Neck & Back Pain Help
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Making It Worse When Trying to Stand Straight
Many people know they should keep their head lifted up and not drooping forward, but the front of their chest is so tight, that when they try to do it, either they arch their back, or crane their neck, or both. "Craning" the neck means "pinching" it back, with the chin and face lifted. Craning the neck is surprisingly common and a big source of neck and shoulder pain. Many people crane their neck to look up, to drink water, to reach overhead areas, even to eat. Check yourself to see if you jut your chin forward or hunch your shoulders up.
Many people are so tight that they crane their
neck to look up, or to try to pull their head back enough to
stand straight. Do the two stretches below to relieve this.
Try This To See What Stretches You Need to Fix Upper Back Pain and Poor Positioning
1. Stand near a wall, with your back to it, but not touching the wall.
2. Back up until something touches. Did your behind touch first, as in the first figure in the drawing below? You may stand "booty out," flexed atthe hip.
3. Did your upper back touch first (second figure in the drawing below)? You may stand slouched backward.
Do this wall stand test, described above,
to see if you have the healthy positioning
needed to avoid neck and back pain.
Now try to stand with your heels, hips, upper back, and the back of your head against a wall. Bring the back of your head against the wall without raising or dropping your chin, or arching your back. If you can't keep your heels, hips, upper back, and the back of your head comfortably against the wall (third figure in the drawing above), or if you have to crane your neck, you are too tight to stand up straight. Pain results from the resulting bad positioning and slouching your tightness creates all day, every day. This is common. Here is what to do about it:
