Office jobs, something I'm totally not familiar with, kind of like co-ed high school. See I went to an all-girl high school, so my idea of "normal" co-ed high school is basically American Pie, although my husband assures me that's not even remotely accurate. I digress, office jobs, the opposite of what I do. I spend my day treating patients, demonstrating exercises, & walking all over our clinic. I average 5-8 miles of walking per day & if I float over to the hospital to help out that distance can double! That doesn't even include the work out my arms or legs get with exercise demonstrations & manual therapy. So in a way I'm lucky, I can get a mild work out just by showing up to work that day. However, the majority of America is not that lucky.
Less than 20% of jobs in the US require any sort of physical activity, which means most of us are sitting the day away. Blah!! Boring, and soooo not healthy. But hey you can't pick your job based on how fit it makes you, can you?? Sure you can! Bring that fitness to you!
If you are a worker bee at a desk all day you are already at a disadvantage for a healthy lifestyle, so take matters into your own hands & move more! This leads me to the challenge of the week for all my sedentary workers out there: MOVE! Below are my tips for getting some exercise & staying healthy despite your seated occupation, use this week to give them a try!!
Tips for moving, even though your job is stagnant (hopefully not literally):
1. Walk every hour: Even if it's just a trip to the little boys room getting up and walking helps to keep the blood circulating & the muscles awake (so to speak). Walking often does not allow the body to go into a rest mode, keeping the metabolism going. Obviously some light walking allows you to have some minor cardiovascular activity & a slight caloric burn. Can't walk every hour? Even every 2 hours is better than what you're doing now!
2. Stretch: Feeling tired? Shoulders &/or hips are tight from sitting too long? Perform some light stretching to keep those joints loose! Even if it's just taking a deep breath & raising both arms up over head, that works! Roll those shoulders, circle your head/neck, stand up and do a hamstring stretch, anything will help.
3. Pack you lunch: Being healthy at work does not just have to do with how much you move, it's also what you are putting into your body! It's a fact that those of us who order off menus weekly or daily consume more calories & are more apt to picking unhealthy choices during the day. So take an extra minute at night & pack that lunch so you are already prepped for healthy food choices.
4. Breath: Stress piles up at everyone's job. Trust me I get behind on paperwork, patients & have a million things to do most days & if I don't stop and breath I am mentally exhausted. This stress can lead to unhealthy snacking throughout the day & missed work outs due to fatigue at night. Don't let yourself reach a stress level of 10, take some deep breaths, close your eyes & move on!
5. Desk set-up: Just because your have an office job does not mean you are locked to sitting at that desk all day. Try sitting on a medicine ball chair to keep the core engaged, improve posture & work your legs. Try a standing desk and see if this keeps you moving more. If these are not options, get an ergonomic assessment either from your company or a physical therapist. If your desk space is not ergonomically correct you are at even more of a disadvantage due to the poor posture you are maintaining in order to work! Getting that office set up properly will improve your posture keeping the correct stability muscles engaged, also good posture prevents unwanted strain on the spine. Good office set up = core engaged, healthy spine & overall improved outlook on your day!
Give these tips a try this week & I promise you won't be disappointed!
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
What to eat.
Standing in front of the refridgerator wondering what to eat, a common scene at our house. "Nothing sounds good." "Ugh we have nothing to eat!" A daily battle for me is coming home from work, starving, and staring into the never ending abyss of the fridge.
Last night was a perfect example, I came home from work, was in a new stage of hungry and simply could not find what I wanted to satisfy my insatiable hunger. So I stood and I stood and I stood. Finally I settled on some chips and salsa, edamame, and topped it off with a fantastic bowl of Samoa ice cream (heaven). Last night's experience led me to this blog post, how can we prevent bad food choices when not knowing what we want to eat? Truly a first world problem.
After careful thought my first piece of advice is don't let yourself get to threat level red with hunger. This is something I really try to do, however when I am swamped at the end of the day and am trying to actually get out of work on time this can be tough. I have resorted to storing snacks in every nook and cranny of my day. I have trail mix bags & granola bars in my car, work bag & desk draw. It's always a nice little surprise when a friend is in my car and out of no where a trail mix bag falls into their lap. Always cracks me up even if it will scare the living sh*t out of them! But when your belly starts to growl you can reach for a little something to help tie you over. Small meals throughout the day keep our metabolism running, so really its a win, win!
