I need help with a stiff neck

Floating_Abu

Hello good folks

Just wondering if anyone can help/advise.

I have developed bad posture over the last years (my problem)

And basically it feels like I have a stiff neck (or something)
Even when I sit here at the computer, the neck feels stiff, uncomfortable, and if I try to correct my
prior sins, sitting up feels odd.

I also have nausea and sometimes wake up with a feeling of pressure behind one eye. I checked the pressure out with a eye doctor and he said my eye pressure was perfect yet that feeling comes up quite often. Less now.

A friend tells me yoga can h elp but these days I feel so bad, I am worried I am deformed for life (sorry to be dramatic, just how I feel about it )

Can I really be cured? (It's not that bad, but I feel so stiff and shoulders are extremely stiff also I cannot imagine regaining flex again )

Anyway any stories, tips, beacons of hope etc would be appreciated.

PS For the young ones, I never thought this would happen to me either!!! Take care of your bodies and selves

Merci.

Mountains

You're not deformed for life. Almost anything can be fixed, but it may take some serious work on your part. The first thing to do is change your body mechanics at the computer. If you consistently hunch forward and draw your shoulders forward and together toward the middle (as we all do), it won't get better. Be aware of your posture constantly. Take a break, get up, move, stretch at least once an hour (minimum).

Yoga will certainly help if you're physically able to do it. Start slow and easy and work your way up. Find a teacher you like (sort of like a therapist). Not all yoga teachers are created equal.

GET A MASSAGE!! Massage is probably the single best thing you could do for that. And not just one massage. Try budgeting for a massage every few days at first, then gradually space them out, but maintain a regular schedule, even if it's only once a month. I can almost guarantee it will help immensely.

praxis

For extended periods at a computer, make sure top of screen is at eye level while sitting up. Also, if you're leaning forward to see better, you should consider glasses made for the specific distance that you sit from the screen, about arms length.

Chiropractic has helped me a lot.

Hope you feel better soon, Abu.

zombiegirl

I second what everyone else has said. It wouldn't hurt to have a chiropractor check you out and see if there is anything going on structurally beyond the usual. Of course, posture affects muscles which affects bones/ligaments. This process can usually be reversed, but it will take a lot of effort on your part. This of course depends on your age though and whether or not there are structural problems (like degenerative spinal diseases, for example).

Getting your body to conform from the usual poor posture hunch will seem very uncomfortable in the beginning. You can help this by stretching. What happens with the typical 'hunch' is called medial humeral rotation and you see that not only does your front slump over, but your arms (humerus) turn in (medially) as well. This causes the muscles of your back/shoulder to overstretch (namely, rhomboids, and traps) and can cause a lot of tension/pain in these areas. Both the levator scapula and your upper trap attach to your spine in the neck region and then on your scapula(shoulder blade), so it's not hard to see why this could potentially cause neck stiffness. Poor posture is constantly pulling at your neck.
While the muscles in the back will be overstretched, the muscles in the front will be shortened and this is much of the reason you will find proper posture so uncomfortable. The main muscles affected are the pectoralis minor and major. The Doorway Stretch is a good and easy way to stretch these muscle groups. Make note that she does the stretch twice, once in a 90 degree angle and once at a more acute angle to affect both the pec minor and major. With any stretches, it should feel pleasant and take care not to overstretch to the point of pain. Remember that you didn't get this way in one day, so you're not going to fix it in one day either.

Perhaps it would be helpful to try and set time limits for good posture? For example, for each hour you sit at the computer, you could try to do 5 minutes of proper posture. Gradually, you could work that up to 10 minutes, 15 minutes, etc. Combined with stretching, this could help to gradually adjust your muscles without overworking them. 5 minutes seems so negligible that it's not overwhelming and sounds realistic. I can't understate how important it is to set realistic goals so that you will actually do it.

Mountains

Okay Zombiegirl... I'm sitting up straight now

ownerof1000oddsocks

Improving circulation and strengthening muscle is important, so another two considerations are diet and regular exercise. It may help us to help you if you provide some details about this if you're unsure.

You can use your own fingers or lay on top of a tennis ball to find trigger points in your back. Generally kneading an afflicted area can iron out knots and remove scar tissue. Again a good diet can help to reduce excessive inflammation and improve circulation so blood can reach your spine and muscles to keep the back healthy.

I think spending a lot of time in front of a computer contributes to eye strain, and sometimes repetitive strain.

zombiegirl

Okay Zombiegirl... I'm sitting up straight now

Right? *sits up straight* I should really take my own advice as well... hehe.

