Applying ice for 10 minutes several times daily may relieve swelling and redness. Wearing a neck brace supports the weight of your head, temporarily relieving the stress on SCM although may only recommended temporarily and only in severe cases. Over-the-counter nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs NSAIDs such as ibuprofen Advil, Neurofen and naproxen Naprosyn, Aleve and analgesic rubs can relieve some of the pain associated with the strain. SCM is very responsive to massage and other soft tissue techniques such as gentle cupping, dry needling, and stretching.
Then gently tilt the head to the same side, as if trying to reach the ear to the shoulder. Hold the collarbone for added tension. If you are a yogi, some basic yoga poses that can help lateral and anterior neck tension include;. Cow-Cat pose is a gentle up-and-down flowing posture that brings flexibility to the entire spine. It stretches and lengthens the back torso and neck.
To begin with cow pose, kneel on your hands and knees in a neutral, tabletop position. Be sure to align the hands below the shoulders and knees directly beneath the hips. Looking straight ahead, inhale, and slowly extend through your spine as you look up and forward, softly arching through the back and neck. Take care to expand through your chest and lower your shoulders down and back. Move into cat pose by reversing the movement as you exhale and bring your chin towards your chest while gently hunching and rounding your back.
Repeat this sequence for 7 to 10 cycles, softly flowing with your breath. The seated twist is a wonderful pose to bring flexibility to the entire spinal column.
It provides an inner massage to the abdominal organs and encourages side-to-side flexibility of the neck. The importance of stretching to reduce muscle pain should never be underrated. Stretching muscles will help to lengthen them and therefore prevent further contractions. There are a few stretches you can complete daily to lengthen your sternocleidomastoid muscles, but also surrounding muscles in your neck. Start facing forward. Slowly tilt your head back, then turn your head slightly towards your shoulder until you feel a gentle stretch from your ear to your collarbone.
To increase the stretch, place your hand on your head and use the weight of your hand to push your head slightly further towards your shoulder. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat for both sides. Upper trapezius stretch:. Your upper trapezius muscles are very close to your sternocleidomastoid muscles and may also benefit from stretching.
To stretch your upper trapezius start with your head in neutral and lean your head to once side, trying to touch your ear to your shoulder. To increase the stretch you can also use the weight of your hand on your head. Most commonly I have seen office workers and people that clench or grind their teeth come into the clinic with discomfort being referred from their SCM.
Especially people with a deskbound job that are leaning forward, looking at the computer screen. Typically clients have presented with headaches around the temple or forehead. Often overlooked during treatment, tightness in your SCM can refer pain and discomfort in many areas of the head. It is a relatively simple muscle to treat. Easy to access to self treat but if you are at all unsure then seek treatment from a health professional. As you can see from the below picture there are up to seven common points that can refer discomfort around the neck and head.
There are 3 in the posterior belly and 4 in the anterior belly. The red areas indicating the common referral patterns with a problematic SCM. Strenghtening : Unilateral: Using a theraband around your head and anchored to something, turn your head to the right.
Keep on the same side until finished the change sides. Using a theraband around one side of your head and anchored to something, side bend your head away from the anchor point. Bilateral: Using a theraband around the front of your head and anchored to something, push your head and bend your neck slightly forward at the same time. Stretching : To stretch the right muscle, turn your head to the left.
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