My second thought on this subject is stock the fridge with healthy foods. If you have a stock pile of healthy options for snacking you don't give yourself the opportunity to choose something that you really should be spitting out. That heavenly Samoa ice cream would have never happened had I done the grocery shopping. But to defend my hubby, he was helping out because I have been super busy with life and was unable to do our grocery shopping. Seriously though, surround yourself with healthy options you like. I love snacky finger foods, hence the edamame last night. Some of my favorite snacks are banana with PB & honey, apples (sometimes plain sometimes with a little PB or cheese), chips (whole wheat) & some fresh salsa, avocados with some light balsamic vinegar and the list could go on & on. If you have poor choices to choose from you have no chance, you will pick a high calorie or high sodium option & that will be that. But stockpiling that fridge with healthy goods is what sets you up for success! If healthy is all you have, then healthy is what you'll get!
Next time when you are standing in front of the fridge in a moment of desperation take a look and see what your options are. If they aren't good for you options, maybe a trip to the store right then would be a better option instead. Allow yourself to succeed by not getting to a famished level and for those times when its not preventable have the good guys ready in the fridge to satisfy your hunger!
Last night was a perfect example, I came home from work, was in a new stage of hungry and simply could not find what I wanted to satisfy my insatiable hunger. So I stood and I stood and I stood. Finally I settled on some chips and salsa, edamame, and topped it off with a fantastic bowl of Samoa ice cream (heaven). Last night's experience led me to this blog post, how can we prevent bad food choices when not knowing what we want to eat? Truly a first world problem.
After careful thought my first piece of advice is don't let yourself get to threat level red with hunger. This is something I really try to do, however when I am swamped at the end of the day and am trying to actually get out of work on time this can be tough. I have resorted to storing snacks in every nook and cranny of my day. I have trail mix bags & granola bars in my car, work bag & desk draw. It's always a nice little surprise when a friend is in my car and out of no where a trail mix bag falls into their lap. Always cracks me up even if it will scare the living sh*t out of them! But when your belly starts to growl you can reach for a little something to help tie you over. Small meals throughout the day keep our metabolism running, so really its a win, win!
Next time when you are standing in front of the fridge in a moment of desperation take a look and see what your options are. If they aren't good for you options, maybe a trip to the store right then would be a better option instead. Allow yourself to succeed by not getting to a famished level and for those times when its not preventable have the good guys ready in the fridge to satisfy your hunger!
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Marathons.
The tragic events of yesterday's Boston marathon allowed me to take a step back & reflect on one of my proudest accomplishments....the Marathon.
26.2 Those numbers mean so much to those of us who have attempted, succeeded, failed, volunteered or cheered. 26.2 is a milestone number that says, "you have just accomplished something that only 0.5% of the population has accomplished." It is a grueling test of both mental & physical strength that requires on average 5 months to prepare for, amazing. And my heart goes out to those in Boston who did that preparation & persevered only to have the attainable finish line ripped from their hands by some one or some group who will never know or understand what dedication truly is.
92% of people who begin training for a marathon will finish. I am one of that 92%. Never in my life did I think I would do a marathon, but in 2011 I decided that this was the year. I don't really know what made me decide to do it, but like many other things I got the thought in my head and there was no stopping me, I was doing this. My dedicated husband (who had run & finished 2 other marathons previously, in crazy good times I might add) vowed to run this race with me.
The training was amazing! My Type A personality loved the structure of the schedule the early morning runs, the off days, the mental/physical challenge, the muscle soreness....all of it. The Saturday long runs were my favorite. I could get my mind in a zone & just go! With Colin at my side we would talk for the hours (yes HOURS) it would take to complete that weeks long run.
About 1 month before the race I was out with some friends, wearing heels, & took a nasty spill on a wet dance floor. I had run 17 miles that morning, my muscles were exhausted & unable to save me from my fall. No run after that would be the same. The first run after that fall I made it about 8 miles before the sharp knee pain set in. It was excruciating, I specifically remember being in the middle of a crosswalk close to my house & almost collapsing in pain. The PT inside me said, "this is bad, this is really bad." I traded running for swimming & biking and 2 MRIs later we had a bogus diagnosis of left iliotibial (IT) band syndrome. Deep inside I knew it was more than a form of tendonitis, but the newly found marathoner inside me went, "tenodonitis? That's it? You can totally finish the marathon on that." And I did.
