What A Pain In The ?????
NECK! I was thinking NECK! What were you thinking??? LOL!
Neck pain has been around for a long time, however, it has become more prevalent since we now have electronic devices that we carry around and are looking at constantly.
The new buzz words for neck pain are now “text neck” or “tech neck”, or in therapeutic terms–forward head posture or the 42 lb. head. As you can see from the image below, what happens when your head isn’t aligned properly with the rest of your body. Because your head is now in the forward position, then the rest of your body has to compensate to maintain balance throughout, which can cause more pain and not just in your neck.
Plus you really don’t need to be all caught up in the technological world to have neck pain. Avid readers, students, slouching at your desk all day or on your couch all evening. (But the couch is so comfortable, right?) Unfortunately, we all have issues, to some degree, with forward head posture.
So what’s a person to do? Well, there are a few things:
- Watch your posture! Whether you’re sitting at your desk or on the couch at home, make sure you are sitting up straight (wow, I just heard my mom’s voice from when I was growing up—Sit up straight! Turns out she’s right!)
- If you are working at a desk all day, make sure you take frequent breaks throughout the day, moving around and doing some stretches/exercises. (See below).
- Get massages on a regular basis. We can work on the tight neck muscles to help them relax and function better.
I have put together some stretching/strengthening exercises that will be helpful. These are not “do once and done” kind of thing, you will need to do them on a regular basis. Why? Because you will need to ‘retrain’ you head and neck to be more balanced. Also these exercises don’t necessarily just focus on your head and neck, they also incorporate your upper chest, which also plays a huge role in forward head posture.
Please use caution and do these exercises within your comfort level.
- Chin Tucks–laying on your back, tuck your chin back and press the back of your head onto the bed/floor. These will activate the muscles in the back of your neck, however, when tucking your chin make sure you aren’t flexing your neck (like you’re looking down).
- Scalene Stretch–Sitting up straight, side bend your head to one side and then rotate your head up towards the ceiling. Now do the other side.
- Pec Stretch with foam roller or rolled up towel--lay on your back on the floor/bed with the foam roller or towel aligned under the spine, lay your arms out to your side at 90 degrees and just relax. Lay there for as long as you feel comfortable.
- Doorway Stretch–While standing in a doorway, place your arms on the door jam and step forward with one foot as you feel a stretch through your upper chest. Watch your posture with this and try not to compensate with your back.
- One Arm Door Stretch–Start parallel with the door/wall and place your hand on doorway/wall. Keeping your arm straight, rotate your body away from the doorway/wall, until you feel a stretch. Now do the other arm.
- Wall Pushup–Stand at the wall with you body angled, feet behind your shoulders. Keeping your body aligned (remember, posture, posture, posture) bend your elbows and lower your body toward the wall keeping arms close to your body. Return to starting position. This exercise will help strengthen some muscles in the back of your body.
- Wall Angels–Begin standing against the wall. Aim to make contact with your wrists, elbows and shoulders. Slowly sweep your arms overhead against the wall as if you are making a snow angel. Try to keep your shoulders down as your move your arms up.
Please remember to maintain good posture while doing these exercises. Also again, make sure you do these within your level of comfort. If any of these exercises cause you pain then please don’t do them.
If you have any questions about any of these exercises, then please feel free to contact me. Or if you would like a printed copy, let me know and I can email them to you or have a copy for you when you come in for your next appointment.
And don’t forget to also make regular massage a priority to help keep you in balance. You can make an appointment here.
Photo Credits–42 lb. head–ErikDalton.com
Photo Credits–Exercises–HEP2GO.com