Inside Your Headache: Tongue Tension

Inside Your Headache:  Tongue Tension

Maybe you’ve had one of those headaches that seem to start in the nape of your neck. Surprisingly, tension in the neck is often a result of tension in structures that lie in front of the neck:  the jaw, throat and tongue.

For most of us, concentrated thought involves verbalization. When you’re puzzling over something, your tongue and back of your throat (think of the place where you swallow) unconsciously become active, even though you’re not speaking. Next time you review your bank statement, notice what’s going on in your throat or tongue…

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Computer Neck Pain: A Prescription

Computer Neck Pain: A Prescription

You’d think, having spent the better part of 30 years teaching people about posture, that my own would have paragon status.  It’s pretty good, I’ll admit, but that doesn’t stop me from being unconscious about my body use in certain situations.  Like sitting at my computer and getting lost in a project…

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Stiff Eyes and Neck Pain

Stiff Eyes and Neck Pain

This morning I happened to read an excerpt of a poem that described someone has having eyes that were “stiffened” in horror. “Stiff eyes”—what a striking description. And it got me thinking about the connection between stiff eye muscles and stiff necks.

To feel what I’m talking about, try this experiment. Lightly place your finger pads along the back of your neck, just below your hairline. Then imagine a fly buzzing around in front of your face. Follow the fly with your eyes, but without moving your head around…

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