Looking After your Neck

In this post I’m focusing on how best to look after your neck, why it may be hurting and ideas to try to put things right. When we’re stressed, cold, ill or in pain we are more likely to hang our head and tense our shoulders. In contrast, literally and metaphorically, when the sun is shining and the skies are blue we are more inclined to walk tall and hold our heads up high.

Whatever the weather, making yourself aware of your posture as you look up can make all the difference. There is much to see and do that involves moving your head and neck. So looking up without pain makes it all the easier and enjoyable. 

It’s the sum of the parts

Your torso and its alignment, flexibility and strength all determine how your head and neck work. If your spine is stiff and weak, on looking up your neck is under greater strain than if your spine were supple and strong in supporting your neck.

If your spine is stiff, the small seemingly imperceptible contribution it makes to your neck movements, adds further strain. It’s a matter of the sum of the parts. Your neck moves further than it’s designed to when your spine is limited in how far it can support your head.  This strain leads to pain and soreness which to you may seem ‘to appear from nowhere’. When in fact it’s been lying dormant for some time waiting to appear.

The warning signs of strain

1) Having to twist your whole body to talk to someone sitting next to you

2) Reversing via your mirrors instead of turning your head round

3) It’s an effort to hold your arms up to cut hedges, reach shelves, hang out washing

4) Feeling stiff and achy after sitting.

Treating pain in your neck

The key is to start by improving the posture, stiffness and weakness in your body. As you begin, move slowly and gently and never push into pain.

1.Side tilting your body

Tilt body right and then left:
Sit back on bum bones
Stay on bum bones while raising breastbone upwards
Arms across chest
Tilt body down towards right hip then left 

Breathe!

Now repeat and squeeze your bum before you tilt. Can you go further?
 

 

2.Twisting your body

Rotate body right and then left:
Sit back on bum bones
Stay on bum bones while raising breastbone upwards
Arms across chest
Keeping nose over point where arms cross

Rotate from waist right/left

Breathe!

Now repeat and squeeze your bum before you rotate. Can you go further?

3.Stretching your arms

Arms out stretched
Sit back on bum bones
Stay on bum bones while raising breastbone upwards
Arms out stretched, shoulders down, neck soft

Breathe!! 

Talking buttocks!

Your buttocks are part of the scaffold that stabilises your body as it moves. If you’ve found squeezing your bum has helped move your neck further, then it’s doing its job. So squeeze it more often, breathing and relaxing your body as you do!

 
Standing
For looking up when you’re on your feet, consider the following. Remember it is the sum of the parts your whole spine contributes that’s important.

~ Place your weight more towards the front of your feet so your heels feel light.

~ Raise your breast bone (as in sitting above), shoulders down

~ Then smoothly look up as far as you can without strain however small the movement. Then repeat and look left and right.

Little and often

Try doing these movements and exercises throughout your day. Find a useful prompt to nudge you to remember. Little and often is best. It regularly reminds your body what it should be doing and because it only takes a few seconds, you are probably more likely to do it. Just saying…

A small comfortable range of movement is far healthier than forcing a bigger painful movement. The more you practice the stronger, more flexible and confident you will become. This is turn will lead to moving your head further with less and less pain.

I’m here to help

As always, if you have any questions regarding any of the above or regarding some other health issue, please feel free to contact me either by email or through the contact form on my website. Alternatively give me a call. It’s always good to talk!