Up until mile 11 I was really killing it, but it was that first "catch & lock" at 11 that started my demise. I have never pushed myself so hard & believed in myself so much. I don't know that I could do it all over again even if I tried. Miles 16-26 were mixes of jog, walk, biofreeze, quick stretching & motivation internally & from my PIC, Colin. And as crazy as it sounds when I crossed that finish line at 26.2 miles finishing the Savannah marathon all the tears, pain & exhaustion was worth it. I have never felt so accomplished in my life, crazy right? I remember saying to Colin, "PT school was tough, but I always knew I would finish." This was the first time I had REALLY finished something that I wasn't sure I could do, man did that feel good.
Now post-marathon I battled with this "tendonitis" seeing 4 different orthopedic specialists. I assured every single one that I had something torn in my knee, and each specialist took a look at my clean MRI and assured me that I was wrong. I mean I'm ONLY a physical therapist right? What do I know about orthopedic injuries? Cough cough, sense the sarcasm. Turns out I had ruptured all the attachments of my lateral meniscus, leaving me with a hypermobile meniscus, AKA my meniscus was floating around & when it was in the right spot I was great & when it wasn't I thought I was dying. A quick/complex arthroscopic surgery & 10 weeks of rehabing myself and I was back.....not normal, but back. Normality came about just recently around that 12-18 month mark & it has been good to have a fully functioning left leg again. Some of those affected by Boston will not be as lucky as I was to have a fully functioning limb after a marathon. I wish them strength & hope as they enter surgery & then rehabilitation.
I continue to run but these days I stick to 10Ks, 1/2 marathons & this summer I will try my first triathlon as my knees will not stand for another marathon. However, my marathon memories are fond and I have never inspired myself so much as I did with that training & completion. Marathons aren't for everyone and I certainly don't endorse that as a goal if you are not a runner (hell a marathon shouldn't have been my goal), but what I do endorse is finding something that in your mind is an unattainable then challenging & pushing yourself to the limit to finish it. I guarantee you will learn a ton about yourself & feel extremely gratified when you've reached your finish line.
26.2 Those numbers mean so much to those of us who have attempted, succeeded, failed, volunteered or cheered. 26.2 is a milestone number that says, "you have just accomplished something that only 0.5% of the population has accomplished." It is a grueling test of both mental & physical strength that requires on average 5 months to prepare for, amazing. And my heart goes out to those in Boston who did that preparation & persevered only to have the attainable finish line ripped from their hands by some one or some group who will never know or understand what dedication truly is.
92% of people who begin training for a marathon will finish. I am one of that 92%. Never in my life did I think I would do a marathon, but in 2011 I decided that this was the year. I don't really know what made me decide to do it, but like many other things I got the thought in my head and there was no stopping me, I was doing this. My dedicated husband (who had run & finished 2 other marathons previously, in crazy good times I might add) vowed to run this race with me. The training was amazing! My Type A personality loved the structure of the schedule the early morning runs, the off days, the mental/physical challenge, the muscle soreness....all of it. The Saturday long runs were my favorite. I could get my mind in a zone & just go! With Colin at my side we would talk for the hours (yes HOURS) it would take to complete that weeks long run.
About 1 month before the race I was out with some friends, wearing heels, & took a nasty spill on a wet dance floor. I had run 17 miles that morning, my muscles were exhausted & unable to save me from my fall. No run after that would be the same. The first run after that fall I made it about 8 miles before the sharp knee pain set in. It was excruciating, I specifically remember being in the middle of a crosswalk close to my house & almost collapsing in pain. The PT inside me said, "this is bad, this is really bad." I traded running for swimming & biking and 2 MRIs later we had a bogus diagnosis of left iliotibial (IT) band syndrome. Deep inside I knew it was more than a form of tendonitis, but the newly found marathoner inside me went, "tenodonitis? That's it? You can totally finish the marathon on that." And I did.
 |
| My purchased finish line pics are hung in my house, this gem was taken after the finish & after the shuttle ride |
Now post-marathon I battled with this "tendonitis" seeing 4 different orthopedic specialists. I assured every single one that I had something torn in my knee, and each specialist took a look at my clean MRI and assured me that I was wrong. I mean I'm ONLY a physical therapist right? What do I know about orthopedic injuries? Cough cough, sense the sarcasm. Turns out I had ruptured all the attachments of my lateral meniscus, leaving me with a hypermobile meniscus, AKA my meniscus was floating around & when it was in the right spot I was great & when it wasn't I thought I was dying. A quick/complex arthroscopic surgery & 10 weeks of rehabing myself and I was back.....not normal, but back. Normality came about just recently around that 12-18 month mark & it has been good to have a fully functioning left leg again. Some of those affected by Boston will not be as lucky as I was to have a fully functioning limb after a marathon. I wish them strength & hope as they enter surgery & then rehabilitation.
