We’ve all been there. You’re plowing through your day, not even realizing tension is building up until it hits you – the stress manifesting as achy shoulders, a stiff neck and sometimes a throbbing headache to go with it.
You might find temporary relief from heat packs, well-meaning shoulder rubs from family, or even professional massages, but these solutions often feel like drops in the ocean of relief you’re seeking.
The root causes of this relentless discomfort are often a combination of spinal misalignments, poor posture, and an overload of stress. Let’s delve a bit deeper into these issues and explore how to eliminate this draining issue.
Your neck isn’t designed for modern life
Your neck and upper back are tasked with the hefty job of supporting your head.
Modern lifestyles exerts unprecedented strain on these areas, pushing the spine past its healthy limits for hours on end. Misalignments, irritated nerves, and tense muscles follow, initiating a cycle of pain, headaches and limited mobility.
Why won’t the tension let up?
Muscle tension is often a protective mechanism your body uses when the spinal joints “lock up”. It’s a protective mechanism trying to avoid further damage to the area.
Patients are amazed that without working directly on the muscles, the tension lets go on its own when spinal function is restored. Only through restoring proper alignment and motion can lasting relief be achieved.
Every inch your head leans forward adds 10 lbs!
Forward head posture adds significant stress to our neck, shoulders, and spine. Engrossed in our devices, we often find ourselves in a hunched posture for hours on end.
This unnatural alignment disrupts the spine’s stability, contributing to chronic pain and tension.
This is why at Pure-Health we put such a large emphasis on easy posture corrective techniques. If we don’t teach you how to correct your posture, the issues will return over and over.
Stress affects posture and creates tension.
Think about something that makes you happy…do you notice how you want to sit relaxed and upright? Now think about the co-worker who drives you crazy and all the work you have to get done before your deadline. Did you notice how you tend to slump and tension builds in your shoulders?
We’re used to seeing this in our animals. Dogs tuck their tails when they’re stressed and stretch themselves out when they’re happy. The same thing is happening in our bodies, we’re just not often conscious of it.
Stress causes us to slump, or makes us clench our jaw and raise our shoulders to our ears. This is why we encourage proper breathing and stretch breaks throughout the day in order to create a mental and physical “reset”.
What’s the Best Desk Stretch?
The best desk stretch opens up the muscles in the front of the shoulders and neck in order to restore proper alignment after a day at your desk. See below for our favourite and an incredibly effective follow-along routine.
It’s Not Your Fault
We recognize that many of us are stuck in positions that contribute to this tension all day, whether it’s sitting at a desk, looking down at your phone, or performing repetitive tasks. These are unavoidable aspects of modern life but it’s clear that we need to put extra emphasis on feeling our best.
We understand life’s busy and have made pain relief and posture correction easy to implement into your day.
First visit to a chiropractor?
We’re committed to making you feel at ease.
We understand that visiting a chiropractor can be an unfamiliar experience, that’s why our doctors make it a priority to clearly explain the process before any adjustments. If you’d prefer to avoid manual adjustments, they can provide a gentle alternative that provides the same life changing relief.
Imagine a life where neck and shoulder tension doesn’t weigh you down; where your productivity, creativity, and clarity of thought are enhanced because you feel physically and mentally better. This isn’t just a dream—it’s a realistic outcome that we help patients achieve daily.
Don’t lose days due to tension and pain. If you’re suffering please contact us and let’s see if we can help.
