Do you find your neck nagging you in the morning or at the end of the day? Do you feel muscle tension and discomfort in your neck or shoulders? Neck pain is becoming a silent epidemic in today’s society as more people end up with terrible forward head posture and tighter neck muscles. The culprit is our addiction to technology, staring into the TV, computer screen or our smartphones. The good news is that you can do a lot to relieve your neck pain and get on the right path to a healthy spine.
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K I C K O F F 2 0 2 0 F R E E F R OM N E C K P A I N ! A L S O I N S I D E 4 Quick Tips For Headache Relief • Exercise Essentials Seasonal Recipe • What Our Patients Are Saying
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K I C K O F F 2 0 2 0 F R E E F R OM N E C K P A I N !
Hands-on relief. One of the best ways to relieve the tightness in your neck muscles is with specialized gentle hands on therapy. Our physical therapists areexperts inalleviating tightmusclesandrestoringnormalneck jointmotion. If you are suffering with neck pain, shoulder pain, or headaches, call us today and speak to one of our experts. Your neck will thank you. Improveyourupperneckmotion. Theupperneckaccounts forover60%of the totalmotion in theneck. It isalso theareawheremanyof thepowerfulshoulder musclesattach.Therefore, it isanareathatbecomesverytight.Asimpleexercise you can do to improve your neck motion, is the chin tuck. Simply stand or sit tall, then gently tuck your chin down until you feel a slight pressure or pull in the upper neck. Be careful to do this gently and talk to one of our therapists if you are unsure of performing this exercise correctly.
Do you find your neck nagging you in the morning or at the end of the day? Do you feel muscle tension and discomfort in your neck or shoulders? Neck pain is becoming a silent epidemic in today’s society as more people end up with terrible forward head posture and tighter neck muscles. The culprit is our addiction to technology, staring into the TV, computer screen or our smartphones. The good news is that you can do a lot to relieve your neck pain and get on the right path to a healthy spine. The neck is extremely important in the overall posture of the body. Where the head and neck move, so does the rest of the body. Changes in the alignment of your neck can cause a variety of symptoms such as neck tension, headaches, migraines and even radiating pain or numbness to the arms and hands. Align your spine. One of the most important things you can do is to improve yourneckalignment.Beconsciousofhowyousitandstand throughout theday, keeping your head tall. This naturally pulls your spine into alignment.
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4 Q U I C K T I P S F O R H E A D A C H E R E L I E F
2. Drink more water. A common cause of many headaches is dehydration. If you feel thirsty, then your body is already dehydrated. Avoid caffeinated beverages, as these are diuretics, causing you to lose water. Keep a glass of waternexttoyourdeskor inreach,andworktorefill it4-6timesduringtheday. 3. Balance your pH. The acidity of your blood can make you more prone to headachesand feelingtired.Makesurethatyoueatenoughgreenvegetables, leanproteinandavoid fattyorprocessed foods.Also,scalebackonthecoffee, as it is very acidic. Water also helps to balance your pH, so repeat step 2. 4. Exercise and therapy. Exercise helps to regulate your pH, reduce neck strain and improve your mood. If you find yourself suffering with headaches more than2 timesaweek, thenyoushouldseek theexpertiseofourphysical therapists.Thesesymptomscanbe theresultofanunderlyingproblemwith your neck and need to be treated.
Most everyone has experienced a headache at some point in their lives. In fact, over 10 million people in the US suffer with daily headaches. The vast majority of headaches stem from limitations with neck motion. Headaches result from the spasm of arteries in the scalp and sometimes, the brain. Different triggers can occur from chemical sensitivities to pH or sugar imbalances in the blood. Often, the spasms are caused by irritations of the muscles in the neck and scalp that trigger the nerves to go into overdrive, causing a dull ache or even sharp pain.
Here’s what you can do to prevent headaches:
1. Watch your posture. Alignment of the neck and upper back is crucial to alleviating the strain on the neck muscles. Be conscious throughout the day of how you are holding your posture. Bring work up to eye level and make sure that your computer screen is high enough to alleviate neck strain.
