HEALTH TIP--SHOULDERS

The last couple of years I’ve had problems with my shoulders and neck, and had to do an extensive course of physical therapy (PT). Unfortunately, my problem couldn’t be fixed with surgery. Here’s a wonderful exercise I was taught in PT, and it helps the neck muscles too.

TO INCREASE FLEXIBILITY

Test: Put one arm over your shoulder, and reach behind your back. Then bring your other arm up behind your back, and try to touch the fingers of the hand that went over your shoulder.

Goal: To increase the flexibility of your arms, especially your shoulders.

Exercise: The "test" is also an exercise. Perform it several times a day, holding the stretch 30 seconds, then reversing your arms. Soon your fingers will easily touch. At that point, it’s OK to reduce the frequency until you reach a level where you can consistently touch fingers.

***Do NOT force your fingers to touch in the beginning, as this can pull a muscle in your back. Gradually, work up to the fingers touching.

This has made a big difference for me. It’s been over a year since I’ve needed PT or a cortisone shot.