P U T Y O U R S H O U L D E R I N T O I T
INCREASING SHOULDER STRENGTH CAN RELIEVE NECK PAIN & HEADACHES
1. Try to raise both arms up in front and continue overhead without moving your spine. If you can’t get full shoulder motion or have pain, you probably end up slouched without realizing it. 2. Try to roll your shoulders down and back without moving your spine. If you feel this is difficult to do, your muscles are probably keeping your shoulders elevated. 3. Raise your arms up and out to the side like a “jumping jack” without movingyourspine. Ifyouhavepain,youwillprobablyendupslouched without realizing it. 4. Try to clasp your hands behind your back. Now raise your arms up behind you. If you are unable to raise them very far, you have limited shoulder, spine or chest mobility. Nowrepeat these testswhilesittingupstraightandallow thespine tomove. Compare the difference in your shoulder motions or pain. Of course, self-testing at home is an imperfect way to determine if your headaches and neck pain are coming from poor posture or other shoulder issues.They justshowyouwhereyourbodyas limitedmovement,whichmay be causing your problems. Handling any problem sooner rather than later, leads to better results and preventing long-term damage, such as arthritis. If you suffer from neck pain, headaches, or shoulder pain, don’t let it linger andcausemoredamage.Callus today tospeakwithyourphysical therapist, or schedule a visit with us for a more complete evaluation.
After
Ever well-ver pac Performa
ARE YOUR SHOULDERS GETTING WEAKER? Four basic tests can tell you a lot. Does your neck ache towards the end of the day? Do you often end up with nagging headaches? While you might think it’s only due to stress, it may also be a result of your daily posture. Whenweuseourarms throughout theday, theshouldermusclesget tired, leading us to use our neck muscles as a substitute. A sure sign of this is when you notice your shoulders rising up closer to your ears. You may also find your spine rounding forward. The sooner our shoulder muscles fatigue, and the more rounded forward we end up, the sooner we notice headaches and neck pain.
Think thismightbeyou?Hereare 4BASICTESTS to tryat theendof theday!
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Begin thisexerciseswhilesittingatyourworkstation,yourhomecomputer, or the dinner table in your normal posture:
E X E R C I S E E S S E N T I A L S USE THIS EXERCISE TO STRENGTHEN SHOULDERS Shoulder D2 Pattern Stand with good posture with your arm across your body, your hand rotated in,thumbpointeddown.Bringyourarmupandacrossyourbody diagonally. As you do, rotate your hand outward. Finish with your hand above your head and out to the side. Repeat 6-10 times for both sides.
Alwaysconsult yourphysical therapistorphysicianbeforestarting exercises youareunsureofdoing.
Exercisescopyrightof
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