Neck Pain: Are You Part Of The Problem?

Neck pain is a very common condition and could be due to any number of causes. But is the one causing your problem down to you? Over the last 10 years I have seen many people who unknowingly put stresses and strains on their necks. One question I always ask is:-

Can you point to where your head sits on your spine?

If you're not pointing to the right place - see photo above and note the place where the lines cross - you may be causing your pain as you may be using the 'wrong' muscles attempt to hold you head up.

Most people will point to somewhere lower down and further back to the true location.

Try it. Ask all your friends and see how close they get. I bet very few will get it exactly right!

Its true location (the atlanto-occipital joint) is where the two lines meet in this photo above. It's in the centre of your skull almost level with your eyes.

Was this a surprise? If it was you are not alone. Most adults when ask get no where near to the right place. Does it matter? Absolutely.

Build A Better Picture Before You Move

How you picture your body (your body concept) will determine how you move and use it. How you use your body has consequences for your muscle development. The more you use a muscle the better it gets at doing what you ask it to do. But are you asking your muscles to do the right things?

neck pain and posture

Take a look at this photo and see how an inaccurate concept can lead to neck pain. In A our subject is sitting with the head dropped forward and moves her head from the point marked 'X'. When this was corrected B her head could sit balance right on the top of her spine and its weight (ave 5.2 kg) can pass down its length into the chair. See what the position of the head in A does to her spine causing the neck and back muscles to work to keep her upright.

Please note the position in photo B is not achieved by trying to sit up straight. Check the absence of tension in her lower back - it's not pulled in. Also see the difference in height.

To sit balanced with the weight of your head directly on top of your spine needs virtually no effort.

If the cause of your neck pain is due to how you move and sit, traditional exercises are not going to ultimately change that.

In fact, it could make the condition worse if you do your exercises moving your head from the 'wrong' location re-enforcing the existing bad habit. To bring about real improvements, habits have to change.

My approach to using exercise is different from the conventional way.

The exercises I use re-educate your body resulting in a reduction of stress on the neck and shoulders. When your back muscles are 'working' as nature intended the tension melts away from neck - see box below.

How To Treat Your Stiff Neck

I can guarantee that you'll not have seen my 15 unique neck exercises before, yet any one of these could be the answer to your problem.

For more information please click stiff neck relief.

How to reduce neck pain by changing your concepts
You cannot change how you move without experiencing a different way to move. A catch-22? Not really. It is possible to change your movement patterns by performing the move with a better understanding of the location of your joints. Your neck pain could be a result of inappropriate movement - try our procedure.

Self help for your neck
Here are a few useful products that can help get relief from your neck pain including a memory foam neck pillow which can be very effective for relieving neck pain.

Back pain: is it something you are doing to yourself?
Neck pain is only one of many symptoms that can result from a poor body concept. Are you using your body as efficiently as nature intended?

Want to ask a question?
My view of what fitness means and how it can be attained is different to the conventional approach. If there is anything on this page that you would like to follow up please feel free to contact me