6 Simple Stretches to undo the damage your desk job does

Its been said that sitting is the new smoking, but the chances are you´re not giving up your desk job just yet!
Here at Elite Performance Therapy we help so many people tied to their desks so we want to show you how to undo the damage and relieve your tight and sore neck and back.

Whether you slept in a strange position last night or you have been sitting and staring tensely at your computer for hours on end, neck pain happens. And a crick in the neck is not only annoying and painful, but it can also lead to headaches and upper back pain. To help reduce the aches and pains try a few of these satisfying stretches. After taking a long, hot shower to help loosen the muscles, try a few (or all) of them for a little instant relief. You’ll feel better and you might even stand a bit taller!

Seated Neck Release

This gentle stretch targets the sides of your neck.

Sit on the floor in a cross-legged position or in a chair with your feet flat on the ground. Extend your right arm next to your right knee or along the right side of the chair. Place your left hand on the top of your head and slowly tilt your head to the left. Apply gentle pressure with your hand to increase the stretch. To feel a deeper stretch, you can hold onto your right knee or the seat of the chair. This stabilizes the torso and allows you to isolate the stretch on the side of your neck. Hold on this side for 30 seconds, then slowly lift your head up and repeat this stretch on the other side.

Seated Clasping Neck Stretch

Use your hands to offer a deep stretch for the back of your neck and your upper back.

Sit comfortably in a chair or on the floor. Clasp your hands and bring both palms to the back of your head. Sitting with a tall spine, ground your hips firmly into your seat. From here, begin to gently press your hands down toward your thighs, tucking your chin into your chest. As you press down, use the heels of your palms to pull your head away from your shoulders. This will intensify the stretch even more. Hold here for at least 30 seconds, and then slowly lift your head up and release your hands.

Behind the Back Neck Stretch

This standing stretch can be done anywhere, and will offer a deep stretch in the sides of your neck.

Stand with your feet hip distance apart, arms by your sides. Reach both hands behind your backside, and hold onto your left wrist with your right hand. Use your right hand to gently straighten your left arm and pull it away from you slightly. To increase the stretch in your neck, slowly lower your right ear toward your shoulder. Stay here for 30 seconds and then switch sides.

Grounded Tipover Tuck

Here’s a relaxing stretch for your neck and shoulders that can also help relieve headaches and drowsiness.

Come into child’s pose with your shins and forehead on the floor. Stay here for a few breaths, working on lengthening your spine as you relax your chest to your thighs. When you’re ready, interlace your hands behind you in a double fist. If you can, press the heels of your palms together to increase the stretch in your shoulders. Then lift your hands as high as you can. Inhale to shift your weight forward and lift your hips off your heels. Come to rest on the top of your head and extend your hands as close to the floor as you can. Stay here for 10 seconds and then lower your hips back to your heels. Stay here for 10 seconds, and then lift your hips up again. Continue this cycle five or more times, then release into Child’s Pose with your arms on either side of your legs.

Stretch through the front of your neck, chest, and shoulders with this relaxing heart opener.

Begin sitting on the heels. Lean back and place your palms flat on the floor about eight to 10 inches behind you so your fingertips are pointing away. Press your hands firmly into the ground to lift the chest high, arching your back and pushing your hips into your heels. To increase the stretch, lower your head behind you, stretching through your throat and the front of your chest even more. Stay for 30 seconds, then lift your head and torso up.

Bridge

A classic yoga pose that allows you to control how much you stretch the back of your neck by how high the hips are lifted.

Begin lying flat on your back with your arms along the sides of your body, with your palms facing down. Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor. Walk your heels as close as you can to your bum, keeping them hip-width apart. Make sure both feet are parallel. With your palms and feet pressing firmly into the ground, lift your hips off the floor. Stay here, or clasp your hands together below your pelvis, extending through your arms. Rock your weight from side to side to bring the shoulder blades closer together. Stay here for 30 seconds, continuing to lift the hips high. To release this stretch, gently lower your booty back to the ground. Then stretch through your lower back by hugging your knees into your chest.

