Today’s technology-centered lifestyle is killing our necks and shoulders.

Our desktop computers and mobile devices are giving us pain. Add in a long commute, and our bodies begin to show negative symptoms. We begin to experience conditions associated with poor posture and improper weight distribution. Shoulder impingement and text neck, are two prime examples. 

The good news: We can use movement to counteract the negative effects of technology and car use.

My favorite exercises for relieving the effects of postural-related conditions are below. If you’re experiencing shoulder impingement, text neck, or similar conditions, these exercises will help.

View the complete exercise video here. 

Pec Stretch

1. Lay on your back with a foam roller placed along the length of your spine.
2. Open your arms out wide and let the weight of your arms pull them down toward the floor.
3. Focus on relaxing your chest and allowing it to open and soften.
4. Hold this position as long as it feels comfortable.
5. Variation: bend your elbows in a ‘football goal post’ position for a deeper stretch.

Snow Angels

1. Lay flat on your back on a mat or on the floor (or with a foam roller placed along the length of your spine).
2. With your hands on the floor, palm up, slide your arms down so that your hands rest on the floor next to your hips.
3. Raise your arms out to the side and up above your head, sliding your hands along the floor, as high above your head as they can go without force (it's okay if your hands leave the floor—it's most important to gently move your arms at the shoulder joint through your available range of motion).
4. Breathe in as you raise your arms towards your head, and out as you move your arms towards your hips, maintaining a slow, steady motion up and down.
5. Repeat 10 times.

Scapular Punch

1. Lay flat on your back on a mat or on the floor (or with a foam roller placed along the length of your spine).
2. Bring one arm in front of your body and make a fist.
3. Without raising your torso off of the floor, punch your straight arm up toward the ceiling.
4. Bring it back down slowly and with control.
5. Repeat 10 times, then perform with the other arm.

Cheerleader ‘I-Y-T’ Exercises

1. Lay flat on your back on a mat or on the floor (or with a foam roller placed along the length of your spine).
2. Keeping your arms straight, bring them overhead to form an “I”.
3. Bring your arms back down to your sides and then up and out to form a “Y”.
4. Bring your arms back down to your sides and then straight out to the side to form a “T”.
5. Repeat 10 times.

If you’re continually experiencing pain, please make an appointment online to talk with one of our chiropractors. We can develop a self-care program tailored just for you and your specific needs.

Need more help to feel less tension, stress and anxiety?

Massage also helps with musculoskeletal pain. Therapeutic massage has been shown to:

• improve neck mobility
• reduce neck pain
• relieve inflammation
• reduce nerve pain and pressure
• enable you to reduce pain medication

Our on-staff massage therapist Kirstin has years of experience. Kirstin is skilled in many massage modalities, including deep tissue and prenatal. 

Chiropractic and massage therapy can ease your neck pain, back pain, and stress-related tension. Schedule your appointment online to visit our Aptos clinic now.