I continue to run but these days I stick to 10Ks, 1/2 marathons & this summer I will try my first triathlon as my knees will not stand for another marathon. However, my marathon memories are fond and I have never inspired myself so much as I did with that training & completion. Marathons aren't for everyone and I certainly don't endorse that as a goal if you are not a runner (hell a marathon shouldn't have been my goal), but what I do endorse is finding something that in your mind is an unattainable then challenging & pushing yourself to the limit to finish it. I guarantee you will learn a ton about yourself & feel extremely gratified when you've reached your finish line.
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| Couldn't be a more true statement. |
Sunday, April 14, 2013
It's time to pump you up!
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| Saddlebags!!! |
Challenge of the week: try to get 2-3 20 minute strength training
sessions in this week.
Where to start hmmm.... Strength training does not just mean your old fashioned bicep curls & bench press, it simply means any weight-bearing exercise which creates resistance for our muscles. So if you are a beginner start with the basics, a plank or simple squat are very effective exercises. If you are more advanced maybe you try something new - a power yoga class, a pure barre class, or an athletic conditioning class which incorporates weights, pick your poison! One of my favorites, besides yoga, is swimming. Your options are endless.
For those of you who are unsure one of my favorite websites to show patients is www.yogajournal.com go to poses & you can browse beginner poses with very specific instructions & pictures to help lead you through some great weight-bearing exercises. Downward dog, plank & chair pose are some of my favorites!
Strength training is not only important, but after I do get in a great session of weights, yoga, or swimming I feel so strong & ripped! I can feel the difference in my core, arms & abs, but like many of you out there life gets in the way of that positive feeling. Think of my favorite tag-line Strong is the new skinny! So let's all use this week to get pumped up (literally) & begin strengthening not only our muscles but our confidence!
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| Strength training is what keeps these stems in shape! |
Friday, April 12, 2013
Dress for Success
I am a firm believer that if you look good, you feel good. When looking & feeling good you can really kick some butt. I especially feel this way with exercising. If I have a cute outfit on, that I feel confident wearing I will work even harder to make myself look/feel better in that outfit! However, finding great work out clothes can make for a challenging shopping excursion. Not only trying to find the perfect fit, but also trying to find the perfect price.
With me, finding the perfect fit of work out clothes can vary on the day. Some days I could buy the entire store & other days everything looks horrible! However, my work out style has a common theme 1 article tight & the other form fitting but still loose & comfortable. If I have my favorite Nike running shorts on (with the built in trunks love!) I will usually opt for a tight work out top. I think the most important thing when it comes to the perfect fit, is how comfortable you feel in it! If you don't feel comfortable in the store when trying it on, you will probably never wear it aka DON'T BUY IT. I tend to think that breathable & form fitting clothes look amazing on everyone at the gym (even to my more full-figured women!). So if you think you are rocking it in the dressing room, buy it & then use that confidence to rock your work out.
Ah the perfect price! How to find work out clothes that don't cost me my entire savings?!?! Lululemon, I love you but I am not willing to pay over $100 for a pair of pants that I am just going to ruin because I sweat like a teenage boy. Honestly, I just can't justify it no matter how good their clothes look/feel (which is amazing, because they are great clothes)! I only buy discount work out clothes & this helps me to stay within my budget. By discount I mean your Marshalls, TJMaxx, & Nordstrom Rack. No I am definitely not a "Maxxinista" or whatever, but when it comes to getting work out clothes I definitely am! Why should I pay full price when these store have the name brands AND an amazing price. Yeah, I know I sound like one of those dumb commercials, but on Sunday I got the cutest Nike shorts that were regular $32.99 & I got them for $12.99! Come on tell me you don't love that deal?!?!?
