A Pain in the Neck

Today my neck is hurting. More specifically, a thin line of muscle on the right side seems tight, hurts a bit, and hurts more when I tun my head. The pain comes on quicker when I turn to the right. I am guessing this is what most folks would call a “stiff neck”.

I have tried a few tricks to improve my comfort. Nothing that I do with my neck so far makes any noticeable difference. But other things do help. Slowly arching and curling my entire spine while sitting seems very good. Shifting my weight and side- bending helps. Even better is doing that with both hands on top of my head. That makes the movement more focused into the middle and lower spine. It’s a classic strategy from Feldenkrais.

My sense is that my spine is changing. Unfortunately, it is not an easy shift. I want to maximize my improvement. I do not want to just return to my old pattern. If  I am going to hurt, I want something for my pain- some learning, some new capability.

I could take Ibuprophen or other numbing medicines.  I might feel more comfortable. I doubt I would get better faster. I surely would not be able to sense as clearly and learn as accurately. Mies Vander Rohe, the brilliant Bauhaus architect, said, “God is in the details.” For me, getting the details is power-power to learn and heal.