https://courtneywoodosteopathy.com/blog daily 0.75 2026-01-23 https://courtneywoodosteopathy.com/blog/guest-blog-how-expert-lactation-support-encourages-comfort-for-you-and-your-babyosteopathtoronto monthly 0.5 2026-01-23 https://courtneywoodosteopathy.com/blog/digestive-healthosteopathtoronto monthly 0.5 2023-08-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601066b16a7f163521799eb0/6619d4b5-bcb1-474d-8807-9496ed2d2f3b/Jennifer+Drummond.png Blog - Guest Blog: Naturopathy & Digestive Health - Jennifer Drummond is a naturopathic doctor with a practice in Toronto, On. You can find out more about her on her website at https://jdnd.ca/ https://courtneywoodosteopathy.com/blog/blame-it-on-your-stress-hormonesosteopathtoronto monthly 0.5 2025-10-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601066b16a7f163521799eb0/1684703116438-E06DWIZFF8YEI4928P30/image-asset.jpeg Blog - Guest Blog: Blame it on Your Stress Hormones Do you have trouble sleeping at night? Do you wake up tired in the morning? Do you feel like you could nap at 10am or 3pm every day, even though you get enough sleep? Are you exhausted all day but then have trouble sleeping at night? Are headaches, brain fog and trouble focusing a regular occurrence? Do you feel overwhelmed, anxious and incapable of coping with even a small amount of stress anymore? Blame it on your stress hormones - specifically cortisol. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601066b16a7f163521799eb0/6b3a49e1-8e36-4e5d-9193-dc3fda510365/Jordan+Comerford+pic.jpg Blog - Guest Blog: Blame it on Your Stress Hormones - Jordan Comerford is a burnout & health coach with a wealth of knowledge to help you feel & live better. You can find out more information about her services on her website: https://www.jcwellness.co/ https://courtneywoodosteopathy.com/blog/guest-blog-nutrition-osteopath monthly 0.5 2023-05-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601066b16a7f163521799eb0/736da5b0-0f64-4360-bd1e-659d28c01526/Carol+coates.png Blog - Guest Blog: The Truth About Belly Fat - Carol Coates is an Holistic Nutritionist and owner of Belly Smiles. You can find out more about her and her services by visiting her website https://bellysmiles.ca https://courtneywoodosteopathy.com/blog/pilates-osteopath monthly 0.5 2023-05-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601066b16a7f163521799eb0/1cf37e93-a134-4bb6-9c9c-50e892dd0776/MYPILATESHOME1.jpeg Blog - Guest Blog: Pilates Has Got Your Back  - Developed in the early 20th century by Joseph Pilates, the method involves a series of low-impact movements and stretches that target the deep muscles of the abdomen and back, as well as the muscles of the hips, legs, and arms. Pilates can be done on a mat or using specialized equipment, such as a reformer, and it is often used by athletes, dancers, and individuals seeking to improve their overall fitness and well-being. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601066b16a7f163521799eb0/6b72301f-13f5-4bf8-9cfd-9fb196f336d2/MYPILATESHOME2.jpeg Blog - Guest Blog: Pilates Has Got Your Back  - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://courtneywoodosteopathy.com/blog/guest-blog-liver-spring-cleanse-osteopath monthly 0.5 2023-05-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601066b16a7f163521799eb0/c0b2e025-209b-42db-97cf-b50697dbb990/unsplash-image-L82-kkEBOd0.jpg Blog - Guest Blog: LOVE YOUR LIVER - The Importance of a Spring Cleanse - Why Detox Why Detox One of the main ways that the body rids itself of toxins is through the liver. In fact, the liver is one of the hardest working organs in the body. From environmental pollutants, additives, medications, chemicals in cosmetics to an abundance in alcohol, drugs and coffee, our liver has to process it all. Add in stress and emotional factors and sometimes this organ extraordinaire simply cannot keep up. You may need to take a step back and minimize these stressors on your body. Even if you’re in optimal health generally it’s beneficial to do at least one liver cleanse a year. