Doing regular of exercise is important for so many reasons, but in this situation let’s look at how it can help the neck. Our necks do an an often underrated, difficult job, holding up and back our heads, which in itself weighs a little bit more than a bowling ball. This job becomes increasingly harder if we spend our days at a computer or in the car or carry ourselves badly letting our head sit out in front of our neck.

Getting the right sets of exercises done to help keep the head over the neck and help get the shoulders back and get the cervical stabilising muscles stronger helps to support the spine and helps reduces stress to the static structures like the discs and the facet joints which can’t get our of the way of the postural strain otherwise.  Doing these exercises can go a lot of the way to preventing neck pain and if you suffer from neck pain, it’s all the more important to take the pressure off your neck  by helping to support and strengthen the neck muscles. If you have an existing neck problem it is prudent to mention that these exercises must be done at the appropriate time of recovery and seek advice if you are not certain.

WHERE TO START: THE CHIN TUCK

This is one of the most effective postural exercises for combating neck pain. This exercise not only helps strengthen the muscles that pull the head back into alignment over the shoulders but it also stretches the scalene and suboccipital muscles (important muscles that can cause neck pain and even contribute to headaches) .The chin tuck exercise can be done numerous times throughout the day, such as while sitting in the car or at the desk at work. The repetition of this exercise throughout the day also helps develop good postural habits.

It is especially important to perform this exercise when the neck and shoulder blades first begin to hurt.To perform the exercise for the first time it is often recommended that patients stand with the spine up against a door jamb and the feet out about 3 inches from the bottom of the door jamb (Figure 1).

•    Keeping the spine against the door jamb, pull the upper back and head back until the back of the head touches the door jamb. It is important to make sure that the chin is down so that the head is pulled straight back and is not looking up (Figure 2).
•    Hold the head against the door jamb for 5 seconds.
•    Repeat this ten times.
•    After performing this exercise in a door jamb about ten times, start doing the exercise in standing or sitting without a door jamb.
•    The exercise can be done 5 to 7 times per day.
•    When in the car, use the headrest as a point to aim for when pulling the head back.

•    Patients may feel some stretching of the muscles on the side of the neck that go down to the collarbone. These are the scalene muscles. These muscles along with the muscles at the top of the neck at the base of the skull are generally the tight muscles. The muscles in the front of the neck and muscles of the upper back are generally the weak muscles that need to be strengthened.

THE BACK BURN

•    Another important postural exercise is the back burn exercise.

This exercise is done standing with the back up against a large flat wall and the feet about 4 inches out from the bottom of the wall.

•    Assume the same position as the chin tuck exercise with the back of the head against the wall.
•    Try to flatten the lower back against the wall.
•    Place the elbows, forearms and the backs of the hands and fingers on the wall with wrists about shoulder height (Figure 3).

•    Keeping the arms, hands, head and fingers all touching the wall as best possible, slowly slide the hands up above the head (Figure 4) and slowly back down (back to Figure 3).

•    Repeat this 10 times, 3 to 5 times per day.

PRONE COBRA
•    A more advanced exercise that strengthens the muscles of the shoulder girdle as well as the neck and upper back is the prone cobra exercise. This is done lying on the floor face down. The face down position uses gravity as resistance in the strengthening process.
•    Lying face down, place the forehead on a rolled up hand towel for comfort.
•    Place the arms at the side, palms down on the floor.
•    Place the tongue on the roof of the mouth (this helps stabilize the muscles in the front of the neck to assist in strengthening) (Figure 5).
•    Pinch the shoulder blades together and lift the hands off the floor.
•    Roll the elbows in, palms out and thumbs up (Figure 6).
•    Gently lift the forehead about an inch off the towel keeping the eyes looking straight at the floor (do not tip the head back and look forward) (Figure 6).
•    Hold the position for 10 seconds.
•    Perform 10 repetitions.

We advise doing all exercises slowly and carefully with no jerky or sudden movements and avoid pushing too hard in beginning, if in doubt please contact a member of our chiropractic team or a specialist spinal healthcare practitioner to seek advice and guidance.

info@chiropractor.ie / telephone 053 93 83338

When a person stands tall with their head facing forward in the correct position and back straight they naturally look more confident and healthy, because this reflects good health and good posture.

Apart from looking unattractive, bad posture can also lead to serious back and neck injuries and problems later on in life because the muscles, ligaments & discs are under extra stress when the spine is not in proper alignment.

Ask yourself, do you think you have good posture? Do you think you can recognise the signs of poor posture in yourself?

Try standing how you would normally, then try looking in the mirror, or ask a friend to take a picture of your whole body from your side profile.  Relax and have a good look from head to toes. Starting from the head down, check to see if your head is poked forward, do you have a slight hunch or is your head leaning to one side, or shoulders drooping forward or too far back. Look to see whether one shoulder is higher than the other.  From the side, tummy sticking out, or bottom sticking out.  You may find you have your knees touching, or flat feet, or that one hip is higher than the other.
Any extremes of posture can be improved by using chiropractic treatment, the correct exercise program, and lifestyle changes.

