T H E P R O B L EM W I T H P O S T UR E
Working with a physical therapist can help you to identify whether or not your headachesmaybetheresultofneckpainorstrain.Oneofthemostcommoncauses of headaches due to neck pain is forward head position. Forward head position means that when you are resting your head, you are continuing to hold your head slightly forward, which is a type of slouching position. Youcan identifywhetherornotyouhaveaforwardheadpositionbystandingstraight against the wall and determining whether or not your head rests against the wall as your back does. If your head does not touch the wall when you are standing straight, thenyouaren’t fullystandingupstraight!Asyearsgobyanddayafterday youcontinue toholdyourhead in this forwardposition,youcanstart toexperience pain as a result of strain in the muscles of the neck. Whenthis isan issue,workingwithaphysicaltherapistmaybeabletohelp.Stretching themuscles inyournecktoalleviateneckstraincanreducetheseverityandregularity of your headaches. Stretching the muscles that have grown tight along the back of your neck as well as those along the shoulders can help you find relief from the tension that is causing your pain. When dealing with neck pain, it is important to remember that safety has to come first.While therearemanysimpleactivitiesyoucan tryathome tobeginstretching yourneckmuscles,workingwithaphysical therapist is theonlyway toensure that you are stretching in a way that won’t potentially lead to greater injury. For more information, contact us.
E XERC I SE E S SENT I AL S
H E A LT HY R E C I P E GREEK TURKE Y BURGERS
If you suffer from headaches, try these recommended exercises. For the first three days, perform Exercise 1 ( Head retraction in sitting ) 6-8 times a day, 10 repetitions each time and whenever you feel a headache developing. If this reduces your headaches but does not abolish them completely, you should add Exercise 2 ( Neck flexion in sitting ). In particular, headaches that spread over the top of your head to above or behind the eyes are often relieved with this exercise. In case your headaches are not relieved by these two exercises, try sustaining the end range position for 1-2 minutes.
INGREDIENTS
• 1 cup chopped spinach • 1 lb 93% lean ground turkey • ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
• ½ tsp garlic powder • ½ tsp dried oregano • ¼ tsp salt • ¼ tsp ground pepper • 4 small hamburger buns, preferably whole-wheat • 4 tbsp tzatziki • 12 slices cucumber • 8 thick rings red onion (about ¼-inch)
Exercise 1
Sit in a chair with good posture.Tuck your chin as if you are nodding yes. Hold for 2 seconds then return to the starting position. Repeat as specified above.
DIRECTIONS Preheat grill to medium-high. Squeeze excess moisture from spinach. Combine thespinachwith turkey, feta,garlicpowder,oregano,saltandpepper inamedium bowl; mix well. Form into four 4-inch patties. Oil the grill rack. Grill the patties until cooked through and no longer pink in the center, 4 to 6 minutes per side. (An instant-read thermometer inserted in the center should register 165°F.) Assemble the burgers on the buns, topping each with 1 tablespoon tzatziki, 3 cucumber slices and 2 onion rings.
Exercise 2
Sit in a chair with good posture. Lower your chin as if you are nodding yes, using your arm to assist until you feel a slight stretch in thebackofyourneck.Hold theposition, then return to thestartingposition.Repeatasspecifiedabove.
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