Hi All and WELCOME to the next installment of 'Stretch of the Week'. This week we turn our focus back to the neck. We haven't looked at neck stretches since weeks 1 and 4, and these will be a little similar as them but at least including these gives you the choice to pick stretches that you feel work best for you ... the choice is yours.
It is important to inlcude stretches that cover all the muscles of the neck because in today's world there is precious little that we do that does not build tension through our neck - work, study, most sports, just about everything you do either professionally or socially, and because of that fact-of-life failure to stretch your neck thoroughly and regularly could lead to the development of severe headaches and possibly even migraines.
It has been my experience over the last 10 years of working in Remedial Massage that most headaches are caused by Tigger Point activity in the neck and/or shoulder muscles, brought on by muscular tension that could have been avoided or reduced by regular thorough stretching through the neck.
It is important to inlcude stretches that cover all the muscles of the neck because in today's world there is precious little that we do that does not build tension through our neck - work, study, most sports, just about everything you do either professionally or socially, and because of that fact-of-life failure to stretch your neck thoroughly and regularly could lead to the development of severe headaches and possibly even migraines.
It has been my experience over the last 10 years of working in Remedial Massage that most headaches are caused by Tigger Point activity in the neck and/or shoulder muscles, brought on by muscular tension that could have been avoided or reduced by regular thorough stretching through the neck.
As far as technique goes for this stretch, it is important to note that the stretch pulls between the neck bones (or cervical vertebrae) and/or your Occiput (base of your skull), and the collar bone (clavicle) and/or 1st and 2nd Ribs. Just as in Stretch of the Week #1 & 4, these stretches are initiated by stabilising or locking your shoulders and upper thorax. You can do this a couple of different ways ... Either inter-twine your fingers behind your back and roll your shoulders over-and-down until your hands are locked behind and/or under your buttocks ... or hold onto the edge of a table/ledge with your arm at full extension ... either of these actions will work, or come up with one of your own, the important thing is to stop your shoulders rising up when you stretch because this will lessen the effectiveness of your stretch and reduce your reward for effort.
These stretches are beneficial to anyone recovering from Neck muscle strain, Whiplash, Cervical nerve stretch syndrome, or Wryneck.
Always remember that while stretching may be recommended to aid recovery out of injury, you should always be very careful when stretching through rehabilitation. Your soft tissues are likely to be more vulnerable to re-injury if you stretch too much or too hard during this time. Always check with your Health Care Professional who is guiding you through your recovery to make sure it is appropriate to start stretching, and please - ALWAYS FOLLOW THE RULES FOR SAFE STRETCHING (The first posting on this stretching blog).
Image taken from "Neck, Back and Core Body Stretches" wall chart by B. Walker.
These stretches are beneficial to anyone recovering from Neck muscle strain, Whiplash, Cervical nerve stretch syndrome, or Wryneck.
Always remember that while stretching may be recommended to aid recovery out of injury, you should always be very careful when stretching through rehabilitation. Your soft tissues are likely to be more vulnerable to re-injury if you stretch too much or too hard during this time. Always check with your Health Care Professional who is guiding you through your recovery to make sure it is appropriate to start stretching, and please - ALWAYS FOLLOW THE RULES FOR SAFE STRETCHING (The first posting on this stretching blog).
Image taken from "Neck, Back and Core Body Stretches" wall chart by B. Walker.
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