Conclusion

We go to work or work from hoping our days spent at the tied to our desks will challenge us professionally, but in reality living the 9 -5 (or longer) desk jockey life can be demanding on the health and wellness front, too. In general the blame lies squarely on how long you sit working at your desk – we’re not made to sit!!! We end up hunched forwards, neck protruded and there’s eye strain.

The good news is that along with doing simple stretches like the ones above and some minor ergonomic adjustments (see here) to your work environment can go a long way to preventing long term damage to your musculoskeletal system !

Muscle relaxants are NOT the answer to your back or neck pain!

Recently we’ve had a couple of patients query muscle relaxants to help calm a muscle spasm.  Obviously it not in our scope of practice to prescribe a muscle relaxer but this begs the bigger question of why would you ever want one?

Firstly lets explain why muscles spasm….

Using the analogy of the chicken and the egg;

Did the joint stop moving properly and cause the surrounding muscle to spasm, or did the muscle tighten up and cause the joint to lock up?

In each case, to achieve long term pain relief you want to treat both the joint and the muscular dysfunction.  Improper movement, poor posture and repetitive movements are all common scenarios that can cause dysfunction.

Surely it makes more sense to address the underlying issue than attempt to get the muscle to relax with a pill?!

Muscle relaxants don’t just relax the dysfunctional muscle – they cause ALL the muscles in your body to relax, including the ones that create stability along the spine.

Once you take away that stability,  you are now expecting those muscles to work properly and engage throughout your daily movements… which they simply can not.

One of the worst things we see is when a patient injures their back, takes a muscle relaxant and rests for hours on the sofa (usually in a poor spinal position). They then try and get up and find they just can’t.   This is usually the moment that their unstable spine gives out  and they start calling us because they cannot move.

Movement is medicine.

Movement is Elite Performance Therapy’s prescription for every ailment the body may have.  Even when your back hurts, you should be able to go for a walk or do some basic core strengthening exercises.  If you want to find out the real reason your back hurts, then please call us!

We promise not to just provide relief to the problem, but to keep it from coming back for good.

On Tour: Elite Performance Therapy supporting the Ladies European Tour at the Spanish Open !

Elite Performance Therapy are very excited to be working with Sports Physiotherapy International Co. Ltd at the Ladies European Tour in Marbella next week!

We will be working on site at Andalucía Costa del Sol Spanish Open, Aloha Golf Club from Nov. 25 – Dec. 01 providing physical therapy, sports massage and performance services to all the Ladies European tour golfers.

Working directly with practitioners from Sports Physiotherapy International Co. Ltd allows us to provide an integrated service on tour for all professional golfers regarding injury, assessment, diagnosis, treatment, screening, performance enhancement, rehabilitation, strength & conditioning and bio-mechanics.

Being Prepared

Working on the Costa del Sol, you never know who or what problem may come through the door. This daily challenge makes it fantastic preparation for working with both professional and amateur golfers; the immediate effect you can have on a player, their performance and achievements is profound.

The last 5-10 years in golf physical therapy has seen a much greater emphasis on exercise and strength & conditioning work in treating injuries and maximising performance. This new breed of stronger, fitter golfers mean that they can generate much higher swing speeds and so hit the ball further.

Injuries & Body Mechanics

Here at Elite Performance Therapy we understand that golf at any level is very demanding. It requires strength, explosive power, flexibility and athletic ability.

The effect of repeated large forces can lead to numerous injuries, particularly in the lower back, wrist, shoulder and elbow. The requirements of an uneven swing is a risk factor for injury. For instance, right handed golfers, who lead with the left side, are more likely to suffer from injuries on the left wrist.

The physical requirements to execute these most complex athletic skills are enormous. Human anatomy are poorly suited to perform the high-torque rotational movement of the golf swing, which creates and must resist many high forces. The modern swing uses a large shoulder turn but restricts the hip turn to build torque in the muscles of the lower back and shoulders.  This places larger stresses on the back and shoulder complexes, leaving them susceptible to injury.

In Summary

We know that life as a Touring Professional isn’t easy!

