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Pain in the neck
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Forceful neck exercises can do more harm than good
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A PAIN in the neck is often more than just a figure of speech. While awkward sleeping positions, faulty exercise and accidents commonly cause neck pain in otherwise healthy adults, degenerative conditions such as cervical spondylitis add to the list of causes in the elderly.
The neck's exceptional flexibility means the momentum of some exercises or the whiplash effect of traffic accidents can cause movement that exceeds the natural limits of the neck's intervertebral joints. For example, vigorous rotation of the neck, unfortunately a common pre-exercise warm-up routine for many people, can damage intervertebral discs, their supporting ligaments, and the nerves and blood vessels in their vicinity.
Forceful neck extension, i.e., flinging the head backwards, is also a common in many pre-exercise routines.
This is bad because it compresses nerves and vessels at the base of the skull where the neck is most flexible and damages intervertebral discs.
Over time, repetitive microtrauma to ligaments and intervertebral discs causes chronic neck pain.
While forceful neck exercises can be harmful, slow movements that reach the limits of the neck's range are beneficial.
Certain yoga exercises and postures can hurt the spines of those with arthritis and osteoporosis. Halasana transfers the weight of the body over the neck. If you already suffer from chronic neck pain or frequent un-explained pain in the arms, exercises such as this, which stress the neck, are not for you.
Do all exercises that involve the spine very slowly. And drop some of your favourite exercises even if it hurts your pride. The fact that you are 60 and can still do headstands does not mean that you should continue to do them. Ageing causes intervertebral discs to lose water and shrink, and they are less effective as the spine's shock absorbers.
If you suffer from chronic joint disorders, get an all-clear from an orthopaedic surgeon before attempting yoga or spinal exercises.
RAJIV. M
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Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
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