I think one of the most common questions people ask me as a massage therapist is, "How come I will get relief from massage and yet the same trouble spots keep coming back?" (Most namely when referring to the spot near the origin of the Levator Scapulae on the scapula.) Posture is a huge contributor to this problem. Massage is not the end all be all for healing because it can sometimes only address the symptom, the real problem is how people live their lives.

I find that with standing, I have great posture, but with sitting... it's harder. Sometimes when I know I'll be sitting for a while I will put my zafu on the couch (or wherever) and this seems to help. Sitting on a zafu really makes proper posture more comfortable for me, but it's not really something I can do on the computer... I wish that ergonomic chairs weren't so expensive...

Floating_Abu

You're not deformed for life. Almost anything can be fixed, but it may take some serious work on your part. The first thing to do is change your body mechanics at the computer. If you consistently hunch forward and draw your shoulders forward and together toward the middle (as we all do), it won't get better. Be aware of your posture constantly. Take a break, get up, move, stretch at least once an hour (minimum).

Yoga will certainly help if you're physically able to do it. Start slow and easy and work your way up. Find a teacher you like (sort of like a therapist). Not all yoga teachers are created equal.

GET A MASSAGE!! Massage is probably the single best thing you could do for that. And not just one massage. Try budgeting for a massage every few days at first, then gradually space them out, but maintain a regular schedule, even if it's only once a month. I can almost guarantee it will help immensely.

Thankyou @Mountains ! And yes, I do slouch that way ! :hiding:

Thanks for your help and encouragement !

Floating_Abu

For extended periods at a computer, make sure top of screen is at eye level while sitting up. Also, if you're leaning forward to see better, you should consider glasses made for the specific distance that you sit from the screen, about arms length.

Chiropractic has helped me a lot.

Hope you feel better soon, Abu.

Thankyou @praxis !

Actually I am wearing glasses for the screen now but my other (unwhinged) worry is the eye strain. But that is another story

hehe Actually I will reduce comp time methinks.

Merci!

Floating_Abu

Perhaps it would be helpful to try and set time limits for good posture? For example, for each hour you sit at the computer, you could try to do 5 minutes of proper posture. Gradually, you could work that up to 10 minutes, 15 minutes, etc. Combined with stretching, this could help to gradually adjust your muscles without overworking them. 5 minutes seems so negligible that it's not overwhelming and sounds realistic. I can't understate how important it is to set realistic goals so that you will actually do it.

Oh wow. I am indebted, and I will definitely do this exercise in the link! Hmm...I feel so grateful.

Thanks @zombiegirl :bowdown:

Floating_Abu

Improving circulation and strengthening muscle is important, so another two considerations are diet and regular exercise. It may help us to help you if you provide some details about this if you're unsure.

You can use your own fingers or lay on top of a tennis ball to find trigger points in your back. Generally kneading an afflicted area can iron out knots and remove scar tissue. Again a good diet can help to reduce excessive inflammation and improve circulation so blood can reach your spine and muscles to keep the back healthy.

I think spending a lot of time in front of a computer contributes to eye strain, and sometimes repetitive strain.

:O Yes! That's moi (and I suspect a lot of people hee)

Hmm... @ownerof1000oddsocks (long name ) can you tell me more about knots. Sometimes I have quite sore points on my back and some of them (when I try to reach and massage them) feel like they are directly related to my nausea/headaches. ie when I (try to) massage them I can feel the nausea, so I think it is all related.

Will constantly massaging those areas help knead said 'knots' out, and will that help cure things sometimes?

My friend told me she used to get migraines a lot and she asked her husband to massage one spot on her back and now she says she doesn't have any migraines.

Thankyou again!!

Floating_Abu

Okay Zombiegirl... I'm sitting up straight now

Right? *sits up straight* I should really take my own advice as well... hehe.

I think one of the most common questions people ask me as a massage therapist is, "How come I will get relief from massage and yet the same trouble spots keep coming back?" (Most namely when referring to the spot near the origin of the Levator Scapulae on the scapula.) Posture is a huge contributor to this problem. Massage is not the end all be all for healing because it can sometimes only address the symptom, the real problem is how people live their lives.

I find that with standing, I have great posture, but with sitting... it's harder. Sometimes when I know I'll be sitting for a while I will put my zafu on the couch (or wherever) and this seems to help. Sitting on a zafu really makes proper posture more comfortable for me, but it's not really something I can do on the computer... I wish that ergonomic chairs weren't so expensive...

