Neck Pain: Science-Backed Causes & TSR Cure
By Shane Dowd , CES, CMP
Are you tired of neck pain ruining your life?
Today, we're diving deep into the 6 big causes of neck pain, according to science, and I'll give you specific exercises you can do to feel better now. And you’ll see a real-life example of how I saved one CEO from 10 years of neck pain.
So buckle up because what you're about to discover is your ticket to a pain-free neck.
First up, let's talk about the Big 6 Science-Backed Causes of neck pain.
The first and most common is your muscles:
I call the muscles the “first line of defense” of your body...
They take the brunt of the abuse, but they are also very resilient and can get better quickly.
Next, your neck pain could be coming mainly from the nerves in the cervical region…
…or from the discs…
…or from the joints…
…or even from stress, or posture!
Researchers have studied each of these extensively, and the science is clear:
They're all potential culprits behind that nagging neck pain you're feeling.
As someone who’s experienced a lot of neck pain in the past, I know it’s not just an isolated issue either. It can lead to headaches, sleep problems, and even affect your mental health. So, it's not something to be taken lightly.
Unfortunately, a lot of the most common “prescriptions” for neck pain don’t work.
For example, In 2015, I was having lots of neck pain…
Like most people, I tried all the typical approaches. Massage, physical therapy, and straight painkillers when the pain was too much to bear.
One fateful day, I went to the office of a local chiropractor, and he took this X-ray of my neck…
"WOW, looks like Scoliosis. And narrowed joint spacing. To fix this, we will need a LOT of sessions together. Here's a year-long plan to see me 2-3x weekly so I can fix that for you…” he said with a smirk.
He handed me the bill…
Chiropractic adjustments, rehab, electric stim, orthotics, lasers…
😳 It seemed so…”official” so…”medical”. How could I say no?
After all, this person wore a lab coat and showed me the “proof” of my brokenness.
“The X-rays don’t lie,” he said with a smile of complete medical certainty.
Fortunately, I’d been down this dead-end road and knew where it led. I’d already spent thousands of dollars on the chiropractic and physical therapy “Let me fix YOU” approach, and I wasn’t interested anymore. I wanted the power in my own hands to solve my own neck problems rather than being dependent on someone else.
Long story short, I did completely fix my neck pain without spending thousands of additional dollars.
Along this journey, I learned 3 core principles that are missing from most traditional recovery programs. These principles allow you to heal yourself without relying on snake oil salesmen and cunning chiros.
I call these principles the TSR System for fixing injuries and getting flexible.
This is the science-backed method that's going to change your life.
Like it did for Aaron, a CEO who had been living with neck pain for 10 years...
He tried everything, but nothing worked…
But, after just a few sessions with me, focusing on TSR, his neck pain was completely gone, AND he was empowered to keep it gone without relying on me or anyone else.
So, how can you implement TSR in your life? Here's exactly what we did for Aaron:
(Watch the Video at Top of Blog for Demonstrations)
- STEP 1: Tissue work for instant relief [record video of “super friend” leaning elbow into traps.
- STEP 2: Stretching on pecs and thoracic spine to address root causes
- STEP 3: Re-education, including deep neck strengthening and good rowing motions in the gym.
- (BONUS): We also gave Aaron the 30/3 rule, which states that every 30 minutes, you should get up and move for 3 minutes.
If you are currently dealing with neck pain, this frequent movement is a huge help. If you have no neck pain, you can get away with longer periods (maybe an hour) without movement. But we still recommend you “stay on the move” because motion is lotion, and movement is medicine.
We hope those few exercises were helpful. If you want a much deeper and more comprehensive program to permanently fix neck pain, click here for our 45-day Neck Pain program, which will revolutionize your thinking about pain relief.
And if you want personalized, one-on-one help, we offer a VIP mentorship program for people who need more advanced help. In this program, we work with a small group of 1-on-1 students to fix any pain or injury in 90-days or less, guaranteed. To apply to the program, go to gotrom.com/vip
And, as always, please remember that you’re just one step away from building or rebuilding your perfect body.
About The Author
Shane Dowd, CES, CMP is the owner/founder of GotROM.com. He is also a sports performance & mobility coach specializing in injury prevention and flexibility for athletes.