Be a turtle not a chicken!!!

OK I know it's not ALL about food.  I was getting to that other stuff. Nothing like a day at the office to remind me there is a lot more to health.  Today we are going to talk about one of your Mother's favorite topics, posture.  Now I don't care who your Mom is, I know at some point she lovingly reminded you to sit up straight, because that's what Mom's do.  And when we get older and start to have problems associated with poor posture how many of us have called our Mom's up to apologize.  The number one thing I address with every single patient that comes to see me whether they are coming to therapy for their headaches or their big toe is POSTURE!! It effects every thing we do, ALL DAY LONG! So (to be spoken in your mother's voice) SIT UP STRAIGHT!!!

Here are two examples (one is especially cute!) of people with stereotypically great posture; young children and ballerinas!

                                                     

This might be what you currently look like! (or maybe just feel like)

 So you are thinking so what? So my posture isn't perfect all the time.  In all seriousness I have had two recent patients who told me that when they look up it hurts but they just figured we aren't supposed to move like that! Are you kidding me??? Well to borrow a photo my lovely sister recently took from one of the world's most amazing pieces of art, I am sure glad Michelangelo didn't feel that way or we wouldn't have this!

I have stood there, right below this and looked up, I was only in 4th grade but I remember clearly the cold chill in that hallowed marble room and the shuffling of feet as everyone moved cautiously about with their heads flipped back like the top of a tea kettle not really caring if you bumped in to anyone because the thought of not taking your eyes of that ceiling was more important and all the while a room filled with people and barely any sound but the shuffling feet.  To create something so captivating! What a blessing from God!

But I know, how often am I bumming around the Sistine Chapel scoping out God and man in their fingerbump (predecessor to the fistbump), not often, you're right.  But tell me this do you get headaches? Or nagging neck pain at the back of your skull radiating up into your head? Do you have full motion in ALL directions of your neck? Ok stop right now, look down chin to chest, up at the ceiling your face should get back parallel to the ceiling.  Look over one shoulder than the other, you should have no trouble turning fully.  Bring your ear over to one shoulder than the other, you should feel no resistance.  If all you feel with any of these motions is a little tightness than you probably just need to do the tight motions every day to stretch them out.  If you have pain, especially you headache suffers or you people who had trouble looking up, you know who you are, the two most commonly used exercises that can help you are:

Neck retraction: Basically sitting up nice and straight pull your head straight back (sorry ladies it makes a double chin), with this one make sure your head doesn't tip back or down just straight back.  I always tell people imagine someone with bad breath is talking to you, instinctively you maintain eye contact but pull your head back a little. Return to the starting position. Repeat 10x. If you have a headache and this is helping do a few sets to see if you can completely get rid of your headache!  If you are someone who has regular neck pain do 1 x10 every 2 hrs during the day.

Neck extension, for those of you who haven't seen the Sistine Chapel yet and people like me who hope to get back there some day or maybe you are regular working guy like my patient this morning who is a plumber and you may have to work on pipes overhead sometime or paint a ceiling.  Let's be ready with full pain free extension.  Start by tucking your chin slightly as in above exercise. Then tip your head back as far as it can go.  Hold briefly, return to the starting position and relax.  Repeat 10x.  Same rules apply, if it helps your headache, do more, if you are having neck pain do frequently throughout the day.

 Much needed disclaimer: If any of these exercises worsen your symptoms they are just not the right ones for you. Always check with your Dr.  So now I must explain the title of this entry. My patient who didn't think looking up was necessary was walking around with his head sticking out forward, like a chicken.  Well the retraction exercise was relieving his pain and I said "Be a turtle, not a chicken" so it sounds sort of like ancient chinese philosophy but really it's just Amanda's posture advice for the day! Be turtles everybody!