Question
Hello,

I am a 21-year-old student from Bulgaria. For two or three years I have been experiencing a very weird condition concerning my neck and my back. Whenever I sit on a backless chair, I almost imediately get back pain and not just this but just a general feeling of fatigue in the back. It's not just sometimes, it's a constant condition. Also, whenever I read or sit in any position that slightly strains my neck I feel this sort of pain as if the muscles are too weak to support my head. It's similar to the sensation of tired arm muscles after lifting too many weights. At one point your arms just can't stay straight even for a second if you try to lift them sideways. It's with my neck though and it's causing me great discomfort as I can't really read for a long time without having to change positions every 5 minutes. I used to excercise a lot in early high school years but for the last few years I have been leading a fairly sedentary life. Could that be the reason? I also went to see a doctor but he didn't say there was anything wrong with my neck or back. Your opinion will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Lacheza

Answer
Hi Lachezar and thanks for writing,

It does sound to me like you have weak support muscles which causes the discomfort when you抮e in certain positions - I recommend you work on strengthening your core.

My suggestion is to see if you can find a Classically trained Pilates Teacher who does one-on-one sessions in a private studio (avoid gyms that have big classes that they call "Pilates").

Pilates works on strengthening core muscles and helping the body's alignment and I believe it would hep you a great deal. Swimming is another great overall exercise that benefits the whole body including he neck and back.

I hope this helps and I wish you all the best,

Margot