42 | Neck and Upper Back Tension? Why You Could Be Having Overactive Upper Traps

Are your shoulders or neck constantly giving you trouble? Listen in as Dr. Jen and Dr. Dom dive into what the upper trapezius muscle really is and why they’re so easily tensed.  If you feel stressed over work, kids, the news, or anything really, this podcast will empower you to self treat your tensed muscles and give you back the independence you deserve.  Tune in to gain an understanding of the foundations of the breath and how they increase your bodily awareness; all so you can live a more relaxed, tense free life. Free Week of the Jen Health Membership: Looking for a movement community that gives you the plan specific to your body? Need accountability and a plan that is specific to your restrictions?! Come grab a free week of our Jen Health Membership! You'll have access to 12 plans that were all curated by Doc Jen, Dr of Physical Therapy. We make sure you get set up with the plan that will be best for your goals and the rest is laid out for you to follow! Come check it out today! You can even get a discount on your first month using code OPTIMAL at checkout! What You Will Learn in this PT Pearl: 03:40 – What the upper trap is, where it is, and what movement patterns it does 07:39 – Why your upper trap might feel tense or pain 10:48 – How to take tension out of the upper trap - Why bodily awareness is important 12:25 – Simple exercise to feel the difference between tense and relaxed upper traps 13:05 – Breathing techniques that will help relax, not only your upper traps, but your entire body 16:14 – Why movement of the upper trap, especially if it's tense, is necessary 17:13 – The 30 for 30 rule and its benefits 18:43 – Dr. Dom explaining a quick breathing technique you can do anywhere To Watch the PT Pearl on YouTube, click here: https://youtu.be/rkakSNxnpLw Items mentioned in this episode include: FREE Week of the Jen Health Membership FREE Low Back Pain Course! We think you’ll love: Jen’s Instagram Dom’s Instagram YouTube Channel Thank you so much for checking out this episode of The Optimal Body Podcast. If you haven’t done so already, please take a minute to subscribe and leave a quick rating and review of the show! To check out the rest of Doc Jen’s website, click here: https://jen.health/podcast/42