Neck Pain & TMD

The neck is often a place that suffers pain in the body. It is far from the feet, and it may seem that the body was ill-designed to hold up the weight of the head. As we discover in The Vance Stance book (page 28-31), the body was, in fact, designed perfectly, and the problem lies in our own way of choosing a possible way to stand, and then holding that for too long.

NECK PAIN, like other pain in the body, is a result of an area pulling in on itself, rather than extending and expanding. Just as swayback is drawing in at the small of the back, and bunions is the toes pulling in, so, too it is with the neck.

TMD (Transmandibular joint) is the name given to the condition of tightness at the hinge at the jaw. The pain here is one of constant pressure, and is often corrected by doing The Vance Stance® program. When you correct the wrong placement of your head and neck, this bad pressure will be removed, and the pain will cease. As it is intrinsically linked to the neck and head, it is included here.

FORWARD HEAD is also a category here.  Forward Head is a clear signal that something is wrong with the head and neck. Your incorrect posture is not allowing the head to lift effortlessly up on a relaxed neck. The solution is to learn The Vance Stance, so your whole body is placed in a new, slightly longer and more forward place in gravity on your feet. It may take a while for your body to feel this new and improved way of using your body, so that you can feel the head lift up (instead of jutting forward), but it will lift.

Some of the movements from The Vance Stance that will help:

• The Hang-Over (page 86-87), which aims to open your entire back, from feet to neck and head.
• One Arm Overhead, Lean To Side (page 98-99), which stretches the side of your torso and neck to achieve length.
• Head To Knee On Floor (page 132-133), to release your neck and spine in its entirety.
• Sitting Forward Bend (page 136-137), for the ultimate opening of the spine, to free the head, neck and jaw.