How About A Few Self Care Tips For The Upper Neck?

Editor's Note: This article is part of a larger article from Dynamic Chiropractic, a Chiropractic publication, so it is written as if the chiropractor was reading it.   You can find the full article here.)

Self-Mobilization Exercises For The Upper Neck

Our patients often have recurrent patterns of fixation. When I can, I like to show them how to self-mobilize these areas. Here are two exercises to address these patterns.

1. Upper Cervical Side-Bending. This is an exercise I developed for one of my patients who kept experiencing upper-cervical jamming and headaches. This is useful for a patient who lacks side-bending at the occiput or has a recurrent atlas fixation. Look at the patient. Is their head "on straight"? If not, here is a way to teach them to straighten it out.

This exercise is a bit tricky and requires decent motor control, so you will need to teach the patient how to do it a few times. We are not trying to get them to stretch or side bend their whole neck. We don't want the motion to occur in the middle or lower cervical spine. We are trying to induce side-bending motion into the upper cervical spine. The visualization is to see their face spinning or rotating around their nose. Think of a clock face with the nose in the middle.

Step one is to straighten the head in the sagittal plane by activating the deep neck flexors. You probably already know this as a stand-alone exercise. This begins to correct the chin poke and lack of posterior glide. Next, the patient should hold this chin tuck position and put their hands on their head and face. One hand is on the temporal region; the other on the opposite side, over the jaw. They are going to resist gently and move their head against the resistance of their hands. Ask the patient to move about 1-2 inches. This is not an isometric exercise; it is about inducing motion.

The usual error is to just push against the top hand, which puts the fulcrum lower in the neck. The patient needs to equally push against the opposite hand, the one on the jaw. Some patients need to start to push with the jaw first to get the right motion started. Caution may be needed if they have a TMJ issue. As always, remind them to gently resist; this is motor control, not a strength contest.

2. Sternocleidomastoid stretch.  What muscle is pulling on the occiput? The primary short and tight muscle is usually the SCM. This is another exercise that may be challenging for your less-coordinated patients. It can be done either supine or sitting. Let's outline it step by step. (By the way, this same routine can be done by the doctor to the patient as a pin and stretch.)
Start by instructing the patient to use their opposite hand to grasp the bulk of the SCM muscle. Aim at the tightest part of the SCM; it could be up high or down near the clavicle. Grasp it between the thumb and fingers. If this proves too challenging, you can have the patient place their opposite hand on the top of the medial clavicle and pull downward, stabilizing the origin of the muscle.

Patient tucks the chin, lifts the sternum and elevates the crown toward the ceiling. This is the basic motion that activates the deep neck flexors and puts the head in the proper start position.

Patient rotates the head about 20 degrees toward the side you want to stretch. This is counterintuitive; the SCM has an obliquely upward path, which lengthens the muscle.
Patient tips (side bends) the head away, maintaining the chin tuck position; then pulls downward on the tight part of the SCM with the hand grasping it. (They can also lubricate with lotion and glide with compression down the muscle belly.)Here are the common errors: They lose the chin tuck. They tend to want to rotate to the same side as they are side-bending, instead of rotating to the opposite side. Some patients have a hard time grasping the muscle; the glide way may work better for them.

(Editor's note: Remember the objective of upper cervical care is to correct head neck misalignment that is interfering with proper brain to body communication. When this is corrected the body functions at a higher level and can often correct other problems more efficiently on its own. Please do not confuse upper cervical care as a treatment for any condition, disease or symptom.)

How to Relieve Pain in the Base of the Skull

(Editor's Note:  This post comes to us from my good friend and colleague, Dr. Adam Tanase.  I love it because it gives people a way to help themselves and I think that is part of the reason we are here, to help each other help ourselves.)

 

by Dr. Adam Tanase

Tightness, stress, and pain at the base of the skull has long been an issue that required hands-on therapy from a chiropractor or massage therapist. The sub-occipital release maneuver performed by these professionals can open up the space between the skull and spine.

Patients with this type of pain pattern would ask, "Is there anything I can do for this at home?" And while there are a couple of stretches and make-shift remedies that I could recommend to temporarily reduce discomfort, they aren’t nearly as effective as the manual pressure release performed in-office.

But I recently discovered a tool that patients can now use at home to achieve a similar result as the sub-occipital release procedure performed by healthcare professionals:

The CranioCradle

 When I first discovered the CranioCradle, I wondered if it could actually produce positive changes to the tight and narrow space within the upper neck. I also had some concerns about operator error (patients positioning it incorrectly). But I must say, after experimenting with it for a few weeks, those concerns were needless. Here’s my experience with it…

How I Tested It

 I tried it two different ways. The picture above is how I’d suggest you use it as well – it feels more natural, comfortable, and relaxing when the head is cradled in this manner… but it can also be turned the opposite direction, with the sloping side beneath the neck instead. This approach, however, is a more advanced/progressive position, so it may create some discomfort for first-time users.

I tried it on a variety of surfaces, from firm and soft mattresses (including memory foam), to carpeted floors and on hardwood. I also used it lying flat on my back, as well as with my legs raised in the static back position.

I experimented with different durations of time, and times of day, to see if there was a difference in the outcome.

