3 Ways to Release Neck & Shoulder Tension at Home
Here are a couple of tips to release neck and shoulder tension at home.
1. Simple Breath Exercise
Holding our breath is a common way we can unnecessarily increase tension in our neck and shoulders. Our held breath restricts movement in our main breathing muscle, the diaphragm. As a result, we use the muscles around our shoulders and neck to breathe. These muscles are called accessory breathing muscles and are meant to be used when we are running, exercising intensely or escaping a threat.
To use your diaphragm for breathing & induce the relaxation response in your body, try this: lie on your back with your hands on your lower belly. Inhale for a count of 5, feeling for movement in your lower belly, and exhale for a count of 8. Making an audible sigh is helpful in releasing tension in your body too. Do this for 5 full breaths. Done once or twice/day, can help to release unnecessary tension in the neck and shoulders.
2. Neck Tension Releasing Exercise
Our cervical spine needs to be able to move freely throughout our days. One of the motions that we lose when there is excess tension in the shoulders and neck is the ability to turn our heads from side to side and look fully over each shoulder. As a result, we begin avoiding turning our heads fully and compensate by using other parts of our body, like the lower back for instance. Overtime, this can make neck and shoulder tension worse as less blood flow moves to this area from the lack of regular movement. To improve motion in the neck and help cue the body’s relaxation response, try this: look over one shoulder, and hold for 3-5 seconds. Take a deep breath in and out and return your head to centre. Repeat on the other side. Move slowly & try this at least 3 times/day.
Oftentimes, neck and shoulder tension is coming from restriction in other parts of our body, like our upper back and rib cage. This is a common issue, caused by frequent smart phone texting and scrolling, work that involves a lot of sitting or driving, and/or lack of physical movement. One way we can free up our upper back and rib cage area is through regular movement that involves rotation. The simple act of rotating regularly through our thoracic spine can do wonders for freeing up tension in our neck and shoulders. Try this: either sitting or standing, place your arms across your chest like an “x”, as if you are hugging yourself. Start to turn your upper body from side to side, imagining the movement originating right at the base of your ribcage. Quicken the pace of the turning, bringing a steady rhythm into the movement. You can now let your arms down and allow them to swing by your sides as you turn. Do this 3 times/day for as many repetitions as feels good. You may notice you’re able to take a deep breath as you do this or immediately afterwards. As always, an audible sigh on the exhale helps reset our body and nervous system.
3. Get Enough Magnesium
Magnesium acts as a natural muscle relaxant. When levels of this mineral are too low in the body, muscles may contract too much and cause symptoms such as muscle spasms or cramps in the neck and shoulder area. Getting enough magnesium through the diet is essential.
Foods that are richest in magnesium include: pumpkin seeds, cooked spinach & swiss chard, black beans, flaxseeds, almonds, & cashews. Taking a magnesium supplement, such as magnesium bisglycinate. The best time to take this supplement is before bed, as it can also help us get better sleep.
Along with magnesium, it goes without saying that keeping ourselves adequately hydrated throughout the day is essential to keeping our bodies mobile. Grab your favourite glass, mug or water bottle right now and take a swig. Your neck and shoulders will benefit ;)
Read more below about how Osteopathy views and works with pain….
Osteopathic Treatment Incorporates Your Whole Body.
Osteopathy is a form of manual therapy that focuses on TOTAL BODY HEALTH. Our bodies are connected through connective tissue called fascia. Fascia is continuous from the bottom of our feet to the top of our heads. Muscles work in groups rather than isolation and the imbalance in one joint affects all other joints in the body. Therefore, to address the source of pain in your body, all tissues and all parts must be incorporated in treatment. If you come for an Osteopathy session to help with a painful shoulder, don't be alarmed if I include the treatment of your upper ribs, cervical spine and even your jaw and lower back. This is because all these areas can influence the shoulder and without addressing each part that is contributing to the shoulder disfunction, treatment is just a band-aid cure.
The Goal of Treatment is to Find the Source of Pain & Imbalance
The goal of Osteopathic treatment is to find the source of the pain or dysfunction instead of simply treating the symptoms. This is done with a thorough knowledge of the anatomy of the body (including not only the muscles and fascia but the nerves, arteries, veins and lymphatics). With this understanding of anatomy and the knowledge that the whole body is a unit (rather than a combination of separate parts), an Osteopathic treatment plan is focused on resolving the source of an issue rather than just treating the presenting symptom. Our bodies are very good at compensating for underlying imbalances for a long time. It is usually when the body can no longer compensate for an imbalance that symptoms begin to arise (often in a body part distant from the original part in dysfunction). As such, the underlying imbalances must be treated in order for the pain or symptom to be resolved.
Osteopathy Works With The Nervous System
Osteopathy involves gentle & non-invasive manipulations aimed to improve the structural alignment & mobility of your body. It does this in a way that appeals to your nervous system. What does this mean? Well, when something painful or forceful is done to our body, our tissues tighten against the painful sensation. While we may feel better initially or even experience the release of endorphins, the results of such treatment may not be long standing and we can find ourselves needing to get the same treatment repeatedly. This is because forceful change can be overstimulating for our nervous system, making it hard for treatments to "hold". Osteopathy is always looking to make changes with the least bodily resistance as possible. This leads to treatments feeling fairly gentle, however, just like drops of water can erode a rock surface over time, gentle work can produce permanent & lasting changes in the body.