Unburden Your Shoulders & Neck

When you settle in to read for a while or work on a computer, take time to find a comfortable way to support your elbows and forearms. This relieves the pull of the considerable weight of the shoulder blades and arm bones off of your neck and skull. Compare the feeling of this pull with and without the arm support. Rolling up a throw across the belly or a u-shaped nursing pillow can make convenient, comfortable arm rests.

Make circles with the shoulder blades often and slowly nod the head gesturing Yes and No to release tension from the base of the skull, promoting circulatory flow to the brain.

Close your eyes periodically and make slow circles of the eyes in clockwise and ante-clockwise directions to keep the eyes moist and muscles of the eyes toned. Staying current on eye exams to identify and correct visual deficits can also reduce neck strain and headaches.