Exercise Eliminates Neck Pain

If you have stiff neck, chances are you can eliminate the pain through an exercise program. At least, that is the conclusion of Dr. Alfred B. Swanson of Grand Rapids, Michigan. His exercise procedure emphasizes flexing and rotating the neck and shoulder. According to Dr. Swanson, the program results in relief by mobilizing the spine and strengthens the supporting muscles.

Dr. Swanson has observed that most persons with that ailment have limited motion of the cervical spine, particularly in rotation.

An Exercise Don’t. Not all exercises are beneficial, and one doctor at the University of British Columbia explained that the old standby of toe-touching may actually bring on serious side effects.

Dr. Harry Fahrni, an orthopedic expert, said that bending forward while keeping the legs straight has a tendency to place extra force and strain on the discs of the spine in the small of the back. As a consequence, much damage can be done over a period of time.

Other harmful exercises, suggested Dr. Fahrni, were shoulder twisting to touch the left hand of the right toe, lying in a prone position and arching the back, full deep-knee bends and raising both legs from a supine position.

On Dr. Fahrni’s list of “gold star” exercises were push-ups, rowing machine work and thirty-minute runs.

What’s the best thing to drink before, during and after strenuous exercise? Water, says the American College of Sports Medicine, in an issue of Executive Fitness Newsletter.

Despite all the talk in recent years about electrolytes (minerals, mainly sodium and potassium) lost during sweating, what the body needs when it’s thirsty is water.

“A water loss of just 3% (that’s six pounds, or six pints of sweat if you are a 2oo-pounder) may significantly diminish exercise performance and provoke heat illness,” warns Dr. Edward L. Fox. He therefore recommends “frequent water breaks (for example, every 10-15 minutes)" to keep the body’s water table from approaching that 3% deficit.

Another eye-opener for us is that “if people simply learned how to use water correctly, this alone might do more to prevent and cure illness than all the medicines they now use…misuse,” according to researchers. Definitely, no one can live without water; in fact, over one-half of our body is water.