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601066b16a7f163521799eb0/c636d8bb-61b3-43f1-a3bb-a7d65b456e6c/Kriss+Grcic.png Blog - Guest Blog: LOVE YOUR LIVER - The Importance of a Spring Cleanse - Kriss Grcic is an experienced Registered Chinese Medical practitioner and acupuncturist for over 13 years. She helps clients across Toronto and the GTA live their best lives. With compassion, commitment and care, her approach to integrated healing reflects her attitude to life. Striving to understand individuals’ uniqueness and seeking how we are connected as a whole, is what fuels Kriss professionally and personally. Whether she is assessing a first-time patient or addressing a workshop audience, preparing her young, active daughter’s lunch or playing a DJ set at a local event, well-being is always at the top of her mind, body and soul. https://courtneywoodosteopathy.com/blog/guest-blog-top-5-benefits-of-strength-training-for-women-health-osteopath monthly 0.5 2023-05-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601066b16a7f163521799eb0/1679483844376-6PHFS3TMPTCKJ7RA9VCH/unsplash-image-FMQBLyhD2HU.jpg Blog - Guest Blog: Top 5 Benefits of Strength Training for Women Health "I don't lift weights because I don't want to get bulky" .. "i'm trying to lose weight and burn fat so i'm just focusing on cardio" .. "I just want to tone up so i'm using really light weights" .. "I don't use weights because I don't know what i'm doing and have hurt myself in the past"… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601066b16a7f163521799eb0/918edbbd-8e58-46a3-8407-dbbbb4be3f11/Lindsay+Saye.jpg Blog - Guest Blog: Top 5 Benefits of Strength Training for Women Health Lindsay is the founder of FIIT Squad, a local Birchcliff gym at 1429 Kingston Road, Toronto, Ontario. Here, she delivers functional and intelligent interval training. You can find out more information here https://fiitsquad.ca/home https://courtneywoodosteopathy.com/blog/improve-your-balance-using-these-three-restorative-exercises-osteopath monthly 0.5 2023-05-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601066b16a7f163521799eb0/1675605175835-TEV70BFCDYJQD81WSQ2P/unsplash-image-Mof1w0Jn3HA.jpg Blog - Guest Blog: Improve Your Balance Using These 3 Restorative Exercises - Make it stand out When working on balance, our goal might be task driven (walking, skiing, hiking), whereas the goal of the Central Nervous System is to keep us safe and protected. In that sense, your nervous system has a lot of tools at its disposal including the muscular system, the nervous system, the vestibular and visual systems, and proprioception. For example, you have abundant sensory nerves in the sole of your foot that send information to the brain to map the ground under your foot, enabling the various joints between the foot and the brain to adjust accordingly. That is not a conscious decision on your part but it is one way our bodies maintain equilibrium that is often stifled in our modern world by thick, stiff soled shoes and an environment that never changes (flat level and hard concrete in the case of an urban sidewalk). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601066b16a7f163521799eb0/1675603547467-JJHEDY1K44FJNAFART45/unsplash-image-sobXgw6KfiQ.jpg Blog - Guest Blog: Improve Your Balance Using These 3 Restorative Exercises https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601066b16a7f163521799eb0/1675603858501-FWP8PVC1CI51G48EUJEL/unsplash-image-1z9ziLqz6lI.jpg Blog - Guest Blog: Improve Your Balance Using These 3 Restorative Exercises - Walking is not falling You might have heard that walking is simply controlled falling. In fact, this is how most people are walking - but it doesn’t have to be that way. If your body is lurching forward in space and your legs are basically catching up all the time, statistically you will end up on your nose at some point. In a vicious circle, our stride length shortens as we attempt to stay balanced and because our stride length shortens, we lose the ability to stay on one leg longer and end up shuffling and unable to deal with obstacles. The calf musculature on the back of your lower legs is shortened when we wear heeled shoes and sit (one of those muscles crosses both the ankle and the knee). When these muscles are short, the heel has to leave the ground sooner as the muscle’s lengthening potential is reached, and this both shortens our stride and decreases the amount of hip extension we get with each step. Longer calves allow us to move with a fuller expression of the ankle, knee and hip joints and improves our balance as with each step we are not getting lurched forward by acceleration forces from the calf! