A Pain in the Neck!
Neck flexibility and range of motion tend to decrease as we age. There are a variety of factors that contribute to this over the years, and we are experiencing more and more of them as a society. Many people carry stress in their neck and shoulders and have difficulty releasing this. Also, sitting long hours at a desk, hunched over the computer or iPad does nothing for our neck and posture. Prior injuries can result in arthritis and ongoing pain over the years as well. While neck pain can be annoying, the loss of range of motion that comes with it can also be debilitating and dangerous. It can affect anything from being able to sleep soundly to limiting our driving capacity. How can you possibly look each way for traffic if you can’t turn your head side to side? Here are some simple, effective stretches you can do to decrease your pain and increase your mobility. Begin each of these stretches with good posture, either sitting or standing. Stretch to the point of slight discomfort but never to the point of pain! Hold each stretch for 30 seconds, and remember to BREATHE through each one.
1. Look to the Side: Keep your arms relaxed by your side. Gently turn your head to one side. Keep your eyes facing forward. Repeat, slowly turning your head to the opposite side. Now, repeat on each side and, without moving your head, look down only with your eyes.
2. Tilt to the Side: Gently tilt your head to one side, imagining reaching your ear toward your shoulder. Do not raise your shoulder. Hold for 30 seconds on each side. As above, do one set with your eyes facing forward and then repeat the stretch with your eyes cast downward.
3. Shoulder and Neck Stretch: As always, with good posture, place one hand, with your arm bent at 90 degrees, in the small of your back. Turn your head away from the bent arm. Keep your eyes facing forward. To stretch the other side, slowly release the 1st arm with your head facing forward and repeat on the opposite side. Remember to change directions slowly so you do not lose your balance or elicit dizziness. Now repeat each stretch with your eyes cast downward.
4. The Pretzel: With good posture, do your best to hook your elbows across your chest. Now, if you can, intertwine your hands. Keep your shoulders down. Think about pressing out with your elbows, allowing your shoulders to spread laterally away from each other. Now, link your elbows with the opposite one on top. Intertwine your hands and repeat.
5. Cat-Cow: If you are able to get up and down safely from the floor, perform this on the floor or an exercise mat. If not, you can easily do it on your bed. Position yourself on your hands and knees. Begin by curving your back and rounding your shoulders into the “cat” pose. Slowly move into the “cow” pose by arching your low back and looking up to the ceiling with your head. Hands and knees stay rooted to the ground.
If you feel like you can’t stretch very far in the beginning, that’s ok! Keep doing these once daily and you will begin to see improvement in your mobility and pain levels.
