| p>For the millions of us that spend our days working | | | | make with our shoulders and arms when we are |
| at a computer, it's not at all unusual to experience | | | | typing on a keyboard (or driving a car) pulls the |
| chronic tension and pain in the upper back and neck | | | | shoulder blades away from each other and stresses |
| areas. In this article, we'll talk about what muscles are | | | | one set of 'tug-of-war' muscles while weakening the |
| getting overwhelmed by this repetitive stress, and | | | | other. |
| what we can do to get out of pain and integrate the | | | | My Job Requires That I Sit at A Computer |
| upper back with the rest of the body. | | | | So how do we take care of this sensitive and |
| The upper back and neck is an easy area to 'hunch | | | | overworked area, when we can't get away from the |
| up' and hold tension. The muscles there tend to | | | | requirements of our daily lives? |
| volunteer themselves for all activities that the upper | | | | 1. Take a hot bath, or get a massage. A hot bath |
| back needs strength for, like carrying groceries or a | | | | softens the muscles (try using Epsom salts as well to |
| child, or reaching up for something on a shelf. They | | | | draw out the ache) and a massage will increase blood |
| also tend to hunch up unnecessarily as we reach our | | | | and oxygen flow to the area and can release more |
| arms forward to type on a keyboard, or drive a car, | | | | specific areas of tension and holding. |
| and sometimes get stuck! In this way they get | | | | 2. Self Massage. You can get all of the benefits of |
| stressed and overused, and other muscles that could | | | | going to a massage therapist with a self massage |
| support their function aren't involved. | | | | tool at home. Self massage tools work to target |
| "Codependent" Muscles: They Want To Do It All For | | | | areas of tension just like a massage therapist would |
| You! | | | | with their fingers, while you control the duration and |
| A habitual place to carry tension is in the upper back | | | | intensity. |
| and neck. The shoulder shrugging muscles have a | | | | 3. Begin a Stretching and Strengthening routine. It's |
| tendency to jump in and try to do actions for us | | | | important to take care of these muscles so that our |
| that aren't their job (try this: lying on your back with | | | | bodies don't become permanently stuck in this |
| knees bent, do an abdominal crunch, and then curl | | | | position, causing further health and posture problems |
| your right elbow to your left knee. See if you can | | | | down the road. There are many yoga therapy |
| get your right shoulderblade completely off the floor | | | | exercises that target these muscles and relieve neck |
| without lifting your shoulder up to your ear - those | | | | pain and upper back pain. |
| muscles are going to want to pitch in!). As a result, | | | | Our lives may make certain demands on our bodies |
| they tend to be constantly contracted to the point | | | | that we can't change, but we can put in a little time |
| that they don't know how to release, resulting in | | | | and effort to relieve pain, release tension, and feel |
| chronic neck pain and upper back pain. | | | | better overall! |
| In addition, the 'hunched forward' shape that we | | | | |