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Back
of the neck and upper spine
Spend a lot of time at a computer? Got a "knot"
in the upper back, near the base of the neck? This is a great stretch for helping with tension in that area.
While sitting at a computer using a keyboard, the arms are extended
and internally rotated, the shoulders are forward(scapula protracted) and usually held up(elevated) and the upper spine has
too much forward curve(kyphosis.) All of this compresses the chest, reducing respiration, and puts a muscular strain
on the upper back- the cause of those knots. The more you hunch forward, the harder the upper spine and neck muscles
work to keep you from falling onto your keyboard. The more you can keep your head and torso upright, the less those
muscles will work to maintain balance. (Rigidity is bad too, but that's another article.)
The idea is to stretch each involved body part the opposite of the way it
is held while sitting at a computer. The arms reach back and externally rotate. The shoulders are pulled down
and back instead of up and forward, and the torso straightens and elongates.
Here's
how it works: Stand up and put your hands behind you with the fingers laced together. Now take a big breath in,
and then as you exhale pull the hands downward with the arms straight. As the arms pull down, the shoulders come back and
the chest moves forward and up. Take a few more deep breathes, each time filling the lungs, expanding and raising the
chest, then pulling the shoulders behind you and the torso gently bent backward on the exhale. Don't try to bend
too far right away.
Additionally, the back of the
wrists and forearms get stretched, and by turning the hands over, from knuckles down to palms down, the inside of the wrists
and forearms are stretched as well. By externally rotating the arms, pulling them back and then up, you include rotator
cuff muscles and the front of the deltoids. Pulling the shoulders and arms back lengthens the pectorals(major), the
main culprit with slumped shoulders and a constricted chest.
Two
more important benefits are increasing awareness of your posture, and creating a new habit of holding your self more upright
and balanced.
It doesn't take long, so try to
do this at least once an hour. Talk with your therapist for modifications appropriate to your own body and other stretches
and strengthening that may be helpful.
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Sides of
the neck and tops of the shoulders
When
the sides of the neck or the top of the shoulders are tight, this stretch may help. It is so easy it can be done while
seated(and still looking at the computer even.)
Sit up straight, leaning back a bit if the chair supports you well.
Let one arm hang straight down by your side, and grasp the bottom of the chair seat. Some chair and arm combinations
may not work well for this but they usually do.
While hanging on with your hand, lean to the opposite side.
As your torso tilts away from the grasping hand the shoulder will be pulled down. At the same let your head tilt in
the same direction as your torso, and the side of the neck will be stretched.
Remember to let gravity do the work.
On each exhale think about releasing the muscles between the head and shoulder a little bit more. After five to ten
breathes switch sides.
This stretch also works while standing. Try holding the edge of your desk to try. • Chest and shoulder blades
Both use a door jamb or similar fixed vertical object to push against. For the pecs, stand with one arm with
the upper arm horizontal and the forearm vertical near enough to the doorway to brace the elbow against the edge. Turn
your entire body so that you have just a mild stretch. Now as you inhale, push your elbow gently against the door
jamb and hold the pressure for a few seconds. Now as you exhale, gently rotate your hips and spine to increase the stretch.
Stay in this new position and repeat the breath cycle and turn twice, each time getting just a little bit more stretch.
The serratus stretch is similar, but is done with the arm straight. Stand a bit further from the doorway with
the arm level and straight in front of you. In this stretch, instead of the arm rotating at the shoulder, you are pushing
the shoulder straight back and the shoulder blade is moving closer to the spine. Follow the same process of a slight
isometric push(pressure without movement) as you inhale, and then turning the rest of your body to create the stretch.
If you are doing the right shoulder, gently turn your body to the left on the exhale. A slight forward lean will help
also.
Remember for these and all the stretches, don't try so hard that it hurts- teaching the muscle
to relax is the most important part.
Sitting in a chair shortens the front of the body from the knees to the head. This includes the hip flexors- the rectus femoris, the psoas
major, the psoas minor(if present, not everyone has
this muscle), and the illiacus. The spine is typically
bent forward as well, shortening the abs(rectus abdominus.)
From the lower ribcage up to the head is also shortened, but isn't
the emphasis for this stretch. Here we
focus on the muscles and connective tissue attaching
to the anterior pelvis.Stand, or visualize standing, for a moment. Your body is upright, your legs underneath
you. Now raise your right knee. This is flexion of the right hip. Note that the movement is between the
upper leg(femur bone) and the pelvis, and that this is the angle of the hip when you are sitting. Stretching this area
requires the knee to go in the other direction, behind your body. It won't go as far of course. To do the stretch at your desk or a table, stand near the edge and put both hands
firmly on the top to help support your weight. One leg extends behind you, with the knee nearly straight and the heel
up. This is the side being stretched. The other leg goes in front, with the knee bent and the foot flat on the
floor. Your body will lower into a gentle lunge as you do this, and as it does, keep your weight well supported with
your hands. The hip and leg muscles will relax more if they aren't being used to hold all of your weight. Keep the torso upright, or even bending backwards a bit.
Remember that the stretch is between the leg and the hip, so if the hip tilts forward the hip flexors aren't lengthened.
Imagine a long, smooth arc from the back foot to the top of the head. Keep the shoulders back and down and the chest
up for optimal form and completeness. Follow the suggestions given for the other stretches on breathing and releasing
into the stretch, and then switch sides. A similar,
and deeper, stretch can be done with the knee on the ground. Some padding will be needed to protect the kneecap on the
floor, and press your hands onto the front knee for support and to keep the torso upright.
One of the
most common stretches people do is for their hamstrings. Anytime
you see someone stretching, they will probably bend forward to try to stretch the hamstrings.
It is a good intention- too much time sitting can lead to the hamstrings shortening. Those short hamstrings
can contribute to low back pain, and they can be injured in sports. Unfortunately most people stretch in a way that
puts all the force on the upper back and little on the hamstrings themselves.
First, a bit of anatomy. The
hamstrings are comprised of three muscles- the biceps femoris, the semimembranosus, and the semitendinosus. All three
attach at the pelvis and cross the knee to the lower leg. Stretching them requires straightening(extending) the knee,
and bending(flexing) the hip(femur/pelvis joint). The incorrect way
people try to stretch the hamstrings is stand up, bend forward, and round the back as much as possible. The upper back
is being stretched, and that is something most people have too much of already. Being bent over puts a shear load on
the back, just while it is stretched and less able to support itself. The hamstrings, being stronger than the extensors
of the upper spine, get almost nothing. Don't bother trying to touch your nose to your knee, or touching your
toes with your hands.
Instead, keep the spine neutral while stretching. Don't
bend at the waist, but at the top of the leg. The leg can be angled in front of you with the rear leg bent, but better
is to elevate the leg being stretched. Find a step, chair, or other solid support for your foot. Stand up straight,
and keeping the back neutral and strong, tilt your body forward. Do not worry about how close your nose gets to your
knee. If you are able to bend more than about 45 degrees, use something higher to elevate the foot.
A few things can be done simultaneously to involve more muscles. First, add the calves by using
a support that has a back you can push your foot against. Steps work well for this. The heel is on top of one
step, and the sole is pressed against the front of the next higher step. The adductors can be stretched by turning your
hips and upper body away from the extended leg, and the abductors get stretched by rotating your torso toward the leg.
And still- bend at the pelvis, not the waist, and definitely not the upper back.
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