A Chiropractor in Your
Linen Closet
Dr. Don Parkerson, Jr.
Have you ever been on a vacation or business trip and
gotten out of adjustment? What would you
do? There may not be an actual chiropractor
in your linen closet, but an ordinary towel can function as an instrument for
cervical traction and give you relief.
First, let me say that there are dozens of ways to
apply cervical traction to your neck.
Physical therapists and chiropractors who practice the CBP technique
have far more extensive traction devices.
Some even resemble something from the last scene of the movie Braveheart. (See picture at left)
However, the towel roll exercise is the only form of
cervical traction that our clinic has ever recommended because it’s safe, easy,
and practical. The towel roll exercise
just may be the next best thing to a chiropractic adjustment.
What is a Cervical Curve?
The goal of cervical traction is to improve the curve
in your neck, and there is no denying that having a good cervical curve is a
crucial part of your overall health.
Take a look at these 2 cervical x-rays from our clinic.
Notice the difference in the shapes of the neck
vertebrae. The one on the right has a
nice, smooth curve in the neck. Contrast
that with the neck on the left, which is termed a kyphotic neck because not
only has it lost its normal curve, but has reversed into a negative cervical
curve.
The patient on the left likely suffered some sort of
fall, car accident, or other trauma that caused her cervical curve to
reverse. This patient will be far more
prone to neck pain, headaches, disc degeneration, and other symptoms than the
patient on the right.
The Towel Roll Exercise (TRE)
The towel roll exercise (TRE) can be used to perform
two functions:
1.
Act as an
accessory to our overall adjustment process.
The TRE is a wonderful compliment to our Orthospinology upper cervical
care. After the first two weeks of care,
you may begin to use the TRE as a means of restoring the cervical curve to your
neck.
2.
Take pressure
off of the neck and back if you have gotten out of adjustment and can’t get to
your chiropractor immediately. Of
course, the TRE won’t be as effective as getting your alignment corrected, but
it’s can empower you to help yourself until you can get to your chiropractor.
The Towel:
Take a standard bath towel and lay it flat. Fold the towel in half, making a long, thin
towel. Then, roll up one end of the towel,
thus forming a uniform roll at one end.
The Exercise:
You may perform the TRE on the floor or a firm
bed. Lie flat on your back with the
towel roll positioned right in the curve of your neck. When lying on the towel roll, your head
should be flat on the bed or floor and your shoulders should be firmly resting
as well. You should feel a slight upward
pressure on your neck when lying on the towel roll.
If your lower back tightens up when lying on your
back, you may bend your knees slightly to take the pressure off.
Time:
For the first 2 weeks, lie on the towel roll for no
more than 10 minutes. As your cervical
curve adapts and improves, you may increase each session time to 15 minutes.
Intensity:
Begin with the towel at a size that exerts a slight
push upward on the neck without bringing the head or shoulders off the
table. If either your shoulders or head
is not touching the floor when you lie on the towel roll, then the roll is too
thick. Unroll the towel slightly to
decrease the size of the roll and try again.
On the other hand, if you feel no upward pressure on your neck, then you
need to increase the size of the towel roll.
As the curve in your neck progresses, you may
increase the size of the towel by rolling it up further. This naturally increases the push upward into
your cervical curve, thus increasing the intensity of the treatment.
Two words of caution:
·
If you have a
history of stroke or heart attack, check with your medical physician or
cardiologist before doing any cervical exercises.
·
If you
experience dizziness, headache, or neck pain during this exercise, stop
immediately.
For further information on this topic, you may contact Dr. Parkerson at
770.952.5353, by email at Parkerson@humberparkerson.com,
or visit our clinic on the web at www.HumberParkerson.com.
The Highest Level is the monthly e-mail newsletter of the
© Humber Parkerson
Clinic 2005
November
2005 Issue of The Highest Level