So when it comes to work out clothes don't cheat yourself in the area of the perfect fit, only buy things that make you feel & look great! But when it comes to price go ahead & search through those discount racks you will definitely find a gem!!
With me, finding the perfect fit of work out clothes can vary on the day. Some days I could buy the entire store & other days everything looks horrible! However, my work out style has a common theme 1 article tight & the other form fitting but still loose & comfortable. If I have my favorite Nike running shorts on (with the built in trunks love!) I will usually opt for a tight work out top. I think the most important thing when it comes to the perfect fit, is how comfortable you feel in it! If you don't feel comfortable in the store when trying it on, you will probably never wear it aka DON'T BUY IT. I tend to think that breathable & form fitting clothes look amazing on everyone at the gym (even to my more full-figured women!). So if you think you are rocking it in the dressing room, buy it & then use that confidence to rock your work out.
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| My favorite "short & tight" $12.99 Nike shorts, with a great Hind neon & see-through tank! |
So when it comes to work out clothes don't cheat yourself in the area of the perfect fit, only buy things that make you feel & look great! But when it comes to price go ahead & search through those discount racks you will definitely find a gem!!
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| Side view of the same outfit, whole outfit $25! |
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| My favorite sports bra& capris! By balance collection. |
Monday, April 8, 2013
Let Loose.
Boy oh boy did I have a case of the Mondays today.....How about you? I forgot that I sent my intern for observations today & called her repeatedly, I called a male patient "Heather" by mistake (true story), and I'm late with blogging/challenge of the week, I am really missin the boat here. I apologize, but in all honesty things have been CRRRRAZY! I have been traveling the past 2 weekends and have another trip coming up this weekend. All this travel definitely leaves me a little off my game both mentally & physically. Traveling is tough! Trying to ease my anxiety about packing, flying, money, and scheduling all don't compare to how tough traveling is on my exercise routine & my eating habits.
First, let us discuss exercising. With traveling 3 weekends in a row but continuing to work full-time, taking no days off, I am tired!!! My usual 5:30AM work outs are less than exciting, that's if I can even get up for them. And the weekends leave me busy with my out of town visits and unable to get a "regular" work out in. Now my first piece of advice is forget the "regular" plan! This is the hardest for me to do, I love a good plan. But honestly, when I'm busy like this sleep is more important than my 5:30AM half-assed work out. I get a good night sleep, then head to work & a late evening work out after. Although, I hate working out late at night, when busy this works! My second piece of advice is be active while your gone! I always bring my running shoes & some work out gear, whether over ambitious or not at least I have the option if the opportunity arises! For example, 2 weekends ago I was in Cleveland and before heading to the hospital to visit my grandpa we were literally doing NOTHING. Perfect opportuniy to throw on the running shoes & go pound some pavement for a quick 30 minutes.
Now let's discuss eating. Traveling usually gives us the options of burgers, fries & a Coke, not a lot of healthy options. And even the so-called healthy options are flooded with calories from mayo or salad dressing. To help tame the calories I opt to bring some healthy snacks to help get me through the airport travel time & in between meals. I posted a picture of my favorite Trader Joes individually packaged fruit/nut mixes on the Facebook page and these are my go to. An apple, orange or banana are also quick carry on options. This past weekend was especially a tough situation to practice healthy eating. A get together with college friends for a bridal shower/bachelorette party for one of our best girlfriends. This meant a lot of alcohol, pizza, and desserts galore. Talk about acid reflux & a recipe for weight gain. We get together and resort back to our fun but unhealthy college ways. During my travel time I stuck to my healthy snacks, but for the rest of the weekend I let loose! Sometimes you need to kick back and have a Rolling Rock & 2 slices of pizza with your girlfriends. A late night Dominos pizza in a king bed with 3 of my bffs made for a hilarious girl time convo (which I miss so desperately when away from them). The gym and healthy foods were still there come Sunday evening, but my best friends were not. So again sometimes you need to say "screw the plan," I need to enjoy myself & the plan will be there after all the fun is not.This leads us to Challenge of the Week! I want you all to do something that allows you to let loose. Pick one day to do something outside of your normal that leaves you exhilarated. Whether it's resorting back to the college days (like I did) and having a few slices with good friends, running an extra mile, letting your hair down & dancing around, or skipping that work out for an extra hour of needed sleep, try it once this week. Sometimes reverting from the plan is what we need to recharge the batteries. Try to make your COTW something within a practically healthy realm, however if it's a college girlfriends type of week, have that slice & girl talk, it'll be well worth it & you can come back to the basics tomorrow! Traveling is fun, exciting, and sometimes stressful but it doesn't have to mean abandoning your healthy lifestyle, maybe just altering it temporarily.
