Brugger Relief Position Archives

Brugger Relief Position for Neck and Upper Back Pain Relief

By Dr. Nick Campos On March 30, 2011 · Add Comment · In Body

Achy, sore neck and upper back following a long day in front of the computer? Work at a desk and at day’s end feel like your head weighs a ton? Perhaps you’re a student, head down, nose in the books all day long…that can certainly cause a stiff neck. Architect? Lots of driving? T.V. in bed? All these activities are common causes of neck and upper back pain and discomfort.

A perfect exercise to help the office worker, student, computer junkie, or couch crasher is something called the Brugger relief position. This position works by engaging the postural muscles of the spine, holding the body upright. While it may be uncomfortable for a few people at first (habitual slouchers), engaging the postural muscles takes pressure off the ligaments, which hold the spine up during slouching, and ultimately leads to upper back pain relief.

Watch the video below to see how to properly do the Brugger relief position at home or at work. Do this exercise every day, minimum five times, until your body is used to the posture. Then you can do the exercise whenever you start to feel stiff or sore in the neck or upper back. This exercise does wonders for low back pain, too.

Ten Steps to Beating Neck Pain

By Dr. Nick Campos On May 5, 2007 · Add Comment · In Body

When it comes to beating neck pain, and preventing it from rearing its ugly head in the future, posture must be addressed. Good posture has so many benefits that not correcting yours now is a huge mistake, but if you have been having neck pain, then you’ll need to do it now anyway, or you just won’t feel better for very long. My absolute favorite exercise to get the good posture ball rolling is the Brugger Relief Position—it’s called a relief position because once your postural muscles become used to the movement, this pose should feel great. Watch the video below to see the proper way to do the Brugger Relief Position:

This position conditions the postural muscles which hold us upright when we sit or stand. It has some similarities to the chest raises, but you do not have to squeeze hard in this one—just light enough to feel the contraction should do. The combined moves in the Brugger are some of the fundamentals of good posture, so practice liberally—five times per day is perfect, and just come back to it periodically throughout your life. Simple. Finally, let’s talk biomechanics:

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