This week is more of a test to see how your symptoms respond to various positions and movements
Your overall goals this week are the following
Do each movement slowly and in a range of motion that is short of any signifiant pain
During and after each movement I want to know the following
Does that movement reproduce discomfort in the region of your pain?
As you are doing the movement, short of any significant pain, does the ability to do the movement get better, get worse, or stay the same?
Try each movement for 2 days
If that movement is not causing any negative after affects of increase in pain, then keep that movement and add the next movement to the sequence.
If that first movement is causing more pain, then stop doing it and move onto the next movement
One important piece of advice is to spend as much time laying on your back on the floor as possible and the least amount of time sitting, especially in soft chairs
I understand this is not feasible typically during a work day but when you have the option at the end of the day when you are relaxing…lay on the floor and try some of the movements below
Email me after a week of going through these movements with some feedback as to what you are experiencing. This will give me some direction in setting up week 2
Movement #1: Diaphragmatic Breathing with Wing arm motion
Can be done sitting as well throughout the day
8-15 reps
Can be done often throughout the day
Movement #2: Long Duration Low Intensity Pec Stretch
Begin with 1 min, then 30sec break, if that is fine repeat that sequence a total of 5-10x
Can increase the stretch time each time you try it by a minute to get to 5 minutes of long duration stretch…always in a position short of significant symptoms
Movement #3: Lower Trunk Rotation Pec Stretch
5-10 reps each side
Arm low enough to reduce symptoms
Movement #4: Prone Scapular Stabilization/Lat Activation
Hold each 5 seconds and try for 5-10 good reps
Can be done off edge of a bed or couch, it is ok if you hand touches the floor and you can’t do the bottom reach portion
