BRUGGER'S POSTURAL RELIEF EXERCISE

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1 BRUGGER'S POSTURAL RELIEF EXERCISE Brugger's Postural Relief Exercise strengthens your muscles. lt promotes stability and relaxes tight muscles that tighten due to postural stress (see Figure 2). Check the tension in your upper back and shoulders in the slumped posture and then in the postural relief position. Muscle tension is dramatically reduced in the postural relief position. Another check is to turn your head in the slumped and corrected postures. Again, a dramatic improvement in the postural relief position should be observed. Figure 1 Figure 2 FOLLOW THESE SIX STEPS: 1. Sit with your buttocks at the edge of a chair. 2. Spread your legs apart slightly. 3. Turn your toes out slightly. 4. Rest your weight on your legslfeet & relax your abdominal muscles. 5. Tilt your pelvis fonryard & Iift your chest up thus increasing the curve of your lower back to its maximum. 6. Turn your palms up. This postural exercise should be done for 10 seconds every 20 minutes. lt can be incorporated into sit to stand, walking, and lifting. Within a few weeks, you will experience the sensation of sitting and standing straighter naturally. When this occurs, conscious effort is not as necessary because you have learned a new skill on an automatic basis. This is ideal as a new postural habit once learned is unlikely to be broken. OBreakthrough Coaching, LLC UNAUTHORIZED DUPLICATION ls ILLEGAL FORM 317

2 UPPER BAGK & NECK Stretch i n g T h e rap e uti c Exercises GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS: Do only those exercises taught to you by your therapist. Exercise twice daily, 10 of each. Neck Flexion/Extension: With your chin tucked in and mouth closed, slowly lower your head to your chest. Reiurn to starting position. Relax. Bring your head as far back as possible so you can look up at the ceiling. Levator Scapulae: Sit in a chair. Place your hands behind you head" Slowly move your chin to your chest while turning your head to the right. Repeat on left side, Scalleni: Sit in a chair. Clasp your hands behind your back. Lower your left shoulder and tilt your head to the right. Lower your right shoulder and tilt your head to the left. +.? _t ffr ljtt Itt ',%,flt,h Upper Trapezius: Sit in a chair. Clasp your hands behind your back. Titt and rotate your head to the left, looking toward your underarm. Repeat on the right. -q Pectoralis: Stand in an open doorway. Raise you hands out to your sides to shoulder level. Bend your elbows and point your fingers toward the ceiling. Put your forearms against the door frame and lean fon*rard until you feel a stretch across your chest. Suboccipitals: Lie flat on your back, or stand against a wall. Place a pillow behind your head. Tuck in your chin and push your head and neck into the pillow. EXERCISE GUIDELINES: Exhale on exertion. Hold position for 30 seconds and then relax. Pulling sensations may occur while exercising. Stop exercising if you experience pain, nausea or Breakthrough Coaching, LLC UNAUTHORIZED DUPLICATION ls ILLEGAL FORM 30sA

3 Name UPPER BAGK & NECK Range of Motion Therapeutic Exercises Date Flexion/Extension: Sit in a chair, keeping your neck, shoulders, and trunk straight. Tuck in your chin and lower your head slowly, keeping your mouth closed. Return to starting position and relax. Bring your head back as far as possible, looking up at the ceiling. Stop movement if you feel any pain. Lateral Flexion: Sit in a chair, keeping your neck, shoulders, and trunk straight. Tilt your head, slowly lowering your ear to your right shoulder. Return to starting position and relax. Repeat the movement to your left shoulder. Keep your nose pointing forward and do not raise your shoulders toward your head. Stop movement if you feel any pain. Rotation: Sit in a chair, keeping your neck, shoulders, and trunk straight. Turn your head slowly bringing your chin toward your right shoulder. Return to starting position and relax. Repeat the movement to your left shoulder. Keep your eyes level with the floor. Stop movement if you feel any Breakthrough Coaching, LLC UNAUTHORIZED DUPLICATION ls ILLEGAL FORM 3014