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601066b16a7f163521799eb0/1675604586957-TZ7V47PF3FKI2CTVIAZP/unsplash-image-_r19nfvS3wY.jpg Blog - Guest Blog: Improve Your Balance Using These 3 Restorative Exercises - Make it stand out Walking is a Single Leg Activity https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601066b16a7f163521799eb0/efb332fc-08e6-479e-b2d3-45a8e2e11e94/Carol+Robbins+Pic.jpg Blog - Guest Blog: Improve Your Balance Using These 3 Restorative Exercises Carol Robbins is a Restorative Exercise Specialist and movement educator in the beaches area of Toronto. She teaches Dynamic Ageing and runs a movement membership for women 50-70 (ish) online at https://www.carolrobbins.ca/ You can follow her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/AlignmentREScue or on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/alignment_rescue/ https://courtneywoodosteopathy.com/blog/inflammation-osteopath monthly 0.5 2023-05-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601066b16a7f163521799eb0/1675020112804-UOOF961FF3UHNCXXSAAV/unsplash-image-2X-6XZtCelM.jpg Blog - Keys to Decreasing Inflammation - Key # 1 Increase Healthy Gut Bacteria Our gut is home to loads of bacteria, much of which is being shown to have a role in decreasing inflammation. The bacteria in our gut is known as the microbiota. The proliferation of the wrong kind of microbiota may lead to inflammatory issues in the body, research is showing. Diversity is key when it comes to our gut bacteria! Our microbiota depends on having fibre rich foods that contain pre-biotic compounds as well as fermented foods that contain pro-biotic compounds. Consider: 1. Eating these foods often to increase the good bacteria in your gut: - kim chi - sauerkraut - grass-fed yogurt or kefir (unsweetened) - oat meal - apples https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601066b16a7f163521799eb0/1675020240680-DCHMFWCLYNYO274X8QEM/unsplash-image-lUQf5XDaVy0.jpg Blog - Keys to Decreasing Inflammation - Key # 2 Add Superfoods to Your Diet After eliminating or reducing common irritants to our digestive system, it’s important to add other foods which are nourishing and filled with anti-inflammatory compounds. These include: fruits and vegetables from all colour groups (white, red, orange, yellow, green, blue & purple). Make sure you’re getting a variety of different fruits and vegetables on a daily basis. Consider: 1. Try to eat 5-7 servings of fruits and vegetables per day 2. Eat lots of colourful vegetables every day 3. Incorporate beans & lentils everyday 4. Eat whole grains (preferably those not containing gluten) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601066b16a7f163521799eb0/1675021940164-HT7RP2A6TTU2J2ZYQN7E/unsplash-image--hNBS5q5klc.jpg Blog - Keys to Decreasing Inflammation - Key # 3 Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate… A dehydrated body is a stressed body & stress is a major source of inflammation. We all know water is good for us, but we may not understand how it can help our body lower inflammation. All of the systems of our body (reproductive, digestive, lymphatic etc) all rely on water for proper functioning. When our cells become dehydrated due to insufficient water intake, our bodily systems cannot function effectively. This means that the normal anti-inflammatory processes in the body cannot do their job. Water allows our muscles to work properly, helps regulate our body temperature, dissolves minerals and nutrients making them accessible to the body, helps prevent constipation, lubricates the joints, reduces burden on kidney and liver, flushing out waste products. Consider: 1. Drinking water often & in fairly large amounts each day. 2. You should try to urinate once every couple of hours. If your urine is dark, you need to drink more water. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601066b16a7f163521799eb0/48f4cbab-8421-45d3-aa4a-8485f4f3e7a3/unsplash-image-3oxa_NIv6Jg.jpg Blog - Keys to Decreasing Inflammation - Key # 4 Decrease Gut Irritants If our gut is inflamed, the stage is set for whole body inflammation to take place. It’s therefore important to heal our gut of any inflammation so that we have improved assimilation of all the anti-inflammatory compounds in the foods we eat. Common gut irritants include: gluten, dairy, egg, soy, corn, refined sugar, & refined flour. Consider: Eliminating or reducing the foods listed above for 1 month and notice if there is any difference in how your whole body feels. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601066b16a7f163521799eb0/1675022240702-YJW3YNT1FGJRISF969A9/unsplash-image-0Ymt53tBapQ.jpg Blog - Keys to Decreasing Inflammation - Key # 5 Get Enough Sleep Sleep rejuvenates and detoxifies our body. There is mounting evidence supporting the link between sleep and hormonal imbalance, cognitive performance, appetite and metabolism, and even the development of cancer. During the daytime, our body produces a hormone called cortisol. This hormone helps us deal with normal daily stressors. At high levels, which can happen during prolonged stress, cortisol can lead to inflammation in the body. How does this connect to sleep? Well, when there is a sleep deficit, cortisol breaks down more slowly in our body, which can then lead to higher levels of inflammation. Another important aspect of sleep is its antioxidant potential. Since sleep deprivation negatively affects our immune system and creates higher oxidative stress in our cells, sleep does the opposite and actually restores us at a cellular level, protecting our bodies from cellular damage. This is why we generally recover much faster from a cold or virus when we give ourselves enough time to sleep. Consider: 1. Exercise early in the day. 2. Avoid eating close to bedtime, especially if you have issues with heartburn 3. Keep your room dark during the night 4. Get outside during the daylight hours 5. Turn off electronics 1-2 hours before bedtime. 