Avoid A Stiff Neck
From Creeping Up On You
Let me tell you about one of the most common things that
people aged 50+ who come to see me experience…In fact a patient came to see me
last week with this problem.
The sudden onset of shoulder and neck tension.
It often sneaks up on people without any warning and without
any mechanism of injury.
And usually offers no explanation as to why you might wake
up with an annoying, nagging pain in the neck one day that can even begin to
make it difficult to enjoy daily life.
Neck pain can often be caused by a number of things…
Spending all day long at a desk looking at a computer
screen, sleeping with too many pillows, lifting and reaching, ironing, watching
TV and even reading a book before you go to bed.
Now, you might think the things I’ve just mentioned are
simple, and that they wouldn’t cause neck and shoulder pain at all…
But the thing is, just as with anything, if something is
done repetitively no matter how small or trivial, eventually it will have an
impact on your body, and will surface a few years later done the line in form
of pain, stiffness and tension.
So, with that said, let’s take a look at watching TV…
Let’s face it watching TV is something that most people do,
and of course there’s nothing wrong with it!
I enjoy winding down with a good programme before I call it
a night – Australia Masterchef is a firm favourite, and I love to read a story
to my daughter in the evening before she goes to bed.
Now, what most people don’t realise is that the head is
designed to be kept in a position where your ears are in line with your
shoulders, and most of the time when we’re doing certain activities, your ears
are no longer in line.
I can be guilty too whilst watching TV or when reading, that
my head tends to bend forwards and put extra pressure at the back of my neck.
Understanding this and correcting it ASAP will only help to keep neck and
shoulder pain at bay!
Continue to let the head flex and get out of alignment every
day, will only gradually worsen unwanted problems, like tension as time goes
on.
So what can you do to fix a stiff neck before the tension
gets any worse?…
Well to start with, when watching TV be aware of your neck
posture.
If you notice your neck is leaning forward at all, tuck your
chin in down towards your neck and chest. This will help to straighten the
neck.
Another thing you can do as soon as you wake up is to take a
hot bath or shower and have a gentle stretch. Muscles love to be warm, and they
don’t like being kept stationary.
With that said, you could also consider taking up activities
like Pilates, which is great for your posture and can even reduce the risk of
neck pain due to the amazing AND relaxing strengthening exercises.
For more ways and advice to ease neck and shoulder pain, go
here
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