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Yoga for Neck Pain
from: Nancy WileEveryone gets a stiff neck sometimes. Often yoga can help. Of
course, before you do anything, it's important to know if your
neck pain is the sign of something more serious. Make sure to
see your doctor if: * Your neck pain persists for more than
three days or keeps coming back. * You suffer from neck pain
after a fall or accident. * Pain radiates from your neck down
your arms or legs. * Neck pain is associated with nausea or
dizziness.
Yoga Exercises for Neck Pain If you determine you simply have a
stiff neck, specific yoga exercises will help strengthen muscles
and increase flexibility in the neck. Even gently exercising
your neck helps lubricate and speed nutrients to the area. Here
are a few exercises for your neck that are particularly helpful.
Neck Stretches Follow these steps when practicing neck
stretches: * Start in seated position (cross legged) * Sit up
tall, reaching up through the top of the head * Draw shoulders
back * Exhale, drop chin towards chest, keeping elbows and
shoulders pulled back * Inhale, raise the head back to center *
Do this five times, then on the last exhale, drop the chin and
stay in this position for three breaths, breathing through the
nose * Inhale, raise head back to center * Exhale, slowly drop
right ear towards right shoulder * Inhale, raise head back to
center * Do this five times, then on the last exhale, drop the
ear towards the right shoulder and stay in this position for 3
breaths * Inhale, raise head back to center * Repeat on left side
Half-Circles Rolling your head around in a full circle--as some
people do to "loosen" their neck muscles--can actually cause
more damage, so avoid it. The neck is not a ball and socket
joint and is not meant to move around in circles. However, half
circles in the front can be done instead. To do this, first drop
your chin to your chest. Move your chin towards the right
shoulder then back to your chest. Then move your chin towards
the left shoulder and back towards the chest. Repeat this
movement three to five times.
Shoulder Moves Hunch your shoulders as high as possible, then
let them relax completely. Repeat this movement 5-6 times. Next,
roll your shoulders in a backwards circular motion (lifting
shoulders up, squeezing them back, dropping them down and then
bringing them forward again). Repeat this motion 5-6 times, then
move your shoulders in a forward circular motion. All these
shoulder movements help to relax the muscles in your neck and
upper back. Many of us hunch our shoulders unconsciously much of
the time. Notice how they feel when they are relaxed and try to
keep them this way.
Chest Expander Stand up with your feet close together. Bring
your hands behind your back and interlace your fingers. Tuck
your tailbone in, so you don't arch your low back too much. As
you inhale, lift your hands away from your tailbone. Squeeze
your shoulder blades together and you lift your arms and stay in
this position for 3-4 breaths. On your next exhale, lower your
arms back down. This exercise helps strengthen the muscles in
your upper back and relieve tension in your upper back and
shoulders.
Arm Lifts Bring your arms straight out in front of you with your
palms facing each other. As you inhale, reach your arms
overhead, bringing your arms next to your ears, if you can do so
without any pain. As you exhale, bring your arms back down in
front of you. Repeat 4-8 times. This helps to relieve tension
and build strength in the muscles in the upper back.
Press It Place the palm of your hand against the back of your
head and gently press while resisting with your head. Hold for a
count of ten. Repeat with your palm on your forehead. Now place
the palm of your right hand against the right side of your head
and press, again resisting the movement with your head. Repeat
on the left side. This exercise helps to strengthen the muscles
in your neck and makes them less prone to strain.
Prevention is the Key There are many things you can do in your
every day life to prevent neck pain in the future.
1) Improve your posture Sit and stand, so your head is properly
aligned over your shoulders. Many of us tend to drop our head to
look down at what we are reading or writing or have our computer
situated in a way that forces us to tip our head forward. But,
poor posture isn't just how you sit and stand. It's how you hold
your body when you function--moving, sitting, standing, bending
or lifting. It's how you hold your body while you are active or
inactive. To maintain good posture: Sit up straight and tall,
raise your chest up, relax your shoulders down and pull your
head back so that your ears are directly over your shoulders,
not in front of them.
2) Hold the phone Rather than propping the phone between your
head and shoulder--which can strain the soft tissues in your
neck and the muscles in your upper back--hold the phone in your
hand. Or better yet, buy a headset or speaker phone.
3) Check that pillow The wrong pillow is a common cause of neck
pain. But rather than taking someone else's advice, try
different ones and find one that works best for you. Any
cervical pillow that provides support to the neck ligaments can
be very helpful. Avoid pillows that push your head forward. You
may also want to try a cervical roll, which is designed to slip
under your neck while you're sleeping, reducing strain on neck
joints.
4) Make your workspace work for you When you read or write at a
desk, prop your books or papers up so your head doesn't have to
tilt down. While typing at your computer, install a copy holder
that's flush with the screen. Keep your computer monitor at eye
level. At least once an hour, get up and walk around and stretch
your neck and back.
5) Manage your stress Pay attention to your stress level.
Excessive stress can lead to tight and knotted muscles,
particularly in the neck and shoulders area. Taking a yoga class
is a great way to not only relieve stress, but to also learn how
to manage your stress levels throughout the day.
Following these simple tips will help to keep your neck and
upper back pain-free and functioning well. To learn more tips
and exercises to help your neck and upper back feel their best,
visit: www.yogatg.com/ys-upperbackneck.html
About the author:
Nancy Wile, Ed.D. is the founder of Yoga To Go (www.yogatg.com)
- a yoga organization that provides simple and effective yoga
programs for busy people around the world - and the Yoga
Education Institute (www.yogaeducationinstitute.com) - a yoga
teacher training organization.
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