There are basically three positions, in which to consider improving your posture:- lying, sitting and standing and walking.
1.    Lying – Fist things first – Your bed must be correct. Too soft, or too hard can cause poor sleeping posture and result in waking with pain. Sleeping on your tummy can also cause serious problems to both your neck and lower back. A good, well supporting pillow of the correct size for you is also essential. This is where good quality orthopaedic pillows have an advantage over a traditional feather or foam type. Our bodies heal during sleep, so if your rest is poor, your body will be slow to heal, which is some gives rise to chronic pain syndromes.

 2.    Sitting. Both at home, at school or in work and in your car, all your seating should be appropriate and comfortable. Lumbar support is essential when seated for long periods, and get up to take regular walking breaks to avoid sustained postural positions. If at work,  instead of sending an email to a colleague, walk to their desk, walk to the café on your lunch, or perform some desk exercises.

    3.    Standing or walking – Practice standing with your back to the wall and you should notice whether your shoulders and head touch the wall.

Head retraction exercises can help with the poked head posture. Shoulder and upper back strengthening exercises will also help to correct rounded shoulders. If your spinal joints are stiff, working poorly or fixed in position, it will be extremely difficult to get good changes with exercise alone.
Various wedges can help with seated posture problems. A new, well-designed, adjustable chair is the best option. Orthotics foot insoles can help with foot problems, combined with chiropractic spinal manipulation would be a great help at the outset when trying to improve your posture.
Correct posture when lifting anything is also very important to prevent injury. Never lift a weight, which is too heavy for your strength, and always bend your knees and keep the object as close to your body as possible.

GOREY FAMILY CHIROPRACTIC: SUPPORTING YOUR RECOVERY, MAINTAINING RECOVERY AND PREVENTING INJURY

If you or a family member or friend is suffering with poor posture or symptoms relating to poor posture  please feel free to contact one of our chiropractors for a thorough and professional evaluation and assessment. Our chiropractors can evaluate and provide the best treatment and exercise plan to help correct your posture. Gorey Family Chiropractic clinic is also registered with all major health insurers allowing you to claim reimbursement for your treatment.
For a new patient consultation please contact our Gorey Family Chiropractic Team on 053 94 83338 or email  info@chiropractor.ie

by Olivia O Leary D.C BSc Hons Chiropractic

PREVENTION OF BACK PAIN STARTS HERE;
For patient’s that have just joined us at the Gorey Family Chiropractic you’ll often hear us mention that strengthening your back through exercise is one of the best ways to keep back pain at bay once your problem has been treated.  It can also be very helpful in treating back pain whilst in chiropractic care.

We encourage you to choose a low-impact, gentle exercise that will help strengthen the muscles in your back, without the risk of strain or sudden jolts that might aggravate your existing back pain.  Swimming, yoga and pilates are very good for improving the flexibility and strength of your back.

Stretching is another key way of helping your back.  The best way of maximising the benefits of stretching is to make your specific exercises part of your everyday routine and not just using them as a short term measure whilst you have back pain.

LIFTING
Lifting can also strain  your back and lifting badly can often lead to injury hence a trip to chiropractors ensues.

Follow these simple tips from our chiropractic team to avoid damaging your back:
•    Think before lifting.  Plan your lift.
•    Adopt a stable position.
•    At the start of the lift, slight bending of the back, hips and knees is preferable to fully bending the back or fully bending the hops and knees.
•    Change directions with your feet, not your back, to avoid a twist.
•    When lowering, face the place you have selected and lower the load slowly, bending your knees, never your back and let your legs do the work.

SITTING
Sitting in the wrong position or for too long can cause and can considerably aggravate back pain.
•    Sit up with your back straight and your shoulders down and back, elbows relaxed at your sides. Your buttocks should touch the back of the chair.
•    Don’t sit in one position for long stretches of time.
•    If you drive for a living try to adjust your seating to support your spine and if you have the choice consider the different types of seating within car models some of which vary in quality.

SLEEPING POSITIONS
By changing your sleeping position you can take some of the strain off your back and ease the back pain.  If you sleep on your side, draw your legs up slightly towards your chest and put a pillow between your legs.  If you sleep on your back, placing a pillow under your knees will help maintain the normal curve of your lower back and also help ease back pain.

GOREY FAMILY CHIROPRACTIC: SUPPORTING YOUR RECOVERY, MAINTAINING RECOVERY AND PREVENTING INJURY

Our specialist Chiropractic team are trained and hold extensive experience both in Ireland and the U.K  in the diagnosis and treatment of back pain, neck pain, nerve and disc disorders as well as treating and managing sports injuries and conditions like osteoarthritis.

On site x ray is offered and for your convenience all of our Gorey Family Chiropractic team are registered with VHI, Glo, Aviva and Laya Healthcare allowing clients claim reimbursement from a wide range of private healthcare Insurance providers including the GAA Scheme.

For further information contact info@chiropractor.ie or call 053 94 83338.