Neck Area

Causes of Body Stress

 Mechanical:          Tension could be caused by sudden jerks from falls or accidents, especially from whiplash in a motor vehicle accident, or accumulative stress such as working in a hunched position or reading with a book on your lap, or propped up on pillows in bed. Be careful of the backwash at your hairdresser.

Emotional:             The neck is especially vulnerable to emotional or mental stress, as the tensing of the shoulders in a defensive posture affects the neck muscles adversely.

Chemical:               The neck is extremely susceptible to this, probably because the spinal cord is the thickest in this area. It is caused by exposure to toxic substances by inhalation, ingestion or direct contact with the skin.

Effects of Body Stress

Effects may include the following;

Headaches

Stiffness and difficulty rotating the neck

Dizziness

Nausea

Lethargy

Pain/numbness or tingling sensations in the shoulder, arm or hand

Vision could be affected

Sense of taste and smell

The phrenic nerve to the diaphragm arises from the cervical spine, so breathing

could also be affected.

 Case study
Twenty-five years of headaches – After 25 years of intense, constant, daily headaches, a 65 year old client,
was on various medications in order to cope. He was taking anti-inflammatories, up to 12 painkillers per
day, anti-depressants and tranquillisers. He also complained of lower back pain and occasional panic
attacks. When the medication was no longer effective, his GP referred him to a BSR practitioner. After the
release of tension in his neck and lower back, his headaches and lower-back pain abruptly ceased. A mild
headache occurred a week later.
On his fifth visit, his wife came with to tell the practitioner about the ‘massive emotional detoxification’ he
had just gone through. A severe headache had come on, and he had sat all day long holding his head and
sobbing like a child. For the first time he poured out the story of his traumatic childhood with an abusive
mother.Now the client has BSR for health maintenance, and only experiences an occasional twinge of head pain,
which sometimes warrants a pain-killer.