The exercises are intended only as suggestions. Be sure to talk to your doctor before starting any new exercise or stretching program to make sure there are no restrictions in the type of exercise you should do. If you have any back, neck, bone, or joint problems, consult your doctor before beginning a stretching program.
1. Standing in a doorway, reach your hands up to the lintel (or as far up along the sides of the doorway as they will go) (fig.1). Lean forward through the doorway to stretch your inner arms and shoulders and hold for 30 seconds. Repeat with your hands positioned at the side of the doorway, just below your shoulders
(fig.2)
2. Stand arm’s distance to the right of a doorway. Reach your left arm across your body and grasp the doorway (fig.3). Now gently turn your body to the left, away from your hand, so that you feel a stretch in the back of your shoulder. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat on the other side, standing to the right of the doorway and reaching with your right hand.
3. Sit with your legs in a comfortable position. Tuck your left hand under your buttocks, the palm facing up (fig.4). Then, keeping your back straight, lean your torso toward the right as far as you can. Hold the stretch for 30 seconds and repeat on the opposite side.
| fig.4 Click to see larger image. |
4. This exercise requires the use of a stretchy exercise band, the kind available at most sporting-goods stores. Place one end of the band around the knob of a closed door and stand perpendicular to it, holding the other end of the band tight. Your thumb should be pointing upward. Lower your hand so that your forearm is parallel to the floor. Keeping your elbow close to your waist and holding your wrist straight, pull your hand toward your body, so that it traces an arc (fig.5). Then stretch the band out to the side of your body as far as the band will allow, again in a smooth arc (fig.6). You should feel enough resistance from the hand that there’s just a bit of a burn in the muscle after ten repetitions. Perform a total of 10 reps.
5. Downward-Facing Dog (under “Wrists”) also eases shoulder tension. If you are not able to perform it, try Child’s Pose instead. Kneel on the floor with your feet touching and your knees spread slightly apart. Sit back on your heels, placing a blanket or pillow under your hips if necessary for your comfort. Make sure that your weight is evenly distributed over your hips. Now bend your torso forward as far as you can comfortably go, and slide your hands in front of you on the floor, so that your arms are extending straight out from the shoulders. Hold this pose for 30 seconds (fig.7).
| fig.7 Click to see larger image. |
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References
Egoscue, Pete. Pain Free: A revolutionary Method for Stopping Chronic Pain. New York, NY. Bantam Book, 1998.
Weisberg, Joseph & Shink, Heidi. 3 Minutes to a Pain-free Life. New York, NY: Atria Books, 2005.
Carey,
Anthony B. The Pain-Free Program: A Proven Method to Relieve Back,
Neck, Shoulder, and Joint Pain. Hoboken, NJ. John Wiley & Sons,
2005
This page was first published on May, 15th, 2008 and was last updated on May, 15th, 2008
