Surely, after the arrival of Covid-19, you have been able to realize that spending all day working sitting in front of the computer can become quite a challenge. Not only because it requires you to maintain a certain concentration, but also because it can be very uncomfortable.
Having a bad position while you are working can cause intense pain in the cervical. As strange as it sounds, this is one of the most common reasons people visit the doctor.
However, neck pain does not only occur when you are sitting in front of the computer. It also originates due to poor posture when sleeping, walking or picking up the bag. In addition, daily stress is one of its great triggers. But who can get rid of it?
It’s true that letting go of daily worries sounds easier than it really is. Some try it without getting satisfactory results. However, this does not mean that you have to be doomed to suffer from neck pain for the rest of your life.
There are some things you can do to counteract the painful effects of stress. These are exercises that are aimed at calming the pain in the cervical area. If you don’t know what they are, you don’t have to worry, since I will be telling you what they are, as well as how to execute them correctly.
In a short time, you will realize that putting these exercises into practice, with some frequency, will have marked a before and after in your personal, work and/or academic life.
You will say goodbye once and for all to the annoying and uncomfortable cervical pain, which will give you the opportunity to have optimal performance in your daily activities, regardless of the level of stress to which you are subjected. Let’s see now what they are.
Instructions
In this post I will be sharing with you some of the exercises that physical therapists recommend to combat cervical pain by eliminating the so-called “knots” and recovering the correct body posture when lying down, sitting or standing. If you practice them daily, they will serve as protection for your neck.
Some of these exercises are as follows:
stretching _
- Sit on a bench in front of the mirror.
- Bring the arm that corresponds to the side that has pain towards your back.
- With the other hand, gently push the head to the opposite side.
- In order to increase the intensity, when your head is on one side, tilt it slightly towards the ground.
- Hold this position for about 10 minutes. If you wish, you can repeat the process now in the opposite direction.
Unlocking the shoulder blades
- While standing, spread your legs hip-width
- Interlock your fingers and turn your palms outward with your arms
- Stretch your arms enough so that you feel the area of the dorsal vertebrae curve.
- Hold this position for about 10 seconds and repeat the exercise about three times.
neck relaxation
- In order to protect the cervical, take a towel and place it on the base of the skull, holding it at both ends.
- Tilt your head back, as if you were going to look at the ceiling.
- Hold for about 6 seconds and return to the starting position.
- Then you can try doing it without the support of the towel.
shoulder relaxation
- While standing, spread your legs hip-width apart.
- Slightly bend your knees.
- Hold this position as you link your arms behind your back.
- Then raise them as high as you can. This, with the purpose of the anterior part of the shoulder that is contracted.
neck flexion
- While sitting, cross your fingers behind your head.
- Then bring your elbows in close until they’re parallel.
- Bring your chin towards your chest and hold this position for about 10 seconds.
- You will notice that there is some tension in the muscles of the neck, lumbar and dorsal.
What do you need
These exercises are very simple, but effective. To make them, you will only need:
- A bench where you can sit comfortably while doing the exercises.
- A towel to support your neck during neck relaxation.
- Be careful to make sure you do the movements as I have indicated.
- Comfortable clothes that do not hinder you when stretching.
- Appropriate footwear. Preferably with a good grip to prevent you from slipping when spreading your legs.
You will not need to go to the gym or the advice of a personal trainer. To remind yourself to do them, you can place the reminder on your alarm.
If you prefer, you can do them in the morning, right after you get up. This way you will start the day more relaxed and with more energy. You can also do them in the afternoon, when you finish your work day or daily chores, to relax the contracted areas and relieve cervical pain.
Tips
Perform these exercises with enough intensity to feel a stretch, only then will you see positive results.
Once you have improved, this does not mean that the relief will be permanent. Therefore, it is important that you take care of your posture, both when working, walking and sleeping. Ideally, you should keep your back straight and your shoulders back, so you will prevent these terrible cervical pains from occurring.
While it is true that they also occur due to the stress we are subjected to every day, something that will help you reduce these levels of tension is to drink hot tea before going to sleep. In addition to helping you relax your muscles, it will make you sleep longer and better. The next day, you will surely wake up with new energy.
Another thing that can help you better manage stress is to do activities that you like and distract you, such as painting, reading a book, going for a walk and breathing fresh air, doing yoga, doing a little gardening, dancing, etc.