Many people are glued to a
computer all day at the office
just to follow that up with more
logged-in hours at home in the
evening. And even those that
don't sit at a computer during
their work day are likely
hunched over it at other times
throughout the week.
As a result of prolonged sitting,
coupled with stress, poor
posture, not enough water
intake, etc, it is common for neck
tightness and even tension
headaches to become an issue at
some point. You have likely felt it
before... that tightness in the
neck or base of the skull that
continues to progress into a
higher level of pain from there.
This progressing pain is
essentially a signal that you've
been working too long in a poor
posture or just sitting in the
same position for too many
hours period.
The next time your neck pain
starts to flare, give this stretch a
try to get the building tension
back under control.
The Stretch
Slip your right hand under your
thigh to help pin your right
shoulder down. You will be
pulling your neck to the left in
this stretch and you will get a
better result if your right
shoulder isn't just elevating
when you do.
Now rotate your neck slightly to
the left. Place your left hand on
the back of your head. Your left
arm to head position should be
such that you are essentially
looking into the crease of your
left elbow.
From there, you will begin to
slowly pull down with the left
arm so that you feel a gentle
stretch in the back right side of
your neck.
Now that you are in the stretch,
hold it for about 30 seconds to
ensure your muscles and
tendons get a good steady pull.
After the time is up, repeat the
stretch to the opposite side.
If you would rather stand while
doing this stretch, make sure
you have your head up with
your shoulders back and
stomach tight. Rather than sitting
on your hand, hold onto
something heavy that will help
hold the shoulder down such as
the bottom of your desktop.
As before, while your right
shoulder is prevented from
rising up, you will pull down
with your left arm while the neck
is rotated slightly left. It's
important to ensure your neck is
rotated (about 30 to 40 degrees)
before you begin to pull to
stretch it.
Caution
Don't go overboard on this
stretch by pulling to hard, you
don't want to cause any pain or
damage. And if you already have
existing neck problems that may
be agitated by this stretch check
with your local chiropractor
before attempting this exercise.
If during the course of this
stretch your back muscles begin
to tighten up due to fatigue or if
you feel pain in your shoulders
or neck, back off from the
intensity of the stretch.
It doesn't mean you must stop it
entirely, rather just back off until
the pain goes away.
How Long
Whether you do this stretch
sitting or standing, repeat this
stretch 3 times on each side and
make sure you hold the stretch
for the full 30 seconds each time.
Only a prolonged stretch and
repetition throughout the day
will get the tendons and muscles
stretched to a degree that will
have a lasting impact.
Make sure you are holding the
stretch nice and steady as well.
Avoid short bouncy stretches as
these do not help improve the
flexibility as quickly and can lead
to pain.
During or after your stretch, or
both, you should feel the neck
and shoulder areas begin to
relax as the blood flow increases
and the muscles loosen up.
This stretch can prove very
effective for relieving your neck
pain and even preventing one of
those nasty tension headaches
from coming on; but only if you
do it often enough to make a
difference. If you feel neck and/
or head tension beginning to
mount an attack, perform this
stretch every hour at a minimum
and fight back before it's too late
and you find yourself having to
reach for the Ibuprofen.
Dr. Daron Stegall is a Downtown
Phoenix Chiropractor at Health
Coach Wellness & Vitality Centre.
In addition to Chiropractic care,
his clinic also provides Physical
Therapy and Myofascial Massage
services to those living and
working in and around
Downtown Phoenix. Health
Coach focuses on the treatment
of low back pain, neck pain,
headaches and carpal tunnel
syndrome and also offers
corporate wellness services such
as chair massage and ergonomic
consulting to local downtown
businesses.
For more information about
Health Coach or to reach Dr.
Stegall, visit his website at http://
www.healthcoachaz.com