Stop Neck and Back pain NOW!

Get rid of neck and mid back

pain ASAP

Causes

There are several reasons for neck and back pain but

among the most common are improper and lack there of

movement of the neck and shoulders. Most modern jobs

are now sedentary and therefore can cause a multitude of

musculoskeletal disorders. This can create poor flexibility,

improper muscular control of the shoulders and neck, and

weakness in the cervical flexors and scapular retractors.

What we will discuss in this article are tips and even

exercises to improve and even prevent pain.

Upper Cross Syndrome

Upper Cross Syndrome is a simple way of looking at common muscular imbalances that most

individuals with desk jobs may present with. Tightness in the Upper Traps and Pec Muscles and

which form the 1st line, and weakness in the deep neck flexors and lower trap muscles creates

the crossing line. This represents a textbook complication of muscle imbalances.

What to do about it?

The answer is quite simple. How about we start with postural correction.

1. Relax your shoulders and have them slightly pinching (Think chest out)
2. Sit up straight and have your chin tucked closer to your neck.
3. Keep your computer screen eye level and keep your elbows remain at your side
4. Try and get up and move frequently. Even though this may be the optimal posture,

it is very important to keep moving - your next posture is the best posture - So stay moving!

Prevention and Exercise

Let’s take a look at some exercises that can help prevent and even relieve neck and back pain.

1. Pec Stretch -Lean into a doorway at shoulder level - Hold for 20 seconds for 3 reps

2. Shoulder Pinches - Pinch your shoulders together and downward, hold for 3 seconds and repeat 10 times

3. Chin Tucks - Draw your chin toward you neck and head level, hold for 3 seconds and repeat 15 times

  

Conclusion

These exercises can be performed several times a day especially during the work day.

Remember that movement is life and although correcting your posture can help, staying active

throughout the day will truly relieve your pain. If you continue to have issues it is

important that you discuss them with your physician or see a physical therapist.

Thank you for reading and for any questions please feel free to contact

Bonnette Elite Physical Therapy and Wellness.

Sincerely,

Dr. Alex Bonnette PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS

Dr. Bonnette is the owner and director of physical therapy of Bonnette Elite Physical Therapy

and Wellness. He has been in the healthcare industry for the past 8 years, providing treatment

and education to the Fort Worth Community. He is a Board Certified Orthopedic Clinical

Specialist. He currently has 2 clinics operating in West and South Fort Worth. Each clinic

is run by Doctors of Physical Therapy. For any questions please feel free to contact us.

www.fortworthphysicaltherapist.com

9628 Bartlett Circle, ste 300 Fort Worth, TX 76108 CALL TODAY (817) 862-9665

             

Hypertrophy Training

Hypertrophy Training

This is going to be an example hypertrophy training split/routine that I will actually be participating in over the next few months. So the goal of this routine will be to increase muscle mass and maintain or even decrease body fat. This will go through the holidays and end around March. From there a focus on decreasing body fat by clean eating and dieting will be implemented.

Weightlifting

Split 1:

1.     Chest

2.     Back

3.     Biceps, Triceps, and Shoulders

4.     Legs

5.     Repeat

Split 2:

1.     Chest, Triceps, and Shoulders

2.     Back and Biceps

3.     Legs

*Abdominals and Calves will be trained every other day

          -Abdominals will be worked in conjunction prior to cardio

These 2 will be based upon muscle fatigue and soreness(if I feel like one week I did not get very sore I will make the split shorter like Split #2)

Each Weightlifting session should be anywhere from 30-60 min.

Rest days will be implemented as needed(most likely 1 every 2 weeks)

Cardio

Cardio will be performed 3-5 times per week, 30-60 minutes each session

          -Cardio will most likely be performed in the morning on an empty stomach

                   -If cardio is not performed in the morning it will be performed after weightlifting

                   -The goal of fasted cardio is to utilized stored fat in the body(there is some discrepancy among the research regarding this, but I find it works well for me)

I prefer the elliptical or walking on an incline when performing cardio and try to target around 65-75% of my HR max. Since I am flat footed I tend to have pain after running especially when it is frequent and prolonged.

Exercises- One thing that is fairly consistent with most of my splits is that every body part is worked with 4 moves(2 complex/power exercises and 2 simple/auxiliary exercises) Studies show that exercises that involve multiple joint and muscle movements activate more muscle fibers and recruit more motor units thus increasing mass over time. Exercises that involve single joint and muscle movements are used to isolate the muscle and further fatigue the muscle. This also allows for better concentration and focus on the particular muscle group that is targeted.

Chest Example: As you can see I chose 2 “mass” moves(incline DB, flat BB) and 2 auxiliary(flyes and crossover)

1.     Incline DB 4 sets x 8-15 reps

2.     Flat BB Bench 4 sets 8-15 reps

3.     Flye machine 3 sets 10-15 reps

4.     Cable Crossover 3 sets 10-15 reps

Back Example: when working back I separate it into 2 different areas of focus(high and low) and 2 different grips(close and wide) By doing this we can target the entire back.

1.     T bar Row machine with chest plate 4 sets 8-15 reps

2.     Bentover DB rows 4 sets 8-15 reps

3.     Lat Pulldowns 4 sets 10-18 reps

4.     High pulley rows 4 sets 8-15 reps

5.     DB Shrugs 4 sets 12-20 reps

Biceps Example

1.     Heavy DB curls 4 sets 8-15 reps

2.     BB curls 4 sets 8-20 reps

3.     Machine Preacher curls 3 sets 12-20 reps

Triceps Example

1.     Tricep Cable Pressdown 4 sets 10-20 reps

2.     Skull Crushers 4 sets 10-15 reps

3.     Dips 4 sets 15-25 reps

Shoulder Example: shoulders are one body part I train differently than most. When lifting shoulders I focus on the middle delt and some light work on posterior delts and frontal delts. The anterior portion of the deltoid is always being worked anytime you do chest so I focus my attention on the middle delt with primarily lateral raises. There are times I do 10 sets of lateral raises and that’s all.

1.     DB Lateral Raises 6-8 sets 8-20 reps

2.     Upright rows 2 sets 10-15 reps(light)

3.     Machine shoulder presses 2 set 10-20 reps(light)

4.     DB Bentover Rear Delts 4 sets 10-20 reps

Legs Example: Squats, Squats, Squats… Legs respond best to complex/multijoint exercises such as squats, lunges, and leg press. Study after study have proven this, so if you want the wheels you have to do the right exercise with heavy weight.

1.     Leg Press 6 sets 10-20 reps

2.     BB Squats 4 sets 10-16 reps

3.     Leg Extension 5 sets 10-20 reps

4.     Leg Curl 4 sets 8-14 reps

Again this is a routine that I personally will be participating in and it may not suit everyone. I suggest reading articles for yourself and checking with your Doctor to see if this program or any other is appropriate for yourself

Most of this information from above can be found in the Text Book: The Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning

Thanks,

Dr Alex Bonnette PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS

Doctor of Physical Therapy and Owner

Bonnette Elite Physical Therapy and Wellness