HOW TO ALLEVIATE YOUR NECK & LOW BACK PAIN

Pain is multifactorial - there are bio, psycho, social, and spiritual components so this is by no means an exhaustive list, but here are 10 SIMPLE things to start with if you experience neck or low back pain!

1. Prioritize your body. Put it at the top of your “to do” list. Get curious. Awareness is crucial.

2. Lie on the floor. Slow down. Take a break from squishy/soft beds/couches and get on the floor. Your spinal and pelvic muscles will be much happier.

3. Move your neck/head around. Can you flex/extend, laterally flex, circle, & move your cervical spine independently from the rest of your body?

4. Spend time walking barefoot. Get out of your shoes (aka sensory deprivation chambers)

5. Walk barefoot on different textures (grass, gravel, rocks, sand, etc)

6. Back your hips up! A lot of us are walking around with a forward shifted pelvis and aren’t aware...back 'em up 👍

7. Breathe! This is a big one. Practice nose breathing. Practice breathing into your rib cage. Practice breathing in different positions. We want expansive 3D breaths...shallow breathing patterns contribute to neck/low back pain.

8. Get up and move more frequently....sedentarism is a large root cause of neck and low back pain.

9. Work with a coach or trainer. If you want to start making useful changes, you need to first know where you are now - a coach/trainer is invaluable in helping you figure this out.

10. Recognize and get honest about your stress and how you hold it in your body. Your emotions are related to your physical pain!!!