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Get that Glut!
Summer is a coming, which means shorts, bathing suits & cute colored pants! It's time to start getting our butts in shape, literally! 4 strengthening exercises that are guaranteed to get your glut! Perform 2 sets of 10 repetitions 3 times per week to begin to see results. I add an ankle weight or theraband to get an extra burn in my tush. Have fun trying these this weekend!
Monday, April 1, 2013
Pain in my neck
Slept wrong? Stress at work? What IS that crick in my neck?????
Neck pain can really be a pain in the ass, or neck ;) , to deal with, and many dysfunctions may be the cause of it. So let's discuss what the pain in your neck could be and some conservative ways to deal with it!
Common Causes of Neck (Cervical) Pain:
1. Muscle Sprain or Strain: this is the most common cause of neck pain. Think of whiplash! We move our neck too quickly & our muscles respond. Sometimes this can occur even while resting, like during sleep. We move our head quickly, or our head/neck has been resting in a position for too long, we move & BAM a quick strain! Our muscles are just doing what they do best and trying to hold onto our head for dear life! This leaves the muscles painful, tight & possibly even in spasm!
2. Degenerative Joint/Disc Disease (DJD & DDD): basically aging of the spine. As we age, so does our spine....rocket science huh? Aging of the spine causes our discs to loose fluid & our vertebrae to get closer together over time. This leads to the facet joints (where the vertebrae meet) to rub together more often, leading to arthritic changes. This can cause stiffness, pain, & muscle tightness.
3. Trigger points or muscle tightness: trigger points are dense areas of muscle tissue which when pressure is applied can radiate pain into the head, neck or shoulders. Trigger points may develop insidiously or can be caused from poor posture, DJD, and/or DDD. This can really ache a good massage or tennis ball placed in the right place can help temporarily!
4. Disc herniation: disc herniation is when the cervical disc protrudes into the spinal canal, caused by many reasons. Generally neck pain is felt, but may not be, the biggest tell-tale sign is any symptoms into 1 or both arms. If you have numbness/tingling/pain into your fingers and/or arms consult your physician or physical therapist you may need more aggressive treatment.
Those are the 4 most common, and trust me there are many more causes & types of neck pain, but we don't have all day do we?
Now that we've listed the 4 most common causes, let's discuss what to do!
1. Heat vs Ice: Generally with the neck heat is your ticket. A form of moist heat is best, as the moisture acts a conductor & will achieve a deep warmth faster. Use a heating pad, or damp wash cloth in the microwave. Be careful it doesn't get too hot! Heat will ease arthritis pain, increase muscle length & most of all relax you releasing that tension in your muscles. 20 minutes of this & you will feel great!
2. Take a pain reliever: For all my holistics out there, TAKE SOMETHING IT'S OK! 2 ibuprofen or Aleve is not going to kill you & if there is an inflammatory process starting or recurring this will help ease pain & begin healing quicker! Especially take something if you are unable to sleep, sleeping is when we heal and if you can't sleep, no healing...ya feel me?!
3. Stretch: rolling your head in gently neck circles is a great start, with all the stretches it is important to stay in a pain-free range!
Stretch 1, the upper trapezius: Sit on your left hand palm facing up (this secures your shoulder blade giving a deeper stretch), then tilt away (to the right) from that hand. This should generate a deep stretch down the left side of your neck.
Stretch 2, the levator scapulae: Sit on your left hand palm facing up. Tilt your head to the right (away from your hand) & rotate as if looking towards the right hip.
Both stretches you want to hold for approximately 60 seconds, 3 times on each side, 2x/day if dealing with a strain
4. Strengthening: Can you strengthening your neck? Of course you can! It's been widely studied that if you strain or injure your neck your deep stabilizing muscles turn off & you are left with no underlying stability. Stupid muscles! So once your pain has toned down & you are able to perform this exercise with no pain, it is time to strengthen! The supine chin tuck is my favorite starter exercise. And you get a random person in this picture demonstration because I will exploit myself for some things, but not for a double chin exercise.
