The better back, neck and shoulders stretching challenge

Below are a list of 5 great morning stretches that I've specifically picked out to address areas of tension and immobility that cause pain and discomfort.

These stretches are ones I prescribe on a regular basis (daily) to clients with neck, lower back and shoulder pain.

This post is an effort to get my clients (and blog readers) to become more 'mobile' in their spine and in turn end up 'pain free'.

My challenge to you...

For the next 28 days (4 weeks) complete these stretches EVERY morning.

Once the 4 week period is up you can then chose if you want to keep doing them or leave them out.

I'm pretty certain that if you do manage to complete the 4 week period you will not want to leave them out of your morning routine.

My aim is to convert as many of my clients (and blog readers) to put this stretching program into their daily routine.

I've just been going over these stretches as I've been writing this post and my neck, shoulders and lower back feel 10x better already - give them a try yourself now.

I'll be completing the challenge myself, alongside everyone else for the next 28 days.

Click this link if you would like a printable pdf version of the stretching program.

***N.B. This program is for individuals who presently have no acute pain, the program is designed as a general starting place for a healthier back, shoulders and neck. If you have acute pain you will need a detailed consultation and specific advice***

The Stretches

You will need 10 minutes set a side for this routine.

Make sure you've been up and moving for about 10 minutes before you do these.

Complete each stretch twice and hold for 30 seconds each time (any less will be in-effective).

1. Spinal rotation

Lie on your back with your knees bent, your hands together and arms out straight.

Rotate your knees one way and your hands the other way.

You should feel a 'rotational stretch' in your spine.

Move slowly and repeat 20 times.

2. Knee to chest

Bring both knees in to your chest and gently pull in with your hands to increase the stretch.

Hold for 30 seconds.

3. Door stretch

Face the door frame and place your forearms on the frame.

Push your body through the door frame to feel a stretch in your chest and shoulder area.

Hold for 30 seconds.

4. Neck 'extensor' stretch

Drop your head towards your shoulder and down towards the floor, in a diagonal direction.

You will feel a stretch in your neck / upper shoulder.

Hold for 30 seconds.

5. Thoracic extension

Stand (or sit) straight with your hands behind your head.

Extend back pushing your chest upwards and squeeze your shoulder blades together.

Hold for 30 seconds.

Knee pain in children 10 - 16yrs (Osgood-Schlatters?)

This is a post for any parents who have children that are complaining of knee pain... Their pain may be Osgood-Schlatters Disease (OSD).

OSD is a problem seen in active children between the age of 10-16yrs.

The reason I'm writing about this injury now is that I've had 3 different sets of parents bring in their children who have been complaining of symptoms of OSD over the last 6 weeks.

They were ALL aged 14yrs (2 girls / 1 boy) and had varying degrees of knee pain.

The main symptom of OSD is pain which will be felt at the front of the knee just below the knee cap (where the quadriceps attach to the bone).

Symptoms are most commonly found after a 'growth spurt' - though not always. The pain is caused by the muscle pulling on the site where it attaches to the bone (the Tibial Tuberosity). This pulling causes inflammation at the attachment site.

The reason this problem occurs in children aged between around 10 - 16yrs is because at this stage their bones are still developing and yet to fully harden. This leaves the boney attachment vulnerable to heavy loading.

In severe cases the bone can start to be pulled away causing a calcification at the knee. The picture above (taken from the British Medical Journal) shows what can occur in a severe case of OSD - note the 'bump' on the child's knee.

In most cases your child will eventually 'grow-out' of OSD, however it must be managed carefully in the interim.

It is a relatively common issue, my sister had it on and off for about 18 months as a child - unfortunately for her it wasn't managed very well at the time!

Treatment for OSD will involve:

1. Rest (or relative rest) - by 'relative rest' I mean that ALL activity must be pain free. If an activity causes pain then rest must be enforced.
2. Soft tissue techniques (massage) to free up the tight muscular tissue.
3. Bio-mechanical screening - to make sure no unnecessary force is being generated at the knee
4. Light stretching - only when appropriate.
5. Ice / cold treatment - to help manage the inflammation.

Two things you must not allow your child to do if they have OSD:

1. Train / play through pain.
2. Stretch heavily if it causes pain.

N.B. As always this is a very brief overview of this type of injury, there are many other problems that can occur at the knee that will need to be ruled out in an assessment.