Happy April everyone!
My apologies for the lack of a March newsletter. My grandmother passed and the family had a wonderful funeral and service for her. At 98, she'd lived a long, wonderful life, and her whole family misses her still. I hope I will make up the missed newsletter to you in April by presenting you with an article on an action plan for treating those pesky neck cricks you wake up with some days.

Two other tidbits of news: We recently had all the windows at our house replaced and they are fantastic windows at a good price. I always prefer to work with independently-owned, local businesses, and I highly recommend Glenn Killum’s company, Quality Exteriors (615-406-7921). His family was in the windows business for years, but he started his own company after his uncle sold the business and is now working for himself. Glenn thoroughly explained all the options for the windows and installation and helped us make a great investment in our house.

Several clients have been asking me about yoga instructors lately, and I just had a private yoga lesson with Beth Nelson. Beth teaches yoga at Baptist Fitness Center, and is an excellent instructor. She takes her students through poses several times, and further develops the pose each time she takes them through it. The private lesson was fantastic because we were able to focus on the parts of me that needed the most work, and she had specific poses to practice at home in order to work on problem areas. Private lessons are $50 and her class at Baptist is $10 per class - both are great deals on yoga instruction. You can reach Beth at 615.268-9397 or bappy2000@bellsouth.net

- heather wibbels (615.294-6672)

Waking up to a pain in the side or back of your neck can signal a long day ahead. You might have slept wrong, pulled a muscle or injured your neck the day before. Bottom line, though, it hurts now. I’d like to give you some tips that will get that pain under control. I've used this set of tips to get relieve my own pain in a day or so several times. (I'd be hard pressed to define a neck crick; in fact, I'm sure there's a scientific term for it and many physiological and anatomical causes of what people in the area call cricks, but since "crick" is the word clients use when they come in, that's the term I'll use.)

Please note that if it feels like more than a muscle pain, or if it happens frequently, please have it assessed by your primary care provider before following the steps below.

1. Assess what actions make it hurt
Take a few minutes to move your head and see what kind of range of motion you have. Make a note of which side feels tighter and which motions activate the pain in your neck and shoulders. Sometimes dropping the head to the shoulder will not hurt, but rotating the head to look over one shoulder or the other will cause the pain to flare. Isolating what actions cause the pain helps you determine the stretches to focus on later in the stretch list.

• Drop your ear to one shoulder, then the other.
• Drop your head forward and gently drop it straight back.
• Look over your right shoulder and drop your left ear toward your chest. Then drop your right ear toward your back.
• Last, look over your left shoulder and drop your right ear toward your chest, then drop your left ear toward your back.

2. Take a hot shower
Run a hot shower and soak your neck, shoulders and the attachment of the skull to the spine for several minutes. After you’ve been in the water for a while, stretch your head from side to side, and drop it forward, chin to chest, and gently stretch it. Do not stretch so that you have any severe pain, rather just stretch it lightly. Make sure you are breathing and exhaling during each stretch.

3. Gently stretch your neck after the shower
Once your neck has heated up with the hot water, take a few moments to sit down and stretch out your neck. Perform the following stretches for about 2-3 seconds at a low stretch level, exhaling with each stretch and repeating each stretch 10 – 15 times. Exhale with each stretch.

• Drop your ear to the left shoulder. Hold on to the bottom of your chair with the right hand to keep your shoulder from creeping up during the stretch. Hold a 2-3 second stretch 10-15 times.
• Drop your ear to the right shoulder. Hold on to the bottom of your chair with the left hand to keep your shoulder from creeping up during the stretch. Hold a 2-3 second stretch 10-15 times.
• Drop your head forward and tuck your chin toward your chest. You should feel the stretch down your neck, shoulders and back. Lace the fingers of both hands behind your head and pull it gently toward your chest. Hold a 2-3 second stretch 10-15 times.
• Look over your right shoulder and drop your left ear toward your chest. Hold on to the bottom of your chair with your right hand and use your left hand to pull your left ear toward your chest. Hold a 2-3 second stretch 10-15 times.
• Look over your left shoulder and drop your right ear toward your chest. Hold on to the bottom of your chair with your left hand and use your right hand to pull your right ear toward your chest. Hold a 2-3 second stretch 10-15 times.
• Look over your right shoulder and drop your right ear toward your back. Hold on to the bottom of your chair with your left hand and use your right hand to pull your head back toward your back. Hold a 2-3 second stretch 10-15 times.
• Look over your left shoulder and drop your left ear toward your back. Hold on to the bottom of your chair with your right hand and use your left hand to pull your head back toward your back. Hold a 2-3 second stretch 10-15 times.

• Look over your right shoulder and drop your left ear toward your chest. Hold on to the bottom of your chair with your right hand and use your left hand to pull your left ear toward your chest. Hold a 2-3 second stretch 10-15 times.
• Look over your left shoulder and drop your right ear toward your chest. Hold on to the bottom of your chair with your left hand and use your right hand to pull your right ear toward your chest. Hold a 2-3 second stretch 10-15 times.
• Drop your head forward and tuck your chin toward your chest. You should feel the stretch down your neck, shoulders and back. Lace the fingers of both hands behind your head and pull it gently toward your chest. Hold a 2-3 second stretch 10-15 times.

4. Consider taking some pain reliever or using heat/ice
You might want to take some pain reliever during the day. If you prefer not to take medication, use ice or heat on the area to relieve the pain. If the area is inflamed, use ice rather than heat. Microwaveable heat packs generally emit moist heat and can be purchased at most drug stores. They are usually in a shape that is easy to drape around the shoulders and neck.

5. During day, continue to stretch every hour
Perform the stretches that feel the tightest each hour, or as often as you can during the day. It’s easiest to do this on the hour, however, if you have a hard time remembering, just do a set of stretches each time you get up to use the restroom or take a coffee break.

6. Before Bed - Another Hot Shower and Stretch
Take another long hot shower and spend a few minutes stretching underneath the water. Perform the full set of stretches, holding each stretch for 2-3 seconds and repeat each stretch 15-20 times. Try some self massage on the neck and shoulders. Gently work into the muscles, taking your time. Avoid extremely deep, painful work, but use enough pressure to get blood flowing and to loosen the area.

Following this regimen will generally lessen the pain over the course of the day, and if you’re lucky, you’ll wake the next day with little or no pain. Remember that if the pain continues, you may try scheduling a massage, seeing your chiropractor or going to your primary care physician.