4 UPPER BAGK & IIEGK I sametric The ra pe uti c Exercrses Name Date Flexion: Place your pdm on your forehead. Press your head into your palm and reist the movement with your palm. Hold for 5 seconds, then relax. Repeat with the Iefi side, Stop movement if you feelany pain. Extension: Place your palm on the back of your head- Press your head into your palm and resist the movement with your palm. Hold for 5 seconds, then relax- Repeat with the left side. Stop movement if you feel any pain. Flexion: Plae your right palm on the right side of your head. Prss your head into your palm and resist the movement with your palm. Hold for 5 seconds, then relax. Repeat with the lefi side. Stop movemer* if you feel any pain Brealdhroughcoacfiing, LLC UNAUTTORIZED DUPUCATION IS ILLEGAL FORM 303A

5 LOTTER BAGI( & LEGS Stretch i n g T h e ra peutic Exercises GENERAL INSTRUCTIOI,IS: Do only those exercises taught to you by your therapist. Exercise twice daily, 10 of each, Psoas: Place knee on chair. Bend the opposite knee so that you can feel a sketch- Do not allow your back to arch. Hold 5 seconds. Repeat on the other side. Hamstrings: Sit with feet against the wall and hands behind back. Allow trunk to slump (slouch with poor posture). Bend nck fonlrard until you feel a stretch- Hold 5 seconds. Quadriceps: Stand up straight, near something you can use for support. Bend your left knee to bring your heel up touard your buttocks. Reach back and grab your foot or ankh. Pull your leg behind you. Repeat on the right side. 1 Soleus: Face a wall, about two paces away. Place your hands against the wall. Step forward wtth your right l, keeping both heels flat on the floor. Lean your hips toward the wallwhile keeping your lefi leg straight to stretch your calf. Repeat on the otherside. Erector Spinae: Sit doram. Bend fonrard and rmch down to grasp your calves with both hands. Pull your My toerard the floor. Hold. Relax- Erector Spine: Cat & Cow S&ef6t. Get on your hands and knes. Put your hands under your shouldes and knees under your hips. Let your head hang down. Pull your stomach in and arch your back up. Hold and release. Slowly let your back sag down and raise your head up. EXERCISE GUIDELINES: Exhale on exertion. Hold position for 30 seconds and then relax. Pulling sensations may occur while exercising. Stop exercising ff you experience pain, nausea or dizziness. g2m0 BGakthrush C 6irA, I.LC UNAUrHORIZED DUPLICA]]ON ts ILLEGAL FORM 3058

6 LOWER BAGK & LEGS I so m et ri c T h e ra p e utic Exercises GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS: Do only those exercises taught to you by your therapist. Exercise twice daily, 10 of each. Hamstrings: Sit with your foot in front of the chair. Place your heel on the floor and point your toes up. Pull your heel down to the floor. Quadriceps: Sit with your feet flat on the floor. Lift one foot and straighten your knee completely. Hold and then return you foot to the floor. Repeat with the other foot. Hip Flexors: Sit with your feet flat on the floor. Lift one knee and raise your foot off the floor. Hold and then return you foot to the floor. Repeat with the other foot. 1 Gluteals: Sit with your knees apart. Squeeze your buttocks together as tightly as possible. Hold. Relax. Hip Adductors: Sit with a rolled-up towel between your knees and thighs. Squeeze thetowel tightly. Relax. Hip Abductors: Place a chair against a wall, or use a chair with arms. Put a rolledup towel between your thigh and the wall (or chair arm). Press your leg against the towel. Hold. Relax. EXERCISE GUIDELINES: Exhale on exertion. Hold position for 5 seconds and then relax. Pulling sensations may occur while exercising. Stop exercising if you experience pain, nausea or BreaKhrough Coaching, LLC UNAUTHORIZED DUPLICATION ls ILLEGAL FORM 3038

7 LOWER BAGK Range of Motion Therapeutic Exercr'ses Name Date Flexion/Extension: Stand upright with your arms relaxed at your sides and your feet slightly apart. Bend forward and reach for your toes, let gravity pull you towards the floor. Straighten back up and relax, Place your hands on the small of your back. Apply gentle forward pressure. Arch backwards, keeping your eyes level with the floor. Stop movement if you feel any pain. Lateral Flexion: Stand upright with your arms relaxed at your sides and your feet slightly apart. Bend slowly to the right, sliding your hand down your leg. Keep both heels on the floor. Straighten back up and relax. Repeat to the left side. Stop movement if you feel any pain. Rotation: Stand upright with your arms on your hips and feet slightly apart. Twist at the waist and look over your right shoulder with your head and eyes. Keep both feet on the floor. Return to starting position and relax. Repeat to the left side. Stop movement if you feel any Breakthrough Coaching, LLC UMUTHORIZED DUPLICATION ls ILLEGAL FORM 3018

