Let us be real, Americans have posture problems. Just look around you! Whether sitting at your desk all day, slouching on the couch after a long day of work, or looking down at a smartphone, poor posture is affecting people of all ages. We often count the number of people we see staring down at cellphones while walking the beach, eating at a restaurant, or even while driving! We know, sad – it is a facedown world! But this does not have to be you!
Here are some tips and exercises that you can do at home to help protect your neck and curve:
- Invest in Prism Glasses! You can purchase these from Amazon! Prism glasses allow you to perform functions such as reading or viewing your devices, without conforming to a forward head posture. This is especially useful for patients who have been given restrictions on forward head movement or are using cervical collars – which is many of our patients! Prism glasses come in different shapes and sizes. Many patients love the extremely lightweight version for comfort. Other versions are a tad heavier but provide space to wear over your regular glasses!
- Acute Cold Exposure has been shown to activate the vagus nerve and activate cholinergic neurons through vagus nerve pathways. Exposing yourself to cold regularly can lower your sympathetic “flight or fight” response and increase parasympathetic activity through the vagus nerve. Try finishing your next shower with at least 30 seconds of cold water and see how you feel. Then work your way up to longer periods. You can also ease yourself into it by simply sticking your face in ice-cold water for a few seconds. More extreme versions of cold exposure include working up to full-body cold plunges.
- Ergonomic Work Station! This is a simple change that can make a world of difference! Because desk jobs require so much time in a sitting position staring at a screen, where you place your monitor in relation to your eyes and neck has a significant impact on your health. When positioning your monitor, you want to make sure that there is at least 12 inches of distance between your eyes and your screen, and the top line of your screen is above your eye level. You need to be looking slightly UP. This is not the usual ergonomic recommendation made by traditional medicine, but from what we have seen in our office, we know that most people need to look up to counter the looking down! Keep your shoulders down too – do not scrunch!
- Tongue Circles and Mouth Exercises: Like many things, your tongue is a muscle and if you don’t use it, you lose it! The coordination between the tongue and neck is crucial for several functions, including swallowing and speaking. When you swallow, the tongue pushes the food or liquid to the back of the mouth and into the throat. The neck muscles play a significant role in supporting the movement of the tongue during swallowing. Muscles in the neck help elevate the larynx (voice box) to prevent food or liquid from entering the airway. They also work in coordination with the tongue to facilitate the smooth passage of food into the esophagus. All in all, we want to make sure that these muscles are strong – here are some exercises you can do with your tongue to relieve neck tension!
- Drain Your Brain: What if your brain could not drain properly? What if the waste products from the brain neuron activity (yes, neurons poop!) started to back up and could not leave the brain? What would happen to your brain cells? Similar to a clogged toilet, your brain gets clogged! Your brain drains when you lie down, and drains less when you are standing – try spending about 5-10 minutes at some point during the day to drain your brain. Lay completely flat on your back and just relax, close your eyes and allow for your clogged toilet brain to drain. Read more about brain draining here!
- Pillow Talk: Are you a soft and squishy or firm and solid pillow user? The pillows that we use are important! If you are experiencing neck pain and discomfort, change your pillow! You should be using on that encourages a curve – which would be any squishy pillow! Check out how Dr. Hauser uses his pillow!
- Positivity: Yep, you heard that right! Positive thinking is an exercise for your brain! Are you stuck in situations that leave you bitter, resentful, and always feeling negative? The vagus nerve is like the body’s sixth sense, and can be hampered by both physical forces, such as neck instability as well as mental attitude and emotional wellbeing. Learn more about positivity and positive intelligence!
- Diet: Eating a healthy diet consisting of adequate protein, fresh vegetables, and purified water, avoiding processed foods, sugar, and excessive alcohol intake can make all the difference! When we fuel our bodies with whole foods, we provide ourselves with the necessary building blocks for vitality and health. These foods offer sustained energy levels, promote healthy digestion, support immune function, and contribute to better weight management – we have an abundance of recipes that we LOVE and are consistently updating on our website if you need any ideas!