6. Try a natural sleep-aid. If none of the above items help, you may want to consider supplementing with some natural sleep-aids before bed. Some examples are: - Passion Flower - Ashwagandha - Magnesium Bisglycinate https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601066b16a7f163521799eb0/1675022693070-QNN0DT818G294ZQ3C2GJ/unsplash-image-IbL3Zd62Q7Q.jpg Blog - Keys to Decreasing Inflammation - Key # 6 Eat Healthy Fats The information out there on which fats to eat and which fats to avoid can be confusing for many! To simplify, it’s safe to say that avoiding trans fats is a good way to decrease inflammation in the body. Manufacturers create most trans fats when hydrogen is added to vegetable oil. This process keeps the oil solid at room temperature and extends its shelf life. You’ll find trans fats in commercial baked goods, fried foods and margarine. Ideally, you should consume no added trans fats at all. Omega 6 fatty acids are also shown to have a pro-inflammatory effect in the body. These are found in the oils of corn, safflower, sunflower, soy and vegetable and products made with those oils. Fats that are shown to have anti-inflammatory benefits are Omega 3 fatty acids. These are found in the following foods: oily fish, flaxseeds and walnuts. Other sources of healthy fats include avocados, raw seeds such as sesame, pumpkin, sunflower and chia. Consider: 1. Eliminating fats that are in the trans fat or Omega 6 category listed above 2. Eat daily those foods in the anti-inflammatory category above. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601066b16a7f163521799eb0/1675022800425-XCEAW7T6WEDRTD3J2H1Q/unsplash-image-EZWTMjwAWls.jpg Blog - Keys to Decreasing Inflammation - Key # 7 Supplement Up! There are certain compounds that are very potent in decreasing inflammation in the body. Some of them contain spices that are commonly used in cooking, such as ginger, black pepper or turmeric, and others contain essential fatty acids. From my experience as a Holistic Nutritionist, here are the ones I’ve seen work best for people: 1. High quality Omega Fish Oil supplement (from NutraSea, Alpha Omega or Nordic Naturals) 2. High quality Curcumin supplement (from AOR, Natural Factors or SISU) It’s also helpful to cook often with anti-inflammatory herbs such as rosemary, cinnamon, ginger, turmeric and garlic. https://courtneywoodosteopathy.com/blog/tag/back+pain monthly 0.5 https://courtneywoodosteopathy.com/blog/tag/Osteopathic+treatment monthly 0.5 https://courtneywoodosteopathy.com/blog/tag/scarborough monthly 0.5 https://courtneywoodosteopathy.com/blog/tag/toronto monthly 0.5 https://courtneywoodosteopathy.com/blog/tag/Osteopathic+treatment+for+back+pain monthly 0.5 https://courtneywoodosteopathy.com/home daily 1.0 2026-03-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601066b16a7f163521799eb0/4dc1123f-be9d-49da-acbb-c3b7ed65a332/courtney-wellness-branding-shoot-77.jpg Keys to Decreasing Chronic Inflammation - Osteopathy Courtney offers Osteopathic manual therapy to resolve chronic and acute pain. Osteopathy is a hands-on therapy that is non-invasive and geared toward helping the body self-heal & self-regulate. It is a whole body approach that emphasizes the structural and functional integrity of the entire system. Manual osteopathic practitioners use a range of treatments, including working with the soft tissues of the body (fascia and muscles) as well as with the joints, ligaments and bones. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601066b16a7f163521799eb0/116924e0-5e9e-4551-a77c-c13367dd9eda/2023treatmentpicSTA.jpg Keys to Decreasing Chronic Inflammation - “I originally came to Courtney for the treatment of chronic pain in my shoulders and arms. I wanted to reduce or eliminate pain improve my range of motion in my shoulders. I keep coming back to Courtney because she doesn’t just treat the target area but instead treats my whole body from head to toe. I always feel so much better after the treatment. She is very professional and personable. She ask questions and provides valuable information.” ~ Kelly https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601066b16a7f163521799eb0/ea2e2b64-10e6-4bd1-95e6-20d6655ab0e7/2023headshotd.jpg Keys to Decreasing Chronic Inflammation - Courtney Wood (M.OMSc) is a Manual Osteopathic Practitioner, Holistic Nutritionist & Comprehensive Pilates Instructor. She is a member of the Ontario Osteopathic Association & offers classical Osteopathic treatment in Toronto. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601066b16a7f163521799eb0/3d45a971-db6f-41a6-b14d-24531a794d41/2023treatmentpic4.jpg Keys to Decreasing Chronic Inflammation - Examples of Conditions Treated: Individuals with the following conditions have reported relief from Osteopathic treatment. Acute and chronic pain of the back, neck, shoulders, hips, knees, ankles, feet Poor mobility/tightness Prenatal & Postnatal related musculoskeletal pain Sciatica & other nerve impingement issues TMJ issues (jaw pain) Digestive issues Headaches/migraines Sleep issues Stress related tension in the body Breathing problems, poor rib mobility Bursitis Arthritis The list is not comprehensive. If you are curious whether Osteopathic treatment could help you, please contact Courtney directly. https://courtneywoodosteopathy.com/osteopathy daily 0.75 2026-01-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601066b16a7f163521799eb0/1b93f593-4dc3-490f-b209-889084b80707/courtney-wellness-branding-shoot-88.jpg Osteopathy Toronto - I help adults with muscle & joint pain caused by everyday stress, work, posture, or aging. I also provide gentle osteopathic care for babies and children, supporting comfort and healthy development at every stage of life. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601066b16a7f163521799eb0/d9714487-0007-490d-93bb-6ba4884467e7/courtney-wellness-branding-shoot-103.jpg Osteopathy Toronto https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601066b16a7f163521799eb0/1748541450867-L8L93U5P2JGB60084AR8/image-asset.jpeg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601066b16a7f163521799eb0/4e41f621-772e-4b6d-ad6a-5abc367efd13/2023assessmentpic1.jpg Osteopathy Toronto https://courtneywoodosteopathy.com/contact daily 0.75 2026-03-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1618497259178-6XJGK9GR6YAVBQL5L519/20140301_Trade-151_012-2.jpg Contact https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1607694583486-2PQT0LQ193RL7MCB6DX4/20140228_Trade+151_0046.jpg Contact https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1607694644871-IC85FNH781UNZSZEGHDR/Aro+Ha_0428.jpg Contact https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601066b16a7f163521799eb0/20e5480b-25b0-4ecb-9b4d-30371ff62ba2/2023clinicshot.jpg Contact https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601066b16a7f163521799eb0/90a8ca14-5b05-4049-86e8-908cefb372da/c2023clinicshot4.jpg Contact https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601066b16a7f163521799eb0/a1ac0832-3d8f-468c-ba88-f7f43ca1dbfd/2023clinicshot2.jpg Contact https://courtneywoodosteopathy.com/faq daily 0.75 2025-08-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601066b16a7f163521799eb0/caeacfaa-fae1-45fa-a2ba-b21f64ab189a/2023plantshot1.jpg FAQ - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://courtneywoodosteopathy.com/help-for-helpers daily 0.75 2022-05-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601066b16a7f163521799eb0/1648479092624-RTW8BFGUI9KK776DFQCS/treatment%2Bpic.jpg Help for Helpers https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601066b16a7f163521799eb0/1648479321129-PPU1P98XA0ONGHKW42AQ/treatment4pic.jpeg Help for Helpers https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601066b16a7f163521799eb0/1648480081882-EVM9HDM1PPX7YP703LC6/Courtney%2527s%2Bheadshot.jpg Help for Helpers https://courtneywoodosteopathy.com/resources daily 0.75 2025-02-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601066b16a7f163521799eb0/1652450466211-O1CV8YB6U3HI1M1HA3IT/unsplash-image-4gcqRf3-f2I.jpg Self Care Tips for Shoulder & Neck Pain - 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. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601066b16a7f163521799eb0/4c178d0f-8abf-4205-a8d7-a7c77a32b28d/unsplash-image-fKddmPKvv9U.jpg Self Care Tips for Shoulder & Neck Pain - 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. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/601066b16a7f163521799eb0/1652450884723-RZ2ZVKRNGARIXW2ZONSN/unsplash-image-J8_U_vokuKk.jpg Self Care Tips for Shoulder & Neck Pain - 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. 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