Here’s What I Liked Best

 Resting on the carpeted floor was clearly the most effective. It was firm enough not to impact the pressure needed from the device, but not so soft that the device sunk down and became less useful. (Mattresses created inconsistent support, while resting on my hardwood floors was simply too firm for me to get comfortable.)

Lying flat is recommended, but combining it with the static back position provided a slightly deeper impact on the tissues that some may find beneficial.

The preferred time of day was in the evening, immediately before going to bed. There’s nothing wrong with using this earlier in the day, but the relaxation I attained at night before going to sleep was noteworthy. The reason this happens is likely due to the deep tissue-penetrating effects in this specific region of the spine. It stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system which has a calming effect on the body.

What I Noticed

 5-minutes was all it took to notice a change, but I set my timer for 7-10 minutes each night, and that became my preference. Once I was finished, I rested with my head flat on the floor for an additional minute or two. Each time I did this something interesting happened within 15-20 seconds… a distinctly warm/hot sensation permeated my upper neck. This rapid increase of blood infusing the soft tissues beneath the skull was almost addictive. I found myself looking forward to the sensation each time.

I also noticed that my sleep quality, which was already pretty good, was even better on the nights that I used the CranioCradle before bed.

What Patients Had to Say About It

 I asked a variety of patients at my chiropractic office to try the device, and it was well-received. Comments ranged from "my neck feels comfortable; I can tell it’s doing something" to "I can feel my sinuses opening up."

Alternative Product Options

 There are similar products on the market, but they vary in price and functionality.

The Upledger Institute International has their own version of this called the Still Point Inducer. While listed at half the price, it’s less specific to the sub-occipital space. It can help ease muscle tension and is noticeably firmer, but doesn’t quite have the same effect on the sub-occipital region of the spine as the CranioCradle.

The Cranial Therapy Centre in Toronto created BeCalm Balls. These are adjustable and can be widened/separated along a cord, and they’re much softer than the other two. They’re also the most expensive of the three.

Who Would Benefit?

 If you suffer from occipital headaches, or you experience tightness, pain, and discomfort in the back of the head or mid-to-upper neck, I recommend using a CranioCradle.

What Do They Do At Upper Cervical Health Centers?

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We are created with the ability to heal and recover from almost anything and adapt to those things that we cannot. We are empowered to seek advice and ultimately make our own decisions about our health! Upper Cervical doctors believe that the best health care is self-care. We should focus our attention on addressing the physical, spiritual, and emotional needs of our bodies on a daily basis.

When it comes to living a long and healthy life, very few people will argue that prevention through optimum nutrition and exercise plays a vital role, but the most important component to good health is often overlooked. That component is proper “brain to body communication.” You may have heard this phrase tossed around, but do you really know what it means? The brain stem and nervous system control and coordinate every function in your body – heart rate, breathing, vision, hearing, balance, digestion, muscle tension, posture, emotions, immune function, hormones…literally EVERYTHING! In order to function properly and remain healthy for years to come, you must have 100% “brain to body communication” at all times– 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year! Most people don’t understand that this brain to body communication can be “choked” off by a misalignment within one of the top two bones in the neck. This interference, in addition to decreasing your potential can contribute to a myriad of health conditions…arthritis, asthma, diabetes, digestive disorders, fibromyalgia, ear infections, and the list goes on. Many health conditions can begin with stresses placed on the body, over time, that were never corrected.

Poor brain to body communication is an epidemic as prevalent as tooth decay. The International Upper Cervical Institute estimates that by the age of 39, 87% of the population has some degree of interference to the health and healing messages the brain tries to send the body. Despite the fact that this decreased brain to body communication is widespread, public awareness remains limited. It’s time we get “back to the basics,” take control over our own health, and recognize the body’s remarkable, inborn self-healing ability. This is the only way we can truly break the cycle of just treating the disease in this country. If we are waiting for a miracle drug to cure the world’s ailments, it’s not going to happen! We need to be proactive, not reactive, with our health. Doing the things we must to promote health must take precedence over the treatment of disease! Restoring brain to body communication is a step in a better direction. Upper Cervical Health Centers wants to raise awareness of a natural option for health for families and individuals of all ages.

The Good News:

Although being proactive and addressing health problems early is always best, it is never too late to start. If you are still breathing, you can improve your health. Most people see remarkable improvement in their health when they incorporate Upper Cervical Care into their lives. Some patients are able to free themselves of long-term health impairments without medication. While Upper Cervical Care has been one of the best kept secrets in healthcare, our patients and doctors are committed to letting the world know about this gentle, non-invasive and natural approach to health! Chronic disease and disability do not have to be the inevitable result of aging. Chronic illnesses develop from a lifetime of stressful factors that interfere with the body’s ability to heal and regenerate. The body is an extraordinary self-healing organism, and a longer life, more free of common diseases and premature aging, is available for those who seek it.

www.uppercervicalcare.com

Go to the website to learn more about Upper Cervical health care. Watch videos that explain how health conditions that traditional physicians considered incurable have improved and get answers to the most commonly asked questions about Upper Cervical. Upper cervical care can help everyone. Infants to seniors, mothers-to-be, athletes, and accident victims will benefit from a healthy spine and nervous system. If you have a health problem, Upper Cervical doctors will focus on removing interference to proper body function so that the body will be more able to heal itself. If you are symptom free, Upper Cervical care is one of the best ways to stay healthy.