E X E R C I S E E S S E N T I A L S USE THIS EXERCISE TO RELIEVE NECK PAIN
E X E R C I S E E S S E N T I A L S USE THIS EXERCISE TO IMPROVE POSTURE
CHIN TUCKS Standing with good posture with your back against the wall, gently tuck your chin (as if you’re nodding yes). Return to the starting position. Repeat 6 times.
SHOULDER RETRACTION Standwithyourbackagainstthewall likeshown.Moveyourshouldersso that thebacksofyourarmstouchthewall.Squeeze themusclesbetween your shoulder blades to bring them together and slightly downwards.
Exercisescopyrightof
Alwaysconsultyourphysical therapistorphysician before startingexercises youareunsureofdoing.
IF YOU’RE INTERESTED IN PHYSICAL THERAPY OR PERSONAL TRAINING, VISIT ACCELERATE-PT.COM TODAY!
UPCOMING EVENTS
5 H E A L T H T I P S F O R T H E N EW Y E A R 1.ShopWellForYourself. Have healthy snacks handy. The more convenient they are, the more likelyyouare toeat them. Insteadof thinkingabout what you shouldn’t eat, promise to eat your 3 to 5 servings of vegetables each day.
4. Skip the Baking. Chances are you eat much of what you bake. Who wouldn’t? Instead make non-food gifts, or prepare ingredients for baked goods and put them in pretty jars—this year, let your gift recipient bake it up. That way, they can eat it when they want it and you don’t have to be tempted in the kitchen. 5. Hydrate. Keep your water bottle with you at all times. You should be drinking eight, 8-ounce glassesofwatereachday.Onehandy trick is tobuy a 64 ounce water jug. Fill it up in the morning and know thatyouneed tofinish itby theendof theday.
NECK PAIN WORKSHOP
THURSDAY, JAN. 23 6:30 pm at Accelerate Therapy
2. Schedule Your Exercise. Schedule your workouts justasyouwouldanyotherappointment. It’sokay ifyoucan’tmake it toclass,butmakesure thatyoudosomeexerciseat least3daysperweek. 3. Just Say No. A sample at the market here, an extra cookie at an office party there and it all adds up. Just think twice before you take that food and decide if you really want it.
If you or someone you know is experiencing neck pain or having trouble with posture or headaches, this is the workshop for you! Learn methodstorelieveandavoidneckpainthrough stretches, exercises, and corrected posture. H A S Y O U R P A I N C O M E B A C K ? 1 2 Feel free to call us and ask to speak to your therapist. Your therapist can discuss with you why your pain is bothering you again and what you might do about it at home.
S E A S O N A L R E C I P E ORANGE CRANBERRY BREAD
INGREDIENTS
• 1 cup fresh cranberries • 1 teaspoon orange zest • 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted • 3/4 cup fresh orange juice • 1 egg
• 2 cups white whole wheat flour • 1/2 cup sugar • 1 teaspoon baking powder • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda • 1/2 teaspoon salt
INSTRUCTIONS Greasean8×4 inch loafpan.Setaside.Preheatoven to350°F. Ina largebowl,addwhitewholewheatflour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cranberries, and orange zest. Gently stir. In a separate medium- sized bowl, add coconut oil, fresh orange juice, and an egg. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Stir to combineeverything together.Scrapethebatter into theprepared loafpan.Bake for30-35minutes.Remove and let cool for 5 minutes. Serve and enjoy! https://www.joyfulhealthyeats.com/moist-orange-cranberry-bread/
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If further assessment is warranted, your therapist might recommend you come in for an appointment.
WH AT O U R P AT I E N T S A R E S AY I N G :
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“Jessica facilitatedmyability toperformexercises which diminished my neck and back pain. She taught me a technique to resolve the ulnar nerve tingling and aching discomfort. I was impressed with her insight in developing a plan of care that resulted insuchareduction inphysical limitations that I am essentially pain-free and happy. P.S. Ino longer feel theneed toseeaneurosurgeon for surgical treatment. Thank You Jessica!”
- Robert “Bob” T.
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