Get Out of Back Pain

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Donna Norris
5 years ago
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1 A bit about shoulders and stretching: Shoulder Supermoves Ideally, it s best to work with a trained fitness professional or physical therapist when starting any new exercise or stretching program. You can work alone, but stay aware of what your body is doing. If a move hurts, don t do it! Stretching is key to working towards less pain. Be gentle and cautious doing just one or two moves each day. Hold stretches for 6 breaths, which is about 20 seconds, or until it hurts, whichever comes first. Said another way, the stretch is to be held for 20 seconds, unless it hurts, in which case come out of it. These moves should not hurt! We want to increase the range of pain-free motion, not expand what hurts! Never stretch to the maximum. Back off from the maximum. Stretch gently! Because the shoulder is a loose joint, sometimes when we do a lot of movement, it gets irritated. You may want to try icing after doing these moves. POSITION: Many of these moves are done starting from a standing position. Because the position of the shoulder is critical to its healing, the starting position is very important. I call this position, Stand Tall.

2 STAND TALL Notes: Stand with feel hip distance apart Knees are soft, i.e. not locked Chest is lifted, think heart open to the sky Pelvis is in neutral, i.e. no extra arch in the lower back Shoulders are open, rotated back so the palms of the hands either face the legs or face forward Drop shoulder blades (raise and lower a few times so that you know they are dropped) Shoulder blades are seated down as far as they go along the ribcage Try inhaling the shoulders up and on the exhale, pushing them back and down Attach the top of the head to the ceiling with an imaginary string Level the chin. It helps to literally take your finger and push your chin back. Look in a mirror to make sure you are not looking upward. Many people feel level as a place where they are actually looking up There is an equal amount of weight on each foot Now soften the edges to get rid of the rigidity of trying so hard! Breathe deeply This is the starting position for many of the standing moves This is actually a correct standing posture to walk around in all day try it!

small rolls Repeat 5 times If this is easy, inhale and lift the shoulders up a little more Exhale, roll

3 SHOULDER ROLLS (SHRUG & ROLL) Stand tall see intro for what this means Inhale and lift the shoulders up a little Exhale, roll shoulders back a little and let the shoulder blades come down These are easy, gentle, small rolls Repeat 5 times If this is easy, inhale and lift the shoulders up a little more Exhale, roll shoulders farther back and farther down Repeat 5 times Helps to loosen up the shoulders and the connecting tissue

SINGLE ARM SWIM Stand with legs hip width apart and soft knees Stand tall see intro for what this means - and inhale Shrug shoulders and make sure shoulders are down, exhale Rotate right arm around

Only go backwards, not forward *see note Rotate left arm around in a circle going backwards (backstroke) allowing the body to move with the arm Repeat 5 more times each arm alternating, like swimming

4 SINGLE ARM SWIM Stand with legs hip width apart and soft knees Stand tall see intro for what this means - and inhale Shrug shoulders and make sure shoulders are down, exhale Rotate right arm around in a circle going backwards allowing the body to move with the arm. Only go backwards, not forward *see note Rotate left arm around in a circle going backwards (backstroke) allowing the body to move with the arm Repeat 5 more times each arm alternating, like swimming backward Make sure to breathe while moving If this feels OK and the shoulders are not too tight, try doing both arms at the same time it pulls more across the chest and is therefore more difficult Helps to loosen up the shoulders and open up the front rotators * This is because our whole life is done forward. We need to go backward to counter all the forward movement.

STIR THE SOUP Stand with legs apart and soft knees Hinging at the hips, gently bend the knees, keeping knees over the ankles and sending the butt back slightly Bend upper body forward from

right arm hang down as if it is dead weight Slowly let that arm go around in a circle, about 1 foot in diameter, in a clockwise direction as if you were stirring a big pot of soup Keep your

hand separately making sure each arm is always going away from the midline Take a breath and breathe as you stir the soup. Make sure that you are breathing in as you move.

5 STIR THE SOUP Stand with legs apart and soft knees Hinging at the hips, gently bend the knees, keeping knees over the ankles and sending the butt back slightly Bend upper body forward from the hips as if you are looking into a big pot of soup Flatten the back and squeeze the shoulder blades together, sticking the chest out Maintain a slight arch in your lower back Let your right arm hang down as if it is dead weight Slowly let that arm go around in a circle, about 1 foot in diameter, in a clockwise direction as if you were stirring a big pot of soup Keep your wrist flat We only go in 1 direction, away from the midline, 10 times around Using your left arm, stir the soup 10 times in a counter-clockwise direction in a 1-foot diameter circle Do each hand separately making sure each arm is always going away from the midline Take a breath and breathe as you stir the soup. Make sure that you are breathing in as you move. If this is easy, try holding a 1 pound weight in your hand (try a soup can or water bottle) This move helps to make space in the shoulder capsule. Much pain is due to a squashing or jamming of the shoulder into its socket

Heal Your Aching Shoulders!

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