Back/Neck Pain

You can use the tennis ball lying on the floor or leaning against a wall.

Video courtesy of Paul Svacina, Trisoma.com

Stiff Neck/Headaches/Upper Back Pain/Mid-Back PainCauses

*For those suffering from headaches or a stiff neck, please try this self-treatment before beginning the following treatment.

Self-Treatment

  1. Get a tennis ball and put it on the floor.
  2. Lying face up  on top of the tennis ball, position yourself so that the ball is pushing into a spot about an inch or so away from the spine at the base of your neck.
  3. Relax into the ball and take slow, deep breathes.
  4. Try to relax into the ball more, with each consecutive breath.
  5. Allowing the ball to roll, move your body over it so that it has now moved about a half inch or inch toward your waist still an inch or so away from your spine.  (Or you can remain stationary and move the ball with your hand.)
  6. Breathe and relax into the pressure.
  7. Continue toward the waist, pausing every inch or so, breathing and relaxing on each pause.
  8. When you get to waist level, repeat steps 1 through 7 on the other side of the spine.
  9. If you are very wide-bodied, you can repeat each side on a second line still farther out from the spine.

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