Hi,
I'm Dr.
Kim.
Today's class is focused on healing pain right in the area where the neck meets the upper back.
If you feel pain to the side of that spot,
Either the left or the right,
And sometimes it can switch back and forth,
What is usually happening is an over-activation and an over-stretching of the muscles in this region.
These muscles,
Like the upper trapezius and the levator scapulae,
Are working over time,
Causing pain and spasm in the muscles.
When you have an acute episode of this pain,
You really feel it.
It hurts to turn your head from side to side,
It hurts even more to tilt your head,
And it is difficult to sleep.
For me,
The quality of this type of pain is just so awful.
It is both deep and sharp at the same time.
So why does this pain occur?
When we spend a lot of time in this forwards head posture,
On our phones or if you work at a desk,
Your head shifts forwards in front of your shoulders.
And for every inch your head shifts forward,
The load on these muscles here can nearly double.
So these muscles end up being both tight and fatigued at the same time.
Tight because they are the ones who have to hold your head up when it's in this compromised position.
And also fatigued and lengthened because this posture itself lengthens out the muscle over time.
The key to healing this problem is by restoring balance,
Not just by stretching these already over-stretched muscles.
You definitely do not want to do that.
What works is actually strengthening the muscles above and below the problematic point.
Above,
We're going to activate the deep neck flexors,
The longus colli and the longus capitis to help draw the head backwards into alignment and support your neck from the front.
Below,
We're going to be strengthening the lower trapezius and the rhomboids,
Which stabilize the shoulder girdle and anchors the base of the neck.
When we activate the muscles above and below the problem area,
It gives this painful area a chance to actually relax and decompress.
This practice will be done seated.
Let's begin.
Sitting up straight,
Either on the floor,
Cross-legged or on a chair,
Feet flat on the floor.
Close down your eyes and start to turn your head from left to right.
Just moving to the point of pain and tension.
Using this time to fully notice exactly what is going on in your body.
Notice how far your neck can turn before your muscles start to complain.
Come back to center and very,
Very carefully tilt your ear to your shoulder.
This motion can be very aggravating,
So just be very gentle,
Using it as a motion to explore your range of motion at this current point in time.
Note your symptoms and come back to center.
Let's begin preparing your body for this practice.
Breathe deeply into your belly.
Feel your diaphragm move downwards as you breathe in.
Relax your stomach and allow it to expand to the front and the sides.
Breathe slowly and deeply.
Now,
Using your fingers,
Bring them to the point just below your ears and start to stroke down the front and sides of your neck.
Nice,
Gentle,
Loving touch.
Here,
We're activating the vagus nerve,
Which allows your body to drift off into that state of rest and digest.
We want to be in this relaxed state.
For your body to feel completely safe before we begin these movements.
And rest your hands down on your lap.
Let's begin activating your deep neck flexors,
Keeping your face parallel to the wall in front of you.
Shift your head backwards over your shoulders,
Making a double chin.
Hold this position.
Feel the deep activation of your neck flexors.
Feel the stretch that runs from the base of your skull down your neck.
And now,
Scoop your chin forwards and slightly upwards.
Exhale,
Scoop your chin downwards and back into that double chin position.
Inhale,
Scoop gently upwards.
Exhale,
Scoop backwards and back.
Find your rhythm here.
Breathing,
Moving,
And activating.
Move within your pain tolerance.
Range of motion.
Never push or force your body through pain.
Last one.
And hold that double chin.
Feel the activation deep inside your neck.
And feel the stretch running from the base of your skull down into the mid-back.
Deep inhale.
Exhale and relax completely.
Notice the difference this activation has made on your posture.
You may feel like it's already easier to hold your head in the correct position,
Directly above your shoulders.
Next exercise.
Next,
We're going to activate the lower trapezius and the rhomboids.
Bend your elbows to 90 degrees in front of you,
Making your hands into fists.
As you inhale,
Draw your fists and elbows backwards,
Opening up your shoulders,
Feeling as though you're squeezing a pencil in between your shoulder blades.
And exhale,
Return to center.
Inhale,
Open.
Exhale,
Close.
Inhale,
Open.
Exhale,
Close.
Find your rhythm and continue breathing and moving,
Feeling that intense activation around your shoulder girdle and in between the shoulder blades.
Here,
We're also stretching through the chest as you open.
Often in poor posture,
These muscles through the chest become short and tight.
Here,
We are strengthening the back and stretching the chest.
Last one.
And relax your arms.
You may already feel that your shoulders are sitting back in better posture compared to before.
If your neck pain is severe and these exercises are all you can manage,
That is perfectly okay.
Repeat them every day,
Once or twice.
You should see good results in a week or two.
Thank you so much for practicing with me.
