“My Neck and Shoulders Ache!”

By Paul Doney - Chiropractor | Craniosacral Therapy & Myofascial Release

This is one of the most common complaints that gets brought to any body worker.
There are essentially two solutions.

The best and most permanent one is to change your posture. That’s not a glib statement. You can do it and the solution lies in how you breathe. For detailed instructions on how to do this see the separate article, “Breathe your Way to Better Posture”.

The second solution lies in a bath towel:

1. Take a regular sized bath towel. Fold it in half, then fold it in half again.

2. Next, fold one corner in and then the other on the same end (like you were beginning to fold a serviette or make a paper aeroplane).

3. Now, starting with the pointed end, roll the towel up.
This arrangement makes the roll look even but it is actually harder in the centre than at the ends.

4. Take your rolled towel and a pillow to a section of clean floor and lay down with the pillow under your head and the rolled towel lengthwise under your spine. The hard centre of the towel should be at the most prominent part of the curve of your spine. The pillow is to stop your neck falling into too much extension.

5. Lay on the rolled towel for 5-10 minutes with your arms at your sides and palms facing upward. If this produces pain then stop and reduce future sessions or make the rolled towel smaller.

As you get more used to the stretch you can increase the time you spend laying down.

This is a great stretch to do when you have had a busy day at work slaving over a hot keyboard and mouse.

Try it a few times when you come home from work. You’ll become addicted.