Understanding the Six Ranges of Motion in Your Spine
Hey, guys. Today, I’m going to show you some simple things you can do for your neck at home to help if there’s just mild, low-level neck pain or muscle tension.
I do a lot of this myself when I have to go to a seminar and do continuing education, sitting in a chair for 10 hours a day, or when I’m on a long plane ride. Nothing makes my neck stiffer than a plane ride.
Some simple things to understand are that there are six ranges of motion in your spine. Your spine goes front to back, side to side, and in rotation back and forth.
One simple thing to do is just start to free that up and create mechanical motion in your discs, joint spaces, and ligaments.
Moving Your Neck Front to Back
Simply move your neck front to back, just as far as you can comfortably go without hurting your neck.
Go back and forth, and you can really start to get some momentum and warm it up with a smooth, continuous motion just to loosen it up.
Moving Your Neck Side to Side
You can also move your ear toward your shoulder. Don’t cheat and bring your shoulder to your ear. Simply move side to side and work on freeing up all those little adhesions or stuck tissues.
Rotating Toward Your Shoulders
The last motion is rotating toward the shoulder. In the same way, don’t turn your body. That’s not making the motion happen.
You’re simply rotating side to side, side to side. I go through each of those motions.
Stretching the Sides of Your Neck
Another simple stretch you can do is take one hand, place it on the side of your head, and pull. Stretch, drop, and relax your shoulder to create separation and space.
Hold this for anywhere from 20 to 40 seconds, according to your tolerance. Then switch sides and hold according to your tolerance.
There’s a slightly similar stretch you can do, but it works a different muscle grouping. You can slightly turn to the side and place your hand more toward the back of your head.
Hold here, drop your shoulder, and create space. Pull slightly forward, and you’ll feel that stretch in a different plane over a different muscle.
Do the same thing on the other side. Pull forward, drop the shoulder, relax, and stretch straight down through there.
Those are some simple things you can do.
Correcting Forward Computer Posture
Over time, we can get stuck in that forward computer posture, with our scapula rounding forward and our neck going too far forward. One simple thing we need to do regularly is get our scapula coming back so our head can come back over the shoulder.
If our scapula are rounded, we’re never going to be able to get our head back over the shoulder. The first thing is that we have to be able to get our sternum up and bring our scapula from a rounded position back into a relaxed posture. That will allow the head to come back over the shoulder.
The Y-W-T-L Exercises
A couple of exercises I love are called Y-W-T-L. For each position, I’m going to squeeze as if I’m trying to touch my scapula together. I’ll progressively start at the top and go slightly lower each time.
The Y Position
The first one is the Y, like the YMCA.
The key here is good posture, arms straight, and thumbs rolled back in a Y or YMCA pose. You’re going to hold that position while squeezing and isometrically contracting your scapula back together.
Hold that position for anywhere from 15 to 30 seconds.
The W Position
Then, go down into a W shape, making a W with your two arms and making sure your thumbs are rolled back.
Do the same thing. Don’t hyperextend your back. Stand with your head over your shoulders, squeeze, and hold for 15 to 30 seconds.
The T Position
Then, go into a T shape, as if you’re making a T with your body. Keep your thumbs rolled back and your head over your shoulders.
You don’t want to be out in front or hyperextended. Maintain a nice, neutral posture, extend, and hold that pose.
The L Position
The last one, the hardest one, and the most important one is as if you’re going to make two L shapes.
The motion is as if you were going to touch your elbows together behind your back, with your thumbs still rolled back. Move straight down and back, straight down and back.
When you reach your maximum motion, squeeze and hold that pose. That will feel great, stretching those scapula back.
