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Home > Neck > Body Biomechanics |
| Body Biomechanics |
Anatomy of the Neck and Upper Back
In the world of upper back and neck muscular imbalances there are many reasons why they can occur. Poor posture is one of the biggest contributors to this type of problem. Take a look at your posture: activities you enjoy (swim, bike, run, tennis), allergies, sleep deprivation, dehydration, and the list goes on. Put all of these together, and what do you get? You get the potential for overworked muscles to become more overworked, and the result is often lack of elasticity within the muscles that support your 8-pound head and the typical aches and pains.
Think about how often you work your pectorals (chest muscles) and shoulders. These are the areas that get overworked first before your back. The pectorals get tight, causing the shoulders to rotate forward (antagonist). Once the flexibility and elasticity is lost, and the muscles start to shorten, the back and neck muscles (protagonist) elongate past their original capacity. Now you've created a weight-bearing sport with just trying to keep your shoulders back and your head up.
As a runner, the shoulders rotate forward, and the lung capacity is decreased. The arms start to move across your chest versus thrusting forward. (An OVA watch from Timex will help with the biomechanics of the shoulders while running. Visit Timex to find out more.)
From a cycling point of view the lungs are compromised along with the stability over the bars. In order to regain stability, the pelvis ends up crawling up the seat and eventually cutting off the diaphragm.
As a swimmer it's a no-brainer. As the chest gets overworked and the back becomes reactive, the efficiency of your stroke diminishes. The neck begins to stiffen, and you lose strength and flexibility deep within your traps.
Take a look at the information related to the chest and shoulder to learn more about the body biomechanics of the neck.
Recommendations:
Be aware of what you are doing and how you are doing it. Believe it or not, if you walk or run leading with the pelvis, the shoulders have less of an opportunity to rotate forward.
Gain flexibility in the chest muscles to allow the shoulders to rotate back naturally.
Watch how you talk on the phone, drive with one hand over the steering wheel, and the way you carry your bags when traveling.
Always remember, dehydration is also a huge component that forces you to need to redevelop muscle tissue. More than 75 percent of your muscle is water, so when you get dehydrated, the muscle is going to turn more into jerky than a supple steak. As you can imagine, if the tissue is drying up and dehydrating, the muscle is going to stick to whatever is around it. This could be bone, other muscle, or other connective tissue. Massaging can assist in regaining flexibility, elasticity, and strength, allowing the muscle to function optimally.
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