and down, make sure you reach all the way to where your neck meets your head (the suboccipital area). These muscles are very important, and when tight, they can cause headaches.
3.
Once you reach the ridge of your head, place your thumbs on the muscle belly (you should feel the meatier part, not bone or “spiney”) and have your hands rest on top of your head.
4.
Use gentle circular movements, or just hold in an area that has tenderness for a few seconds.
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Take it up a notch: You can also use your fingertips to massage the front part of your neck and above your clavicle area. There are also a lot of muscle attachments there.
Get even more relief with this head, neck, and shoulder stretch:
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Thanks to innovations in health and wellness tech, you don’t have to book an expensive lymphatic drainage massage to give your system a boost. Dry brushes, gua sha tools, foam rollers—they’re all readily available and more accessible than the cost of manual lymph work. And now, apparently, we can add “lymphatic drainage onesie” to the list of recovery tools out there that can potentially give your lymph nodes some love.
bioregulator medical expert at the BioMed Center in Scottsdale
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I was skeptical when I first heard about Heat Healer’s Activated Lymphatic Onesie ($200), a one-piece jumpsuit that claims to reduce bloating, improve recovery, and increase circulation just by wearing it. It sounded too good to be true. But as someone training for a 10k and traveling frequently for work, I decided to try it for 30 days—couldn’t hurt, right?
The timing was spot on—I was about to head to Mexico City for Marriott’s Masters of the Craft, a culinary competition where I’d be eating and drinking my days away watching a cook-off between Marriott’s top talent. If there was ever a time to test a garment promising to reduce bloating and improve recovery, this was it.
About the Heat Healer Activated Lymphatic Onesie
Heat Healer’s Activated Lymphatic Onesie is effectively a compression suit that amplifies your body’s natural detox system. Using what the brand calls “Antigravity Technology,” this onesie combines strategic compression and raised fabric patterns to stimulate lymphatic flow, helping your system clear excess fluid and waste while boosting circulation and oxygenation. Think of it as a wearable self-care tool for optimizing your body’s drainage network.
“Moving lymph allows your cells to breathe ‘freely’ and is akin to doing a biological oil change,” explains Jeoff Drobot, NMD, a bioregulator medical expert in Scottsdale. He adds we filter about 5 liters of lymph daily—equivalent to our total blood volume. When this system isn’t flowing efficiently, it can leave us feeling bloated, fatigued, and sluggish. However, with proper stimulation, like that provided by lymphatic drainage techniques (or in this case, the Activated Lymphatic Onesie), people often report improved energy levels, digestion, and even better sleep.
“Lymphatic onesies can be helpful after workouts to support recovery, reduce muscle soreness, and minimize swelling,” says Carrie Riley, lymphatic massage specialist and founder of Cincinnati Massage for Mental Health. “They’re also a great option for long flights, as they can help counteract fluid retention and improve circulation during extended periods of sitting. The same is also true for someone with long hours at a desk job.”
My review
What I love
Feeling better just by wearing a jumpsuit sounded great, but could it really deliver on its claims? I was determined to find out.
I can confirm that the onesie—a short-sleeved jumpsuit with leggings—provided immediate relief, starting from the very first wear; my body felt light and floaty as if I’d somehow shed fatigue buried in my bones. During my time in Mexico City, where I sampled everything from tequila to Michelin-star tacos, the onesie was a lifesaver. Between the elevation and rich meals, my body was working overtime, but slipping this suit over my skin back at my hotel brought me a sense of recovery I didn’t expect.
Photo: Author
Its benefits were even more apparent after an especially enthusiastic evening at Handshake Speakeasy (currently ranked as the World’s Best Bar). Normally, cocktails leave me bloated and shaky the next day. But, waking up in the middle of the night with the sense of an oncoming hangover, I crawled into the onesie and collapsed back into bed, hoping for the best. By morning, I was shocked by how much better I felt—so much so that I even took a class at a local fitness studio. During my 10K training, it became an essential part of my recovery routine, easing post-run fatigue and helping me bounce back faster—I like to think that it helped me hit my personal record on race day.
I found the onesie was also a game-changer for long flights. While bathroom breaks were challenging (airplane gymnastics, anyone?), its ability to counter travel-related gastro-stress made them worth it. Over 30 days, I wore it on eight flights and experienced a level of comfort I’ve never had before. It helps that the onesie is fashionable and easy to pair with sweats or oversized button-downs. While Dr. Drobot says that the lymphatic onesies such as Heat Healer’s pale in comparison to manual lymphatic drainage from a highly-trained practitioner, I appreciated that I could take it on the go with me.
What I don’t love
Getting into the onesie requires dedication, especially that first time. I followed the recommendation to size down, and although it wasn’t as tight as shapewear, I still performed an interpretive dance just to shimmy it on. Once it was on, the effort felt worth it, but the process was still tedious.
As mentioned, bathroom breaks presented another challenge, only from a logistics standpoint. Wrestling with the onesie in an airplane bathroom felt like an Olympic event. But as soon as I stepped out of the stall and felt its effects, I forgot the inconvenience.
Final thoughts
After 30 days of testing—from excessive evenings in Mexico City to 10K training and long-haul flights—I’m convinced it’s worth a spot in your recovery routine. While it’s not a miracle solution, the lymphatic onesie supported me through bloating, recovery, and even hangovers.
Riley offers some perspective for anyone considering a lymphatic drainage onesie, “Think of the onesie as a complementary tool rather than a replacement for professional care.” That said, while lymphatic drainage has anecdotal support and some research backing, the science around wearable tools like this isn’t yet conclusive. As always, consult your doctor before trying new wellness products, especially if you have any underlying health conditions or concerns. In the meantime, while I don’t foresee myself wearing my onesie every day, I will definitely be pulling it out on days I need a little pick-me-up.
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