All posts tagged: stress

7 Ways to Prevent Neck Pain

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As a chiropractor neck pain is something I deal with daily. As a result I’m frequently asked what can be done to reduce it. Today I’ll discuss 7 things I’ve found most effective for reducing neck pain.

1. Computer ergonomics. Neck muscles are small and designed for regular motion – looking up, down, side to side, etc. When they remain in a single position for too long they are forced to carry a greater load than what they’re designed for. Staring into computer screens for hours at a time is the most common culprit for this these days.
The fix: Sit with your shoulders back, head in a neutral (not forward) position, use a bigger monitor and make sure your monitor is in front of you and not to one side.

2. Devices. These days most of us have smart phones or tablets that we use regularly (often too regularly). When reading or playing on them we usually do so with our heads bent forward. This puts significant strain on the muscles and vertebrae of the neck leading to potential problems.
The fix: Rather than bringing your head down toward the device, bring the device up toward you so that you can look at it without bending the neck. This will eliminate neck strain.

3. Sleeping position. Another frequent cause of neck pain is a poor sleeping position – often using either too many pillows or too few. This places minimal stress on one side of the neck while applying significant stress on to the other. Signs of this are difficulty falling asleep due to discomfort and/or pain upon waking.
The fix: A pillow with a cervical contour or simply sleeping with a pillow sized so that your neck muscles feel relaxed on both sides when lying on it will help. Also, avoid sleeping on your stomach as this requires your neck to be turned to one side which will inevitably cause problems.

4. Stretch. In my experience while people often take time to stretch their backs, few stretch or loosen their neck muscles. This can lead to tight muscles, lack of mobility and often pain.
The fix: First, perform basic range of motion a few times throughout the day by simply moving your head and neck forward to back, side to side and then tip it from side to side. Next, do these same ranges of motion against resistance. For example, as you rotate your head to the right, do so into your right hand which is applying gentle pressure toward the left. This helps strengthen the muscles of the neck.

5. Posture. If you look at pictures of yourself you may notice that you have a tendency to have your head forward or tipped to one side. These poor positions are common and apply undue stress to the muscles and vertebrae of the neck and upper back leading to pain and other issues.
The fix: Start by drawing your breastbone back to improve your posture, this will keep your shoulders, head and even hips in a neutral, healthier position. Second, I recommend “postural checkpoints.” These are mental prompts you create for yourself to help monitor your posture. For example, if you tend to slouch while driving, create a checkpoint when you stop to remind yourself to “sit up straight.” After a week or two these become automatic and help decrease neck pain (and other pains as well).

6. De-stress. Stress has a negative effect on muscles making them tighter, less mobile and often sore. This is particularly true for the muscles from ranging from the neck down through your middle back.
The fix: There is no one cure for stress but in general things such as meditation, exercise, spending more time with people that build your confidence/make you happy, creating “me time”, having a hobby and other such things are effective.

7. Checkups. As mentioned in my introduction, neck pain is something I deal with daily because of how effective chiropractic can be in curing it. Our spines our constantly pressured via many of the things mentioned in this post. This can lead to arthritic changes of your spine (long term) as well as pressure on nerves that cause pain and other unpleasant symptoms (short or long term).
The fix: Treat your spine like you would your teeth, get regular checkups so that problems do not develop and so you’re not forced to endure unnecessary pain.

Dr. Kenney has won multiple awards for “Best Chiropractor” and specializes in helping patients achieve their goals of better health and pain relief. For more information please visit www.NewBodyChiro.com, find us on Facebook (New Body Chiropractic & Wellness Center) or call (303) 347-9906.

Matt Kenney7 Ways to Prevent Neck Pain
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6 tips for stress relief

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6 tips for dealing with stressStress is something that we are all faced to deal with; often on a regular basis. Here are some of my tips for dealing with stress more effectively:

1. Get off your butt. Exercise creates profound physiological changes within the body. Simply going for a walk or hitting the gym for a quick workout can dramatically decrease the stress toll on our bodies. Aside from the physiological benefits, I’ve also found that exercising during stressful times clears the mind enough to find effective solutions to many of the complicated issues we face.

2. Learn to say no! These days we seem to pile more and more things onto our plate each day. While it’s commendable that we want to be involved in so much, there’s potential for us to become overloaded and stressed as a result. Learn to say no to the people or activities that aren’t as important to you and you’ll find you have less stress and a better quality of life.

3. Sleep more. When we neglect sleep it affects us in profound ways, one of which is to become more sensitive to stress. Make sure that you’re getting 6-8 hours of restful sleep per night and you’ll deal with stress much more constructively.

4. Stop glorifying being “busy.” These days it seems that people are always eager to explain how busy they are as a form of validation. Unfortunately the busier we are the more stressed we often become. My personal opinion is that simply doing a bunch of stuff is irrelevant, what matters most is being productive. Instead of trying to stay busy, try to be more productive by delegating more, relying on other experts, developing more efficient systems or pursuing anything that allows you to create your desired outcomes with less time and stress.

5. Keep yourself in the present. A common response to stressful times is to make it worse by either reliving past failures and bad times or by thinking too far into the future and becoming overwhelmed about what is to come. The most effective response to stress is to deal with it as it happens and create solutions for the problems affecting you now.

6. Visit a specialist. As a chiropractor I’ve helped many people with stress over the years. Chiropractors help remove nerve tension which is a main cause of physical and emotional stress. Others I’d recommend for de-stressing are acupuncturists, massage therapists and exercise specialists.

Matt Kenney6 tips for stress relief
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