It’s hard work, requires self-discipline, self-motivation, determination and perseverance and you need to be able to cope with many different pressures. We are very excited to be supporting Sports Physiotherapy International Co. Ltd at the Ladies European Tour and look forward to seeing some fantastic golf and keeping players playing pain free and at their fullest potential!

Pain Detective: How headaches can mask upper back tightness and tight glutes can cause a sciatic type pain!

But the reason might be because you are focusing on fixing the wrong thing!

Often when we have an injury or pain, the real issue is above or below the sore area.

The ache we feel is referred and could be stemming from somewhere else.

Here at Elite Performance Therapy, we can play pain detective to identify the real causes of some everyday aches – and give stretching and specific exercises to prevent them from ­recurring

Knee Pain?

ROOT CAUSE: MAYBE THE FOOT

The way our feet strike the ground has an impact on how force is directed elsewhere in the body.

Foot issues that have a knock-on effect to the knees can include anything from stiff ankles to issues with arches.

A common problem is when the foot rolls in excessively, causing the knee to revolve with it. Known as pronation, this often causes knee pain.

FIX IT: Do tip-toe raises daily coupled with regularly rolling soles over a tennis ball to ease tense muscles. Be sure to choose shoes carefully to ensure good foot posture.

Shoulder Pain?

ROOT CAUSE: MAY STEM FROM BACK POSTURE

On Tour: Elite Performance Therapy join Sports Physiotherapy International Co. Ltd on the Ladies European Tour (LET)

Elite Performance Therapy are very excited to be working with Sports Physiotherapy International Co. Ltd at the Ladies European Tour in 2019!

We will be working on site at La Reserva de Sotogrande Invitational (May), Estrella Damm Mediterranean Open, Barcelona (September) and Andalucía Costa del Sol Spanish Open, Aloha Golf Club, (November) providing physical therapy, sports massage and performance services to the Ladies European tour golfers.

Working directly with practitioners from Sports Physiotherapy International Co. Ltd allows us to provide an integrated service on tour for all professional golfers regarding injury, assessment, diagnosis, treatment, screening, performance enhancement, rehabilitation, strength & conditioning and bio-mechanics.

Being Prepared

Working on the Costa del Sol, you never know who or what problem may come through the door. This really tests us daily and makes it great preparation for working with both professional and amateur golfers. The immediate, substantial effect you can have on a player, their performance and achievements is profound.

The last 5-10 years in golf physical therapy has seen a much greater emphasis on exercise and strength & conditioning work in treating injuries and maximising performance. This new breed of much stronger, fitter golfers mean that they can generate higher forces and swing speeds and hit the ball further.

Injuries & Bio-Mechanics

Here at Elite Performance Therapy we understand that golf at any level is very demanding. It requires strength, explosive power, flexibility and athletic ability to perform a movement which produces some of the fastest club head and ball speeds of any sport.

The effect of repeated large forces, often over decades, can lead to numerous injuries, particularly in the lower back, wrist, shoulder and elbow. The bio-mechanical requirements of an asymmetrical swing is a risk factor for injury. For instance, right handed golfers, who lead with the left side, are more likely to suffer from Extensor Carpi Ulnaris (ECU) injuries on the left wrist and Dorsal Rim Impaction Syndrome (DRIS) injuries on the right wrist.

The physical requirements to execute these most complex athletic skills are enormous. Human anatomy and bio-mechanics are poorly suited to perform the high-torque rotational movement of the golf swing, which creates and must resist many high forces. The modern swing uses a large shoulder turn but restricts the hip turn to build torque in the muscles of the lower back and shoulders.  This places larger stresses on the back and shoulder complexes, leaving them susceptible to injury.

In Summary

We know that life as a Touring Professional isn’t easy! It’s hard work and it requires self-discipline, self-motivation, determination and perseverance and you need to be able to cope with many different pressures. We are very excited to be supporting Sports Physiotherapy International Co. Ltd at the Ladies European Tour and look forward to seeing some fantastic golf and keeping players playing pain free and at their fullest potential!