Back & Shoulders

What makes this ritual special, according to Inês

Inês Oliveira, TOPSPA Spa Trainer, approaches Back & Shoulders as a practical, purposeful and highly targeted massage. Within 40 minutes, the treatment concentrates on the areas where the physical stress of the day tends to accumulate: the back, neck, shoulders and head.

Recommended for anyone who…

• Feels accumulated tension in the back, shoulders, neck or head.
• Spends many hours seated, at a computer or travelling.
• Is looking for a purposeful massage without choosing a full-body ritual.
• Needs a practical pause to relieve the feeling of heaviness in the upper body.

Inês Oliveira’s perspective

Some clients arrive at the spa without feeling that they need a full-body massage. What they feel is more specific: heaviness in the shoulders, stiffness at the nape of the neck, tension in the back or a feeling of restriction in the upper body. In these situations, Back & Shoulders allows me to work with precision without dispersing attention across other areas.

Before beginning, I try to understand the source of the tension. I ask whether the person spends many hours at a computer, drives frequently, experiences discomfort at the end of the day or has an area that needs greater care. I then observe posture, the way the shoulders rest and the body’s response to the first contact.

Pressure and pace are always adapted. Some people need deeper work on the shoulders, while others benefit from slower movements on the neck and head to help the body soften without resistance. The aim is not to make the massage simple because it is short, but to use the available time effectively.

When the treatment is well targeted, 40 minutes can create a very clear change in the way the person feels in their upper body.