8 Stretch Exercises ' Each exercise should be held for 20 seconds, followed by a 5 second relaxation period.. Each exercise should be done at least 3 times.. Do this routine once a day or as specifled. Gastrocnemius (calf); Soleus (cal0; Quadriceps (front of thigh) Gastrocnemius (calf) Lean against a wall with your back leg straight and your front leg slightly bent. Keep your back heel on the floor and lean progressively closer to the wall until you can feel the stretch in your calf. Repeat with other leg. Soleus (calf) Lean against a wallwith both your back leg and your front leg slightly bent. Keep your back heel on the floor and lean progressively closer to the wall untilyou can feel the stretch in your calf. Repeat with other leg.

9 t() \11 / - //' Quadriceps (front of thiqh) Lying on your side, reach back and grab your upper foot and pull it up toward your buttocks. Repeat with other leg while on your other side. Keep your knees together. Hamstrinos (back of thiqh) Sitting, bring the sole of your bent leg to the inner thigh of your straight leg. Lean fonryard and grasp the ankle of your straight leg with both hands. Keeping the leg straight, pull your upper body down towards your feet.

10 Hip Flexors (front of hip) Move your hip forward, keeping the upper body straight up and the back leg stretched out. Feel the tightening in the hip and hold the position. The stretch can be accentuated by putting the back knee on the ground. Keep the front knee directly above the foot. Don't keep the front knee at such an angle that it is in front of the ankle, since this hinders the real stretch in the hip. Gluteals and Hip Sitting, bend one leg and cross it over the other leg which is either straight or lying on its side bent at 90 degrees. Push the opposite elbow against your bent knee and force buttocks to table.

11 Gluteus Maximus (bpttocksl Lying on your back with both knees bent, cross the left leg over the right. Using both hands pull your right knee toward your chest. You should feel a stretch in the buttocks on your left side. Repeat on opposite side. Hip Adductors (qroin) Sitting, bend both legs and put the soles of your feet together. Grab your feet with both hands. \Mth your elbows, push out against the insides of your knees. Erector Spinae (Iow back) Bring both knees to the chest by first raising one and then holding the knee with both hands. Then raise the other knee. Grasping both knees, pullthem down to the chest. Relax.

12 Spinal Extension (prone press-ups) Lie on stomach with palms by shoulders up while keeping pelvis on the surface; back and stomach sagging. Slowly lower shoulders. Repeat 10 times, sustaining the up position for several seconds during the last few repetitions. Supraspinatus (superior shoulder) Place involved hand behind your back and grasp hand with other hand. Pull diagonally down and across back. Tilt head toward the uninvolved shoulder. You should feelthe stretch across the top and front of your shoulder.

13 Rotator Cuff (internal rotation) Place a towel in both hands. Position your involved arm behind your back at waist height and your uninvolved arm up and overhead. Slowly pull the towel upward. You should feelthe stretch in the front and back of your shoulder. ruej \r l,' pr I Triceps and Teres Major (shoulder girdle) Raise one arm up and behind your head. With the opposite arm grasp your elbow and pullthe arm further behind your head.

14 lnfraspinatus and Teres Minor (shoulder rotator cuff) Lying on your back or sitting, reach arm across chest toward opposite shoulder as far as possible. With opposite hand, grasp the elbow and pullthe arm across even further. Externally rotating the arm during this stretch emphasizes the teres minor. Pectoralis Major (chest) Stand with your forearms against the wall in a corner of the room. Gently lean forward untilyou feel a stretch in the front of your shoulder and chest. This can be done one arm at a time by placing one forearm up against a wall and turning your chest away from the wall untilyou feela stretch.

15 Shoulder and Neck (tension relievers) Roll shoulders slowly backward. Do it 4 times.