Hey @zombiegirl

I have a friend who used to sit on one of those big massage balls AT WORK. This was a large corporate office environment so that took discipline. I just listened and started slouching in my chair over five years ago (because it was more comfortable I figured)...

Who's the fool now?

Thanks again, everyone, mucho appreciated.

Abu

Dazzle

Hi Abu,

Have you been to see a qualified doctor(General Practitioner) and had a health check ? It would be advisable if you haven't already done so,especially if you are feeling nauseous and have headaches.

Otherwise, as well as spending less time at a computer, I would definately recommend trying Tai Chi classes.

with kind wishes,

D.

ownerof1000oddsocks

@Floating_Abu There are many potential sore spots all over the body. This can be due to repetitive stress and sometimes to foods we eat. The R.I.C.E method is intended to reduce inflammation which, when unchecked can do more harm than good particularly if the bodys own immune system is attacking your cells (muscles, bones, nerves etc). You can use Ice and compression to reduce your stress but also contrast baths or showers alternating hot and cold. I really hope you go and get a good therapy session to help as others have suggested.

So you suffer from migraines and headaches too? Tell me more as I can recommend some food choices to assist in eliminating the head stress and nervous system.

Also you haven't yet given more details about your diet and exercise regime, but that's up to you anyway.

Floating_Abu

@Floating_Abu There are many potential sore spots all over the body. This can be due to repetitive stress and sometimes to foods we eat. The R.I.C.E method is intended to reduce inflammation which, when unchecked can do more harm than good particularly if the bodys own immune system is attacking your cells (muscles, bones, nerves etc). You can use Ice and compression to reduce your stress but also contrast baths or showers alternating hot and cold. I really hope you go and get a good therapy session to help as others have suggested.

So you suffer from migraines and headaches too? Tell me more as I can recommend some food choices to assist in eliminating the head stress and nervous system.

Also you haven't yet given more details about your diet and exercise regime, but that's up to you anyway.

I think the migraines come when my shoulders are particularly tight and stressed. Then there is a really bad headache sometimes on one side of the head (I call it migraine according to what I looked up), accompanied by nausea, sometimes it can be debilitating.
No-one seems to have heard of this eye pressure thing but as to diet and exercise, um...exercise is quite easy - not that much My friend is encouraging me to jog though so I try that sometimes (yes guffaw). I am also trying to do these five minute stretches now and they have helped, as did the job I took yesterday ie headaches not around.
Diet - lots of carbohydrates, brown bread, oats,
dairy (milk, yoghurt), proteins: cheese, eggs, fish and vegetables. Mm and I love sweet stuff so I eat lotsa cookies when they are in front of me Plus I like junk foods actually. I'm a pretty bad role model for a doctor's office

Ta,
Abu

ownerof1000oddsocks

@Floating_Abu

Then there is a really bad headache sometimes on one side of the head (I call it migraine according to what I looked up), accompanied by nausea, sometimes it can be debilitating.

The dairy, pop and chocolate could be problem foods for you. Milk, for example, can block your mucous membranes leading to a sinus headache. Look for patterns in your eating habits to see if there is a particular type of food that you take in proximity to the head pain. You could at least try eliminating one of these foods and/or reducing some to see if your symptoms improve.

Then there are supplements to try; it may be worth investigating if you are lacking. EG: Magnesium, Calcium & vitamin D. Any sugar and wheat consumption may potentially impair your ability to absorb nutrients too. A decent probiotic could help you out here.

Be wary of products containing wheat too (Junk food?!). I've heard that wheat glutens can cause an insulin spike even worse than sugar. Add in choc and dairy products then the problem is compounded. Think: intoxicants!

Floating_Abu

Thanks @ownerof1000oddsocks !

Telly03

What I have learned this past year is how much muscles interact with each other... I started having lower back pains which slightly changed how I was walking, but was enough to start knee pains, then favoring a knee developed heel pains... the doctor recommended stretching exercises, but I decided to take it a step further and check out Yoga. I am recognizing immediate results... my pains are gone. I know you have different symptoms, but my point is that if you just focus on your neck, you may be missing important contributors, such as a tight back and/or posture issues, all which can be helped with Yoga. And if you find a good instructor, as I feel I have, you can be treated to breath focusing work... I find that I can go directly into a deep meditation immediately following a good Yoga session. My instructor actually incorporates a 10 min lights off meditation at the end of the class.

Floating_Abu

That is really encouraging and nice, @Telly03. Thankyou.

Gassho,
Abu