| u ever experienced an episode where you can't | | | | balance of the entire body and localized softening |
| move your neck to look over your shoulder | | | | of the shortened tissues. Eventually, we can help |
| backing out the car, or tip your head up to sip out | | | | you along the way to strengthening the weak |
| of a soda can? What about just getting a | | | | musculature. We can also problem solve with you |
| headache that comes from somewhere in your | | | | in regards to work stations, postures and |
| neck? We have probably all had an experience like | | | | common or repetitive movements. There are |
| this. It may have lasted for a day to many | | | | some common postural neck misalignments that |
| months or even years. Like most physical | | | | give rise to pain and dysfunction. |
| maladies, neck pain has many contributing factors. | | | | Here we will describe the postures along with self |
| These include postural habits, stress, and nutrition, | | | | treatment options to stretch them out. |
| amount of rest, exercise and direct trauma. | | | | "Forward head posture: This is where the head |
| Because it is a very mobile part of the spine, the | | | | juts out in front of the neck and shoulders. From |
| segments that make up the neck are prone to | | | | the side, one can see that the ear does not line |
| trauma and sometimes difficult to heal. Anatomical | | | | up over the shoulder, but lines up in front of it. |
| structures of the neck (cervical spine) include | | | | This causes tremendous compression at the base |
| seven vertebras that stack up under the portion | | | | of the skull and shortening of the soft tissues at |
| of the skull known as the occiput. | | | | the back of the spine. |
| The occiput is the cranial bone that makes up the | | | | "Kyphosis or rounded upper back: This often |
| bottom of the skull and has a large hole | | | | occurs with a forward head posture. Over |
| (foramen) in it where the brain stem exits the | | | | stretching of the upper back muscles causes |
| brain and transitions into the spinal cord that runs | | | | weakness there and creates compression of the |
| the entire length of the spine. Between each of | | | | front of the chest. This can limit the amount of |
| the vertebrae, except the first and second ones, | | | | movement in the rib cage needed for full lung |
| are small discs that act as shock absorbers, ball | | | | expansion. It also promotes shortening of the soft |
| bearings around which the vertebra move and | | | | tissues on the front of the throat which directly |
| spaces to keep room for the nerve roots coming | | | | affects the jaw and tongue. |
| off of the spinal cord. Where the vertebrae | | | | "Rounded shoulders: The rounded shoulders put |
| touch, there are joint surfaces with cartilage, | | | | the humerus (upper arm bone) at the mercy of |
| capsules and fluid that allow the spine to rotate, | | | | gravity, pulling it out of the socket and stressing |
| side bend, flex forward and extend back. | | | | all of the tissues at the shoulder joint. This stress |
| Like all joints in the body, the tissues here are | | | | gives rise to pain, dysfunction and range of |
| subject to wear and tear, compression and | | | | motion loss that can create problems all the way |
| swelling with trauma. As the nerves come off of | | | | to the wrist and hand. Self treatment techniques |
| the spinal cord, they come out between the | | | | and stretches must include opening the front of |
| vertebrae on both sides and form a very | | | | the chest, extension (backward bending) of the |
| complex network of nerves that travel down the | | | | upper back, retraction of the shoulders and |
| shoulder, through the armpit and all the way down | | | | extension of the neck without causing more |
| the arm into the hand. The ligaments all around | | | | compression. |
| the bones keep the bones from moving too far | | | | Depending on the imbalances, you may need to |
| apart from each other. | | | | emphasize opening of the base of the skull. Get |
| There are multiple layers of relatively small | | | | help analyzing your work station or postures to |
| muscles that attach all around the neck from the | | | | see if there is any adaptation that can be made |
| vertebrae to the head, shoulder blades, ribs and | | | | with your environment. |
| clavicles (collar bones). Buried in all of this are large | | | | "Neck retraction: Done in sitting or laying on your |
| and small blood vessels, nerves, saliva glands, the | | | | back, gently shear the chin back toward the |
| thyroid and parathyroid glands and the trachea. In | | | | throat without flexing the head forward. Hold the |
| reality, the anatomy of the neck starts at the | | | | stretch for 5-10 seconds and do it up to 10 times. |
| feet! You know the song "the head bone's | | | | "Passive extension: With a 10" to 30" ball above or |
| connected to the neck bone, the neck bone's | | | | between the shoulder blades, gently lay back over |
| connected to the back bone...connected to the | | | | the ball to support the spine while it passively |
| foot bone. | | | | extends over the ball. Let the arms lay out beside |
| How all of your bones fit together is dependent | | | | the body or above your head. You may need to |
| on the balance of your body's alignment in relation | | | | place a pillow under the head if your head does |
| to the forces of gravity. We are so incredibly | | | | not relax all the way back. Hold the stretch as |
| designed with specific shapes of the bones and | | | | long as you can tolerate. |
| joints to absorb and transfer forces and to move | | | | "Corner stretch: Stand in a corner with each of |
| us through space via the muscle system. When | | | | your arms on the walls. Place the bent elbows at |
| we begin to fall out of alignment, it's like asking a | | | | shoulder height, forearms flat on the wall above |
| building to be supported by twisted and leaning | | | | the elbows. Lean into the corner to stretch the |
| metal for the life of the building with perfect | | | | pectoral area. This can also be done in a doorway |
| integrity and strength. Varying degrees of | | | | with each of the arms on either side of the |
| weakness and muscular shortening affect this | | | | doorway. |
| alignment. | | | | "Tennis ball mobilizations: Place 2 tennis balls in a |
| By our daily postures, we contribute to the | | | | tube sock and tie the sock so the balls are close |
| imbalances, and then usually don't take the time | | | | together. Place the balls in the upper back area |
| needed to stretch and strengthen ourselves back | | | | with the spine between the balls. Move them up |
| into balance. As shortening of the tissues occur, | | | | and down the spine until you come to an area |
| compression of the joints and its components | | | | that feels hard, tight or painful. Soften into the |
| causes a loss of fluidity or a hardening of the | | | | balls as able. Play with arm and leg positions to |
| joints, and eventually less movement capability. At | | | | work even deeper into the areas. Spend 5-15 |
| HOPT, we are trained to look at the entire body | | | | minutes on this. |
| to assess where there may be compensations at | | | | For most people, maintaining structural balance |
| any point in the body structure. | | | | takes effort. You must be committed to keeping |
| Using Myofascial release, trigger point work, | | | | the harmony or your body will start to talk to |
| prolonged positional stretching and other manual | | | | you, or scream! If you don't take care of your |
| techniques, we work towards the goal of better | | | | body, where will your soul live? |