[chroma]

It's been awhile since I poked around YouTube for self-treatment videos on 1st rib and neck problems. Here are some worth sharing:

1st Rib Self Joint Mob
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69pUWP4s90I
... This was an interesting approach because I hadn't seen it quite like this before. It uses only your hand so you can do it anywhere.

First Rib Mobilization
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfrUXiNETTk
... another strap-based self adjustment. The standard PT recommendation.

Neck Exercises for self alignment
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLXr0M6mdV8c
... haven't seen these exact ones before. Haven't tried them either. Who's going first?

Self SNAGs Self Treatment Cervical Spine pain & Stiffness Mulligan Concept Manual Therapy.wmv
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyNntKOE0J4
... I have a lot of cervical crepitus and muscle spasms so this is interesting to me. He also shows how the fingers/hands can be used if you don't have a strap handy. Haven't tried it yet, but will.

[Akash]

>> Neck Exercises for self alignment sound interesting. Lets see if my flare goes down so I can give this a shot.

[chroma]

This helps reduce stiffness in my neck:

The "2-Minute Feldenkrais® Miracle" to Free Up Your Stiff Neck, with James Speer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9p7_XPK6lM

[Hiker]

Originally Posted by chroma

This helps reduce stiffness in my neck:

The "2-Minute Feldenkrais® Miracle" to Free Up Your Stiff Neck, with James Speer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9p7_XPK6lM

Interesting. Does not seem to work for me. My neck goes into spasm when I raise my arms/hands in front of me. I found that doing very gentle passive stretches in various directions for 2-3 minutes makes the spasm and stiffness go away. But if I try to use my arms, the neck goes right back into spasm...

[chroma]

Originally Posted by Hiker

Interesting. Does not seem to work for me. My neck goes into spasm when I raise my arms/hands in front of me. I found that doing very gentle passive stretches in various directions for 2-3 minutes makes the spasm and stiffness go away. But if I try to use my arms, the neck goes right back into spasm...

Interesting. My neck used to be ultra-sensitive too. Just holding my head up with my body sideways--which occurs in some body stretch positions--would cause spasms.

Can you share which stretches you are doing?

[Hiker]

Originally Posted by chroma

Can you share which stretches you are doing?

It seems that multiple muscles are spasming (traps, levators, scalenes and, possibly others) so I just sit in a chair, relax my neck and gently tilt it in different directions so that all achy muscles are stretched. I don't hold the stretch, just continue stretching and releasing the same muscle until the pain is gone. Usually a couple of minutes is enough. I have to repeat this once an hour or so.

[chroma]

Thanks. I call that "gentle movements" or "gentle mobility". I do it a few times a day too.

[Akash]

Originally Posted by Hiker

It seems that multiple muscles are spasming (traps, levators, scalenes and, possibly others) so I just sit in a chair, relax my neck and gently tilt it in different directions so that all achy muscles are stretched. I don't hold the stretch, just continue stretching and releasing the same muscle until the pain is gone. Usually a couple of minutes is enough. I have to repeat this once an hour or so.

Interesting.. from what I have found.. the stretches work to release trigger points in muscles which develop thanks to various factors (weak muscles elsewhere, injuries etc). But they recur, so we have to keep stretching. Qn is how to figure out what the causative issue is.

[Akash]

Originally Posted by chroma

It's been awhile since I poked around YouTube for self-treatment videos on 1st rib and neck problems. Here are some worth sharing:

1st Rib Self Joint Mob
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69pUWP4s90I
... This was an interesting approach because I hadn't seen it quite like this before. It uses only your hand so you can do it anywhere.

First Rib Mobilization
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfrUXiNETTk
... another strap-based self adjustment. The standard PT recommendation.

Neck Exercises for self alignment
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLXr0M6mdV8c
... haven't seen these exact ones before. Haven't tried them either. Who's going first?

Self SNAGs Self Treatment Cervical Spine pain & Stiffness Mulligan Concept Manual Therapy.wmv
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyNntKOE0J4
... I have a lot of cervical crepitus and muscle spasms so this is interesting to me. He also shows how the fingers/hands can be used if you don't have a strap handy. Haven't tried it yet, but will.

I was looking through Stoxens presentation on TOS. He used a percussion/vibratory massager to loosen up the area and reduce spasming. Worth a try?

http://teamdoctorsblog.com/2012/08/u...-dc-chapter-1/

So I asked him to lay on his side looking horizontal to the ground and relax. I put a pillow under his head so his neck was straight. Then I got a towel, folded it in half and put it on his neck. Then I tool a 4 inch circumference rubber headed clinical strength vibrational massage machine, placed the head of the massager at 5400 RPMs on his scalenes, muscles of his neck and shoulders (floor 1 compression) and then on the pec minor, latissimus dorsi (floor 2 compression) and observed his facial expressions.

I was waiting for his eyes to light up and they did. Then he starts screaming “My arm is on fire!!!!!” “I knew he would say that” Remember the machine is loud so he is screaming over the machine noise into the theater “MY ARM IS ON FIRE” The first rule of being in an old theatre like the Chicago Theatre is you never scream out that anything is on fire when its not literally on fire. It could cause a stampede of people running out of the building!!!

Also I could just imagine what production managers, tour managers and other support were thinking as this older man was screaming his arm was on fire while this man had this machine into his neck.

I calmly turned off the vibration machine, looked down at him and said, “Sonny, do you remember as a kid waking up with a numb arm from sleeping on it?

“yes”

“Well do you know why your arm feels like its on fire?”

“No”

“Its because the blood is finally flowing back into the arm after being drained for 5 years. Now make a fist!” He looked down and squeezed his hand into a fist, amazed.
- See more at: http://teamdoctorsblog.com/2012/08/u....F2cdQcP0.dpuf

[Akash]

Originally Posted by Hiker

Interesting. Does not seem to work for me. My neck goes into spasm when I raise my arms/hands in front of me. I found that doing very gentle passive stretches in various directions for 2-3 minutes makes the spasm and stiffness go away. But if I try to use my arms, the neck goes right back into spasm...

Hows your Edgelow stuff going? Has it worked in significantly reducing symptoms? Is it possible to learn it on one's own without a trained practitioner around?