Excellent Choice's Health & Fitness Newsletter
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H E A L T H & F I T N E S S N E W S L E T T E R 2 0 2 1
Does Stress Cause Neck Pain?
A L S O I N S I D E
HOW DOES STRESS CAUSE NECK PAIN
ALWAYS SAY THANKS !
TRY THIS RECIPE
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WE T R E AT YO U L I K E FAM I LY .
DOES STRESS CAUSE NECK PAIN? C OM E B A C K TO P H Y S I C A L T H E R A P Y ! E X C E L L E N T C H O I C E P T . COM
What is causing my neck pain?
Do you notice your neck seems to hurt more when you are stressed? Do you find yourself rubbing your neck after a difficult day on the job? Youmight be suffering from stress-related neck pain. During times of high stress and anxiety, our muscles tense up. As muscles tighten, the more pressure and pain they cause. The pain and tension can interfere with our ability to work and do our daily activities. It can also interfere with the enjoyment of your life including recreational activities and spending time with friends and family. The good news is that with guidance from your physical therapist you can find solutions to your pain and how to manage your stress, so you can get back to living the life you enjoy! Call Excellent Choice Physical Therapy today to learn how we can help you to keep living the kind of life you want with less pain.
Our neck does not like to remain in any one position for extended periods, like when you’re driving, looking down at your phone, or using a computer. Too often the posture we hold our neck is also contributing to our pain. Prolonged sitting can lead to a forward head position resulting in tension to soft tissue (i.e. muscles, tendons, and ligaments) or negative changes to our blood flow. The muscles of our neck function at their best when we move them. So holding our heads in one position leads to irritation of the muscles and affects your ability to move your head and neck. This loss of mobility leads to pain and less enjoyment of your daily activities.
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HOW DOES STRESS CAUSE NECK PAIN? C A L L U S TO D AY ! L O N G I S L A N D 6 3 1 . 3 9 6 . 1 5 9 5 • Q U E E N S 7 1 8 . 7 2 9 . 5 9 4 7
Stress-induced neck pain is fairly common. The effects of stress on the body include the release of stress hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol, that when elevated for long durations, are associated with increased pain sensitivity. The more stress we experience the more likely we will also experience pain.While chronic stress alone can trigger neck pain, a few factors can make it worse. Office environments tend to create neck pain problems. Modern offices confine people to chairs, poor posture, and little mobility. In addition, a lot of people also spend a lot of time driving with poor posture and added stress due to traffic and road rage. The combination of all of these factors makes your chances of stress-related neck pain higher.
Physical therapists can target your pain’s source by examining your symptoms. Then, they can offer exercises that stretch and/or relax your neck muscles. For example, sit in a chair with your back resting against the rest and simply lean your chest and shoulder back (i.e. over the top of the backrest). Keep your eyes forward and lean straight back. This is called a neck retraction and is very effective at alleviating tension! In some cases, manual techniques including mobilizations or therapeutic massage are used to alleviate your pain and allow you to tolerate stretching. A custom-tailored program of neck exercises will assure your neck stays loose, limber, and healthy. Your physical therapist can also teach you how to arrange your working environment ergonomically and recommend various stress reduction strategies to ensure healthy life behavior
How physical therapy can help my neck pain
Neck pain can be alleviated with physical therapy. Neck pain is often caused by poor postural habits or sustained positions. Relief of this pain typically occurs immediately following the correction of the abnormal postures. An easy way to find good posture is to imagine your breast bone is lifted towards the sky.This will naturally cause your spine to straighten out . This helps alleviate the tension immediately and is something you can do multiple times of day!
Contact our clinic today
If you’re dealing with neck pain, you’re not alone. Call our office today, and schedule an assessment. Even if your neck pain is caused by stress, it still needs attention. We’ll work side by side with your goals, creating the proactive, effective programs you need to achieve mobility once more. We offer the results you are looking for!
Try This Recipe: BUTTER PUMPKIN COOKIES INGREDIENTS: •1 c unsalted butter
•1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon •1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice* •1 c granulated sugar
•2 tsp pure vanilla extract •1 c pumpkin puree Brown Butter Glaze •1/4 c unsalted butter •1 1/2 c confectioners’ sugar •3 Tbsp milk •1/4 tsp vanilla
•2 c old-fashioned oats •1 and 2/3 c all-purpose flour •1 tsp baking soda •1/2 tsp salt
•3/4 c brown sugar •1 egg yolk, (at room temperature)
DIRECTIONS: In a skillet, melt and brown 1 stick of butter over medium heat for about 5-8 min. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 min.While cooling, whisk oats, flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice together in a medium bowl. Preheat oven to 350˚F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside. Pour 3/4 cup of the cooled brown butter into a large bowl and whisk in granulated sugar and brown sugar until combined. Whisk in egg yolk and vanilla extract, and then pumpkin puree until combined. Mix in dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until combined. Use a medium scoop to place balls of cookie dough onto the two baking sheets 3 in apart from each other. Bake for 14-15 minutes until lightly browned, then let cool for 10 minutes. For Icing: Blend remaining 1/4 cup of browned butter with the remaining ingredients until smooth, then ice cooled cookies before serving. Courtesy of: sallysbakingaddiction.com/brown-butter-pumpkin-oatmeal-cookies/
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PATIENT SUCCESS
ALWAYS SAY THANKS ! GRATITUDE & HEALTH: Feeling thankful can improve your health in both direct and indirect ways. Some research shows that the experience of gratitude can induce a sense of relaxation, improve the immune system, and decrease blood pressure. But grateful people also tend to cultivate better health habits, like eating more nutritious food, exercising, and avoiding risky behaviors. In addition, the optimism that stems from gratitude can create a healing attitude: research shows that people with optimistic attitudes have better outcomes after medical procedures. GRATITUDE & JOY: Robert Emmons, an internationally renowned scientific expert on gratitude, has found that acknowledging the good in life has a tendency to amplify positive emotions, such as joy and contentment, because it helps us slow down. Consider the last time you had a good cup of coffee—did you pay attention to the warmth of the cup on your hands, or the feeling of pleasure as you took the first sip? It’s easy to ignore these small moments of positivity in our day as we rush from one activity to another, but stopping to appreciate them makes them more powerful. GRATITUDE Practicing gratitude can also make you better equipped to handle the difficulties of life that inevitably arise. In fact, according to Emmons, it’s an essential part of the process of healing from trauma. Even despair can be mitigated by the experience of appreciation for the good, however slight it might be. Thankfulness for the small blessings help you maintain your humanity despite experiencing a tragedy or loss. Many people with life-threatening illnesses also report decreased distress and increased positive emotions when they practice gratitude. & RESILIENCE:
“I was in severe pain and had limited flexibility. I could not bend down and could not get out of bed. At certain angles, my lower back and right butt cheek would hurt. After starting physical therapy here, I felt instant relief and continuous progress. My back has gotten better. My flexibility has increased and I am able to do a lot more than before.” “The staff is very friendly and helpful.”
— Jaspreet B.
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