Facebook Pixel

Comment Reply

EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous

I'd like to share my insight into BRP. I'm a 30 year old white male, going on almost 10 years of this seemingly seasonal, insane itch. I havnt noticed it every year since I first noticed it, this year has by far been the most severe. I've never had any serious head, neck, back injuries or surgeries. I've had some sunburn on my body, including forearms in my life.. maybe quite a bit, but not as much as someone who lived in a warm area and spent tons of time on the beach.

I have always held tension and had strong anxiety, probably relating back to emotional insecurity habits started in childhood. I've always been a bit quiet and shy, and probably "held in" a lot of mental and physical things. I noticed recently I've had Forward Head Posture for a long time in my life, meaning I did not have proper posture in how I held my head on my shoulders. I developed snoring, which became sleep apnea, low back tension, and cervical spine tension. I imagine as I held my head forward throughout life the rest of my spine gradually started to clench to compensate for the improper posture near the neck.

Now, back to BRP. I've tried creams, I've tried scratching, I've done the ice packs. I want to CURE, not TREAT this madness, as we all do. I began to start with proper head and neck posture, making sure my, particularly my C5-C7 vertebrae were not bunched up and compressed. I began proper diaphragm breathing, in through the nose, and also out through the nose (to simultaneously help with anxiety and sleep apnea). I noticed an IMMEDIATE relief in my anxiety, my mental pace, and my airway blockage. I began doing certain cervical spine yoga stretch routines and noticed an IMMEDIATE relief in BRP symptoms.

Yes, as you begin to correct your posture your upper back and shoulder muscles have to work in new ways, and can get fatigued. When I need to rest I lay flat on my back, no pillow, with my head in the same posture I work on while sitting and standing. I breath deeply into this feeling and try to release as much as possible.

I have focused on my posture while driving, sleeping, sitting, typing, standing, and even how I look at my cell phone and tablet devices. I hold them up to my eyes, rather than drop my head down to them.

Chin tucked, back of the skull lifts, drop your shoulders down and back. You don't want a perfectly straight neck, a gentle concave curve is normal. If posture has been causing your BRP, like I believe it has for me, you will notice a larger than normal knot around your C5-C7 vertebrae, basically between the tops of your shoulders. Look at yourself in the mirror from the side, do you resemble the hunchback of notre dame a bit? :) I know I did (I say this somewhat exaggeratedly).

Whether your are into spirituality, yoga, eastern medicine energy thoughts or not, you WILL notice circulation sensations reaching EXACTLY where the BRP itch is when you start to correct your posture. This is your body telling you you are on the right track!

Let your belly hang out, its beautiful, I've got one! Lift your chin, let your chest proudly go out, release all your held tension that isnt necessary for standing up. Breath at an even pace, do all your activities at an even pace (other than exercise) and keep your posture in check throughout the day, constantly!

I've noticed better circulation, less obstructed airways, and best of all, relief to my damned itchy arms.

Posture is key, especially in our head region. Our heads are essentially 11 or so lb bowling balls resting on a delicate stick. Even just slightly having our head forward, over time, many years/decades, will gradually stress the neck and back out a LOT. We also drive and sit at desks a lot in our society, this adds to this unhealthy habit.

Every doctor I went to didnt know jack about BRP and wouldnt acknowledge it. They insisted it was eczema, dry skin, allergies. I have incredibly oily skin and my doctor still tried to convince me I had dry skin. Creams that will destroy your skin if you use them for too long are NOT the answer. They only treat anyway, not cure.

December 4, 2016 - 10:38am

Reply

Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.
By submitting this form, you agree to EmpowHER's terms of service and privacy policy