GREGG BRADEN GREGG BRADEN - Earthstar

Earth Star Up FrontL.A. PANEL ADOPTS PET LAWURGED BY BOB BARKERBUrged on by retired The Price is Right host Bob Barkerand a throng of supporters, the Los Angeles CityCouncil has taken steps to require spaying and neuteringof most pet cats and dogs by four months of age.So much applause erupted when Barker stood to endorsethe idea that council President Eric Garcetti urged just a quickclap because time for public comment was limited. .Barker :replied:“CouncilmanGarcetti, that’s themost beautifulsound I’ve heard inmonths since I left‘Price is Right.’”Barker notedthat for decades, heclosed his show byurging viewers tohelp control the petpopulation and thatthe audience wasfilled with peoplewho had worked onthe problem foryears.A Heads-up for Neck Pain SufferersNeck pain may seem to stem from a singleaction—an awkward sit-up, turningyour head to see merging traffic.But for recreational athletes or civilians pursuinga fitter life, these injuries usually stem inpart from longer-term neglect.The culprit, says Dr. Stephen Rice, directorof sports medicine at Jersey ShoreUniversity Medical Center in Neptune, N.J., issometimes a poor fitness strategy.“Many, many people focus [their workouts]on the muscles in the front of their bodies,”such as those in the chest, shoulders, absand biceps, Rice says. But developing those“mirror muscles” while ignoring the musclesthat support the spine and torso pulls the bodyoff its preferred balance point on the spine.“Your head weighs about the same as ahoneydew,” Rice says. “If it tilts forward, evenfive degrees, that is a lot of added pressure.Your head won’t fall off, but you will use muscleto hold it up.”In proper standing posture, Rice says,“you could drop a plumb line from your earlobeand it would hit your shoulder, hip, kneeand ankle.” In such alignment, the craftilydesigned spinal column will support much ofthe body’s weight.To protect the neck from injury, isometricexercises help build strength.Do two sets of six to eight reps, twice aweek, of the following, placing your hand onyour head to provide moderate resistance:Lower chin to chest (hand on forehead).Raise chin toward ceiling (hand on back of head).Ear to each shoulder (hand on side of head).Turn head to each side (hand on chin).Also, slow, light stretching through a normalrange of motion helps loosen the neck before aworkout. (This is a rare exception to the don’tstretch-a-muscle-that-hasn’t-been-warmed-uprule. If anything hurts, stop immediately.)To self-treat minor strains, rest until itfeels better, then try simple stretches (such asthe ear-to-shoulder move without resistance).Again: Keep movements slow and painless.If pain is severe or persists for more than aweek, see a doctor. Once healed, regularlystretch the chest and shoulder muscles—toencourage torso balance—and work on thatposture: shoulders down and slightly back,head approximately vertical, core firm.—Washington Post10 EARTH STAR FEBRUARY / MARCH 2008 www.earthstarmag.com