If you’re like most people, you’ve experienced neck or back pain at some point in your life.
The modern world isn’t exactly set up to support neck and back health. With numerous stressors and lots of sitting, it’s no surprise that neck and back pain are rampant in the twenty-first century. Fortunately, there are some simple yet powerful principles that can help you alleviate the common causes of pain and tension in your back and neck.
In this blog, you’ll learn about the root causes of neck and back pain, as well as how you can apply ancient healing principles to overcome pain and restore vitality. And unlike most other remedies for pain, there are no negative side effects to applying these principles.
In many cases, Western medicine has a tendency to focus on treating symptoms instead of root causes. When you treat a symptom, you may experience some quick relief, but you’re not able to experience true healing within your body.
Chinese Medicine and Qi Gong focus on treating the fundamental causes of pain or discomfort, which allows you to experience true and transformative healing. Instead of seeking a “quick fix,” you’re able to alleviate pain by tapping into your body’s own innate healing potential.
Chinese Medicine and Qi Gong recognize that there are several key elements that contribute to your vitality, including the vitality of your spine and neck. When you apply these principles, you can let go of pain and cultivate a deep feeling of physical and emotional wellbeing.
One of the most powerful ways to overcome physical pain is to release lines of tension in your body.
Your neck and shoulders are especially prone to holding tension and tightness, and stress is usually the culprit. When you experience stress or anxiety, your body has a tendency to contract, which puts more pressure on the vertebrae in your spine, as well as your muscles and joints. Just think about your posture when you feel stressed out. Generally, your neck muscles tighten and your shoulders move upward.
To release lines of tension, it’s important to engage in gentle stretching movements that relax your muscles and allow your body to return to its natural state. Typically, it’s best to do slow, focused stretching exercises that concentrate on specific energy pathways in your body. When you’re able to let go of tension and restore the healthy flow of energy in your body, your entire being thrives.
Slow, deep breathing helps shift your nervous system and relaxes your body. It also brings nourishing oxygen into your body, which is important for all of the organs and tissues within you.
Slow deep breathing has another important benefit for your neck and shoulders: It’s difficult to stay tense and stressed out when you’re concentrating on your breath. In turn, this enables you to further relax all of your muscles and ligaments, which helps your neck and back find equilibrium.
All of the techniques mentioned above contribute to one overarching principle of Chinese Medicine and Qi Gong: Flow.
Most pain and other ailments are the result of some sort of misalignment. In other words, when you fight against the natural harmony that exists within yourself and the world around you, health challenges ensue.
In the case of your neck and shoulders, pain is often the result of holding your body in static positions that aren’t natural or healthy. For example, sitting in a chair for many hours with your shoulders hunched over your computer is not the natural position for your body.
To address this issue, it’s important to engage in a variety of flowing movements that allow the vertebrae to move and rotate. A healthy flowing movement should help you explore your full range of movement while not overextending the limits of your physical mobility.
When you do flowing movements, try to synchronize your breath with your movements. This will help strengthen the connection between your body and mind, which allows you to release stress more easily and find a greater sense of presentness throughout your entire being.
If you’re interested in discovering how you can use these principles in applied practices, be sure to check out the Qi Gong for Upper Back and Neck Workshop.
In the Qi Gong for Upper Back and Neck Workshop, you’ll learn powerful practices that are specifically designed to alleviate pain and cultivate vitality in your neck and back. This includes a variety of stretching, breathing, and flowing exercises that focus on releasing lines of tensions and increasing suppleness in your neck and shoulders.
Click on the banner below to discover how Qi Gong can help you overcome pain and experience greater comfort in your neck and shoulders.
