SPA DOCTOR treats... SHOULDER PAIN

WHAT’S THE PROBLEM?

ABOUT a year ago I noticed an odd, sharp pain in the front of my shoulder after going to the gym.

It wasn’t there constantly, but it was quite sore when I reached above my head – to put something on a high shelf, for instance – and when doing things like throwing a rucksack over my shoulder or pulling open a heavy door.

Resting it didn’t help and it was randomly worse, especially at night. After a few months, I saw an osteopath, who told me I was suffering from shoulder impingement syndrome, a common injury suffered by millions of Britons.

It involves the rotator cuff tendon – a tough, rubbery cord that connects the muscles in your shoulder to the top of the arm.

The tendon and muscle run through a narrow space at the top of the shoulder called the subacromial space. In shoulder impingement syndrome, the tendon becomes trapped in this space and repeatedly scrapes against the bone above, causing pain.

I’ve been given physiotherapy exercises, and having had some quite remarkable pain relief from Japanese-style shiatsu massage, I was keen to try it again.

WHERE’S THE SOLUTION?

THE Spa at the Mandarin Oriental Prague seemed like a luxurious place to receive pain relief. Once a 14th Century monastery, it’s on a quiet square near the magnificent Charles Bridge. The exterior of the hotel has been beautifully restored, featuring vaulted ceilings and 99 simple rooms. The spa is in the old chapel.

WHAT’S THE TREATMENT?

IN JAPANESE, ‘shi’ means finger and ‘atsu’ means pressure – it’s not a massage in the relaxing sense. Fingers, thumbs and elbows are all recruited and there are no flowing strokes or oil.

First, my therapist spends 20 minutes asking questions about just about every aspect of health, from digestion to whether I get angry easily. After that, the session beings. Shiatsu can be painful but this isn’t the style at the Mandarin. Theoretically, the pressure is applied along energy channels called meridian lines that run through the body. A nonmystical interpretation is that it does similar things to the osteopath, mobilising the joint gently while stimulating the circulation. After my two-hour session, I am pain-free.

ANYTHING ELSE?

ROOMS start at £275 for a double. The Spa offers bespoke Time Rituals based on your specific requirements, from £173 for 120 minutes. British Airways return flights from Heathrow to Prague cost from £100.

For more information, visit mandarinoriental.com.