Neck Pain

Neck pain can be very painful and sometimes debilitating.  Neck pain can cause headaches, reduced range of motion and eventually structural issues along the spine if not taken care of properly.

Neck pain can result instantly from a trauma such as a car accident resulting in whiplash or can be developed over time due to poor posture.  If your neck pain is not the result of an accident it could be from sleeping on an improper pillow for your posture, extending your neck to work over a computer, tilting your neck while on the phone for hours during a day, carrying a heavy purse or pack on one side of your body and the list goes on.  Pay close attention to your posture to see where you might be making a mistake that could be contributing to your neck pain.
Neck pain should be diagnosed by a professional and take care to follow their directions on easing the pain and then a course to correct the underlying issue.
Some easy tricks to ease pain are:

1)  If there inflammation in the neck muscles due to muscle strain try freezing a water bottle and covering it with a small towel.  Place at the curve in the neck while you are lying down comfortably.  The water bottle is a perfect size and shape for the curve in the neck. 
2) Neck wraps made of rice and flax are a great way to bring warm, moist heat to stiff muscles in the neck. 

They promote blood flow to the area and are comfortable and supportive to use.
There are a variety of neck stretches and strength building exercises for the neck.  A qualified professional should be contacted to determine what should be started for your particular situation.  It is usually recommended to stretch and relieve the tightness prior to performing strength building exercises.

Shoulder Slump

Yes, shoulder slump even sounds frumpy and unappealing.  It is a negative description and the overall appearance of a person with exaggerated shoulder slump exudes a position of weakness and submission.  

Shoulder slump does not occur overnight and can take years to develop if poor posture is a consistent problem.  Sleeping on your side with shoulders rounded together, hours of working over a computer with shoulders slumped forward, weak core muscles (back and abdominals) can also contribute to shoulder slump.

Shoulder slump can result in excessive muscle tightness, soreness and back problems if left untreated.  The good news is that shoulder slump can be reversed with exercise, good posture and the aid of postural products if necessary. 

First things first, examine your posture in a full length mirror from the front and each side.  The things you will be looking for are: 

1)  Do your shoulders line up evenly above your hips or does one shoulder sag lower than the other? 

2)  Does your spine have three noticeable curves:  slightly inward at the neck (referred to as a c-curve), gently outward along the ribs (thoracic spine), and deeply inward just above the buttocks (lumbar spine)? 

3)  Your chest should be held high, with your abdomen and buttocks pulled in and your shoulders are back, loose and relaxed.

4)  Does your head line up with the trunk of your body or is it off to one side slightly?

Please note that daily living and stressors contribute to poor posture and it affects millions.  Don’t be discouraged if you have areas that are in need of attention, most of us do.  After making your examination and if you discover postural concerns make it a subject to address with your health care practioner.  They can review your concerns and discuss an overall plan of correcting poor posture.

Some things that can be done specifically for shoulder slump are:

Chin Tucks

Chin tucks are a wonderful way to achieve a strong stretch down the cervical and thoracic spine.  These stretches will relieve tight muscles in that area by slowing stretching out the tight muscle group and allowing fresh blood to move through and wash away built up toxins.  Continued stretching of this muscle group will promote a healthier set of muscles that can be retrained to promote correct posture.

To start:  Perform either in a seated or standing position with our arms relaxed and at your side or lap.  Look straight ahead and draw your shoulder blades together with your chest out. 

Next:  Slowly draw your chin down and into your chest allowing for a strong, yet comfortable stretch.  You will experience a stretch down the length of your neck and back.  Depending on the amount of stiffness will depend on how far down the spine you will feel this stretch.  Hold this position for a brief moment before slowly raising your chin to the starting position.  Repeat this movement as your comfort level allows.

Note:  Take your time when starting out a new stretch and listen to your body.  If you feel excessive pain or dizziness upon stretching then ease up on the intensity of the stretch.  Also, try warming up the muscle group with a heating pad prior to the stretch to promote ease of stretching and blood flow to the area.

Seated Rows

The seated rows exercise is performed with a theraband, stretchy rubber band strips that can be found at stores that carry work out equipment.  These bands come in different colors that represent various tension strengths.  The stiffer the material the harder the work out will be.  Start out with a stretchier band and work your way up to a stiffer band.

The seated row is performed on the floor in a seated position with your legs stretched out in front of you.  Place the band along the bottoms of your feet and wrap your hands around the band to ensure a good grip on the band.  Your arms should be extended outward over your legs.

Next, squeeze the muscles between your shoulder blades and slowly pull both of your arms back while maintaining the squeeze in muscles in between your shoulder blades. Concentrate on using these muscles, between your shoulder blades, to pull your arms back in a bent position.   Also, concentrate on keeping your shoulders and neck relaxed.

This will build up the strength in your upper back so that you minimize the rounded back that can occur with shoulder slump.  In essence, you are counteracting the shortened muscle groups that form in the front of the body.

Chest Stretch

To further reduce the appearance of shoulder slump, it is also important to stretch out those chest muscles in the front of the body that can become shortened by the forward rounding.  Lengthening these muscles can easily be achieved by lying over a large exercise ball.

Lie face up on the ball and roll down until you back is fully supported.  Relax your hips and head and let your arms fall out to the sides for a relaxing chest stretch.  Hold for 3-5 breaths.   

Tips

•After your workout or when your muscles are warm, perform each exercise as shown for at least 1 rep, holding each stretch for 15-30 seconds.

•For more flexibility benefits, do this work out 3 times a week, performing each exercise 2-3 times.

•Relax into each stretch and avoid bouncing or straining.

•Skip any exercises that cause pain or discomfort.

Written June 13, 2011 by:  Stephanie Newman, www.herbtime.com