Neck pain can really be a pain in the ass, or neck ;) , to deal with, and many dysfunctions may be the cause of it. So let's discuss what the pain in your neck could be and some conservative ways to deal with it!
Common Causes of Neck (Cervical) Pain:
1. Muscle Sprain or Strain: this is the most common cause of neck pain. Think of whiplash! We move our neck too quickly & our muscles respond. Sometimes this can occur even while resting, like during sleep. We move our head quickly, or our head/neck has been resting in a position for too long, we move & BAM a quick strain! Our muscles are just doing what they do best and trying to hold onto our head for dear life! This leaves the muscles painful, tight & possibly even in spasm!
2. Degenerative Joint/Disc Disease (DJD & DDD): basically aging of the spine. As we age, so does our spine....rocket science huh? Aging of the spine causes our discs to loose fluid & our vertebrae to get closer together over time. This leads to the facet joints (where the vertebrae meet) to rub together more often, leading to arthritic changes. This can cause stiffness, pain, & muscle tightness.3. Trigger points or muscle tightness: trigger points are dense areas of muscle tissue which when pressure is applied can radiate pain into the head, neck or shoulders. Trigger points may develop insidiously or can be caused from poor posture, DJD, and/or DDD. This can really ache a good massage or tennis ball placed in the right place can help temporarily!
4. Disc herniation: disc herniation is when the cervical disc protrudes into the spinal canal, caused by many reasons. Generally neck pain is felt, but may not be, the biggest tell-tale sign is any symptoms into 1 or both arms. If you have numbness/tingling/pain into your fingers and/or arms consult your physician or physical therapist you may need more aggressive treatment.
Those are the 4 most common, and trust me there are many more causes & types of neck pain, but we don't have all day do we?
Now that we've listed the 4 most common causes, let's discuss what to do!
1. Heat vs Ice: Generally with the neck heat is your ticket. A form of moist heat is best, as the moisture acts a conductor & will achieve a deep warmth faster. Use a heating pad, or damp wash cloth in the microwave. Be careful it doesn't get too hot! Heat will ease arthritis pain, increase muscle length & most of all relax you releasing that tension in your muscles. 20 minutes of this & you will feel great!
2. Take a pain reliever: For all my holistics out there, TAKE SOMETHING IT'S OK! 2 ibuprofen or Aleve is not going to kill you & if there is an inflammatory process starting or recurring this will help ease pain & begin healing quicker! Especially take something if you are unable to sleep, sleeping is when we heal and if you can't sleep, no healing...ya feel me?!
3. Stretch: rolling your head in gently neck circles is a great start, with all the stretches it is important to stay in a pain-free range!
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| Stretch 1 |
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| Stretch 1 |
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| Stretch 2 |
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| Stretch 2 |
Stretch 2, the levator scapulae: Sit on your left hand palm facing up. Tilt your head to the right (away from your hand) & rotate as if looking towards the right hip.
Both stretches you want to hold for approximately 60 seconds, 3 times on each side, 2x/day if dealing with a strain
4. Strengthening: Can you strengthening your neck? Of course you can! It's been widely studied that if you strain or injure your neck your deep stabilizing muscles turn off & you are left with no underlying stability. Stupid muscles! So once your pain has toned down & you are able to perform this exercise with no pain, it is time to strengthen! The supine chin tuck is my favorite starter exercise. And you get a random person in this picture demonstration because I will exploit myself for some things, but not for a double chin exercise.
Begin by lying flat on the floor without a pillow. Then gently tuck your chin down to create a double chin. Hold for up to 30 seconds then relax. Perform 5 repetitions per day. You may feel a strong stretch through the back of your neck as well as muscles working deep in the front!
With the stretches and strengthening exercises it is important to not feel any sharp pain, and if you do STOP! As I said up top if you have any symptoms down into your arms consult your physician or physical therapist.
Hope you guys can use this advice to combat any neck pains or stress that leaves you feeling tense!
Until next time!!
With the stretches and strengthening exercises it is important to not feel any sharp pain, and if you do STOP! As I said up top if you have any symptoms down into your arms consult your physician or physical therapist.
Hope you guys can use this advice to combat any neck pains or stress that leaves you feeling tense!
Until next time!!
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