Pain is a significant stress to the body. The adrenal glands are forced to work hard for as long as we are in pain. Back pain, neck pain and headaches are perpetuators of the stressed state. Poor posture places undue strain on the muscles of the back, shoulders and neck making them tight and eventually stiff and sore. The sensory nerves convey this state of agitation from the muscles to the brain creating, or adding to, any agitation that may already exist there. Brain agitation manifests as that stressed-out feeling of being ‘uptight’. Being ‘uptight’ usually means tight neck muscles that are causing the shoulders to hunch up.
The muscles of the neck are attached to the vertebrae of the neck and when they tighten they pull the vertebrae together. In time the vertebrae press tightly enough against each other for the nerves that run between them to become pinched. Pinched nerves that emanate from the neck can cause a host of symptoms in the tissues they serve as well as pain in the neck muscles. Those that run from the neck to head can give rise to headaches and those that serve the face can give rise to involuntary twitches in the facial muscles and puffy bags under the eyes.
Those nerves that run from the neck to the nose can give rise to sinus pains, stuffy nose, runny nose and post-nasal drip. Pinched nerves can mimic the symptoms of allergy. Pinched nerves are one of the reasons allergy type symptoms remain in stressed people who are sticking strictly to their Anti-Candida/Anti-Allergy Program. The other reasons are long-term high levels of stress hormones in the blood which lower the body’s resistance, and neurokinin.
Hard-chargers are prone to bad posture. Being always on the go they tend to sit on the edge of chairs and hunch forward over desks, typewriters and computers. This in time strains the neck, shoulder and back muscles. The head weighs 7-9 kg (15-20 lb) and this perpendicular posture with a forward-bending of the head places great strain on the neck muscles, which keep the head from falling forward, back or sideways.
To get some appreciation of what this does to the neck muscles, imagine what expanding a Bullworker to 9 kg (20 lb) of pressure and holding it for eight hours would do to your arm and chest muscles. If the perpendicular, forward-bending, while perched on the end of the chair, posture is combined with a lot of rushing around and speeding in cars the muscles tighten even more. Working under pressure and taking on too much work gives rise to rushing and speeding.
Poor fluid intake and poor oxygen intake also tighten muscles. The muscles are about 70 per cent water and if these levels drop below 70 per cent the muscle tends to shrink. A shrunken muscle is a tight muscle that does not respond well to any method that is used to relax it, whether it is deep breathing exercises, massage, meditation, heat or Valium. Fully hydrated muscles expand to their normal size and are much easier to relax.
Adequate oxygen is needed to facilitate the metabolic processes of muscular expansion and contraction. Oxygen-deficient muscles (hypoxia) are more prone to fatigue, tightening and pain as any out-of-condition person knows when they suddenly take up a vigorous exercise regime. A lack of vitamins and minerals, especially the B vitamins, calcium, iron, zinc and magnesium, interfere with muscle cell metabolism and predispose muscles to spasm (tight, sustained contraction).
In addition to correct diet, deep breathing exercises, adequate fluid intake and the mental relaxation exercises, close attention must be paid to posture if tight muscles, pain and the allergy-mimicking symptoms they produce are to be overcome. Sit back in chairs. By using the support of the chair back you reduce the strain on the back and neck muscles which no longer have to work hard to keep you upright.
If having to bend forward to do paperwork take the weight of your head on your hand with the elbow supported by a pile of books. If your shoulder and neck muscles are already sore sit with a warm hot water bottle on them for ten minutes at night while relaxing in front of the TV. To thoroughly negate the stresses and strains imposed by the perpendicular forward-bending posture we need to regularly practise the opposite posture, that is, horizontal bending back.
The best way to exercise this posture is by swimming backstroke two to three times per week in warm water. Follow this with a warm shower, never a cold one (heat expands, cold contracts and tight, sore muscles are contracted muscles), with the jets of warm water being trained directly on the tightest, most painful spots. Make sure while swimming that you look at the roof, not the end of the pool. Looking at the end of the pool cranes the neck forward and strains the muscles. Don’t rush, this is a time to relax. Do a length and take a rest. Breathe deeply and slowly during this time then do another length. Do not be competitive about this swimming exercise. This is a time for therapy not a time for goal setting. If you’re not a swimmer then Tai Chi, yogic walking and yoga are just as effective for releasing tight neck, back and shoulder muscles. No head, neck or shoulder stands though if you do yoga.
In addition to straining neck and back muscles the posture of perpendicular forward-bending tends to round the shoulders forward so that chest expansion is restricted. This same posture forces the lower ribs down into the abdomen restricting the action of the diaphragm. Shallow breathing results, giving rise to oxygen deficiency, which tightens muscles, which in turn reduces chest expansion and perpetuates shallow breathing. A vicious circle is born which gets the sufferer more uptight and tired, which aggravates the collapsed state of the perpendicular forward-bending posture. Is it any wonder those who rush get less done, make more mistakes and have to repeat more of their work. The distraction of the pain and the lack of oxygen in their brain greatly affect concentration, comprehension and memory. In the initial stages of your muscle relaxation regimen it pays to consult your osteopath or chiropractor for heat, massage and manipulation of the muscles and vertebrae. This will accelerate your recovery.
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