HEALTH & Body “SAVE YOUR NECK”


by John Van Dorp ~ john@completebodybalance.com


Santa Rosa, CA. ~ By now, you may have heard of ‘text neck.’


It’s


another peril conspiring to turn


us back


into Neander- thal man, our hunched over ancestor. As if we didn’t have enough to think about to


keep our-


selves fit for long, productive lives, we need to consider this one, too. The blame for “text neck” points to our phones, of course, and specifically to texting. If you text, or even just use a smartphone, you may well find yourself rubbing the ach- ing muscles at the back of your neck.


Emerging studies give ac- counts of people who, due to excessive texting, have dam- aged the cervical vertebrae in the neck. This is another form of ‘repetitive stress.’ Cup one hand at the back of your neck, and you will be directly on the affected area.


Neck and shoulder tension are among the most common complaints I hear in my mas- sage practice. Both of them re- duce blood and energy flow to


the head, eyes, and brain. For good pos- ture, our head needs to bal- ance at the top of the spine. While it is nearly impos- sible to avoid the tech- nologies that cause these issues, there are ways to avoid spend- ing hours each


day hunched over. Think of how often we bend our necks forward—at the computer, driving, reading, writing, fixing things...and texting. Here are two tips to help pre-


vent neck pain: (1) Focus on looking down with your eyes instead of bending your neck, (2) Do exercises for good pos- ture, including strengthening your neck and shoulder mus- cles. Just becoming more aware of what we are doing and how we are doing it is a big initial step. Once you make that con- nection you will remember it. Even a minor pain in your neck will “call you to attention.” Continue to enjoy your smart- phones and the wonder of this technology. Just remember— keep your head up to “save your neck.”


Happy Mother’s Day from...


UPBEAT TIMES • May 2015 • 19


A free referral and placement service for seniors and families. 707-570-2589


www.tweeteneldercare.com Eloise Tweeten Returns to Upbeat Times June 2015 There are some defeats more triumphant than victories. ~Michel de Montaigne UPBEAT TIMES • May 2015 • 19


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