Comments on: Ask Laura: Neck Stiffness http://www.starling-fitness.com/archives/2006/01/26/ask-laura-neck-stiffness/ Daily writings about fitness, diet, and health Thu, 11 Mar 2010 22:38:13 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Mary Kavanagh, Dublin http://www.starling-fitness.com/archives/2006/01/26/ask-laura-neck-stiffness/#comment-68186 Mary Kavanagh, Dublin Wed, 03 Jan 2007 23:01:46 +0000 http://www.starling-fitness.com/?p=540#comment-68186 <p>Laura, this might help "Mike" and "bid". An Indian friend of mine gave me this sequence of exercisesfor neck stiffness:</p> <p>sit straight, looking straight in front of you. 1] Bring your head slowly down towards your chest, then back up to starting point. Let the head back as far as it will comfortably go, then bring back to upright position.</p> <p>2] While still sitting upright turn the head to the right so you're looking in that direction, then back to central position. Now repat same movement to your left.</p> <p>3] While looking straight ahead drop your head down towards your shoulder as far as it will go without straining. Straighten up, then drop your head to the left in the same manner, then straightening it up.</p> <p>I do each of these movements as as continuous exercise, counting to either 3 or 5 for each head movement.</p> <p>When I started the exercises I was using a neck brace. I was in constant pain and was hardly able to move my head. I couldn't turn my head and so couldn't drive (reversing was an impossibility). After about two weeks of doing the exercises morning and evening I found a huge improvement and after about a month the stiffness was almost gone. The secret to the exercises is to take them very slowly and only move your head as far as it will go without any strain. Keep doing them even if there seems to be no improvement. Hopefully you will have the same results I did. </p> <p>If "Mike's" case, when he feels stiff after his run, he should do each of these head movements about five times as smoothly and slowly as possible. They should ease out the muscle tightness after running.</p> <p>Hope this helps. Sorry about the length of the post.</p> <p>Mary, Dublin</p> Laura, this might help “Mike” and “bid”. An Indian friend of mine gave me this sequence of exercisesfor neck stiffness:

sit straight, looking straight in front of you.
1] Bring your head slowly down towards your chest, then back up to starting point. Let the head back as far as it will comfortably go, then bring back to upright position.

2] While still sitting upright turn the head to the right so you’re looking in that direction, then back to central position. Now repat same movement to your left.

3] While looking straight ahead drop your head down towards your shoulder as far as it will go without straining. Straighten up, then drop your head to the left in the same manner, then straightening it up.

I do each of these movements as as continuous exercise, counting to either 3 or 5 for each head movement.

When I started the exercises I was using a neck brace. I was in constant pain and was hardly able to move my head. I couldn’t turn my head and so couldn’t drive (reversing was an impossibility). After about two weeks of doing the exercises morning and evening I found a huge improvement and after about a month the stiffness was almost gone. The secret to the exercises is to take them very slowly and only move your head as far as it will go without any strain. Keep doing them even if there seems to be no improvement. Hopefully you will have the same results I did.

If “Mike’s” case, when he feels stiff after his run, he should do each of these head movements about five times as smoothly and slowly as possible. They should ease out the muscle tightness after running.

Hope this helps. Sorry about the length of the post.

Mary, Dublin

]]> By: bid http://www.starling-fitness.com/archives/2006/01/26/ask-laura-neck-stiffness/#comment-44289 bid Mon, 18 Sep 2006 19:46:42 +0000 http://www.starling-fitness.com/?p=540#comment-44289 <p>please i whant some one to help me in a neck stiffness</p> please i whant some one to help me in a neck stiffness

]]> By: Cassandra Batson LMT http://www.starling-fitness.com/archives/2006/01/26/ask-laura-neck-stiffness/#comment-34683 Cassandra Batson LMT Sun, 09 Jul 2006 13:26:28 +0000 http://www.starling-fitness.com/?p=540#comment-34683 <p>Neck stiffness when starting a running (or any new cardio) program is not uncommon. It is usually brought on by overworking the accessory breathing muscles which run from the cervical spine to the first and second ribs. In order to get more oxygen into the system these muscles, known as the scalenes, will contract on the inhale to lift up the first and second ribs to accomodate more oxygen intake into the tops of the lungs. The best way to prevent this is to consciously fill up the lungs progressively from the bottom to the top, make sure you are fully exhaling so that the lungs can get maximum oxygen on the next inhale, and slow the pace down until you can get a handle on relaxing and breathing deeply while running. Once the diaphragm gets stronger and the lung capacity increases, the problem should go away.</p> Neck stiffness when starting a running (or any new cardio) program is not uncommon. It is usually brought on by overworking the accessory breathing muscles which run from the cervical spine to the first and second ribs. In order to get more oxygen into the system these muscles, known as the scalenes, will contract on the inhale to lift up the first and second ribs to accomodate more oxygen intake into the tops of the lungs. The best way to prevent this is to consciously fill up the lungs progressively from the bottom to the top, make sure you are fully exhaling so that the lungs can get maximum oxygen on the next inhale, and slow the pace down until you can get a handle on relaxing and breathing deeply while running. Once the diaphragm gets stronger and the lung capacity increases, the problem should go away.

]]> By: rebecca http://www.starling-fitness.com/archives/2006/01/26/ask-laura-neck-stiffness/#comment-1653 rebecca Sun, 23 Apr 2006 04:52:01 +0000 http://www.starling-fitness.com/?p=540#comment-1653 <p>when i first started running that happened to me all the time- i think i could have gone miles farther without the neck stiffness. i'm not sure what finally helped me, but it was one of these things 1) yoga 2) weight training 3) just running enough that eventually i built up whatever muscles were causing my neck to tense up 4) making sure I kept my arms loose</p> when i first started running that happened to me all the time- i think i could have gone miles farther without the neck stiffness. i’m not sure what finally helped me, but it was one of these things 1) yoga 2) weight training 3) just running enough that eventually i built up whatever muscles were causing my neck to tense up 4) making sure I kept my arms loose

]]>