The Spring Wind Gets Under Your Collar (And Into Your Shoulders)
Charlie Foust Dr Chinese Medicine, Balmain Sydney
The Spring Wind Gets Under Your Collar (And Into Your Shoulders)
Lately in clinic, I've been noticing a pattern. Client after client sits down, and the first thing I notice isn't the conversation — it's their shoulders. Raised, tight, ropey, almost guarded, like the muscles are bracing for something. And more often than not, when I ask why, they tell me something along the lines of: I have no idea, I just woke up like this.
In Chinese medicine, we have an answer for that — and it starts with the season we're in.
Spring is governed by Wood energy, and its organ is the Liver. The Liver loves movement and flow — it's the organ in charge of keeping Qi circulating smoothly through the body, a bit like a river needing to run freely rather than pool up. But Spring is also associated with Wind, and Wind is a restless, invasive kind of energy. It rises, it unsettles, and — true to its nature — it tends to strike the highest points of the body first: the head, the neck, the shoulders.
When Liver Qi isn't flowing as freely as it likes (thanks to stress, disrupted sleep, or just the pace of life), Wind has an easier time settling into those areas. That's often what I'm feeling under my hands as "trapped" muscle — not just tension in the Western sense, but a kind of stuck, wind-affected Qi that hasn't had anywhere to go.
Avoiding it is not about perfection or doing everything "right" — Spring stirs things up for everyone a little, and some years it'll find you no matter how carefully you've wrapped a scarf around your neck. I think of it less as a checklist to get right and more as a handful of small offerings you make to your body along the way. None of them need to be dramatic. It's the cup of tea instead of the third coffee, the few extra minutes in bed, the walk you take even though it's easier not to. Over a season, those small, consistent gestures of care add up to something real — softer shoulders, a Liver that isn't working so hard to keep things moving, a body that meets the wind a little more steadily.
A few things you can do at home:
Keep your neck covered. This sounds almost too simple, but in TCM, protecting the base of the skull and the upper back from wind is one of the most direct ways to prevent it "invading." A scarf on a blustery day is doing more than keeping you stylish.
Avoid open windows and fans circulating air in the bedroom. Overnight wind can settle into exposed necks and shoulders causing an immobile or wry neck in the mornings.
Move gently, daily. The Liver thrives on smooth movement. A short walk, some easy shoulder rolls, or a few minutes of stretching first thing can help Qi keep circulating rather than settling.
Support your Liver's rhythm. Going to bed before 11pm, easing up on alcohol, and eating warm, simply cooked meals all help the Liver do its quiet, essential work of keeping everything flowing.
Notice your breath. Shallow, held breathing is often a sign the Liver Qi is a little stuck. A few slow, deep breaths — especially when you feel that familiar tightness creeping into your shoulders — can be a small but genuine reset.
If you're already carrying some of that Spring tightness, acupuncture and cupping are particularly well-suited to rectifying this — it helps invite Liver Qi back into smooth movement and gently clears Wind from where it's settled.
I always love treating this time of year. The immediate relief, shoulders softening and necks finding their range again. If your neck has been feeling a little trapped lately, I'd love to see you in clinic and help you move in Spring with more ease.
Charlie is a Doctor of Chinese Medicine with a gentle, grounded approach that weaves classical TCM principles with modern, practical care. She is available for consultations and treatment at Beattie Street Health on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
Charlie Foust practises at Beattie Street Health every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.
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