_edited.jpg)
Can Looking Up Trigger a Stroke in Seniors
- 2 hours ago
- 8 min read
This article is a transcribed, edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in December 2024. For the original video, go to https://youtu.be/EIjy-mFrtZo
Brad: Whoa, looking up, does it stress your neck? Well, I used to do a fitness class about 20 years ago for about six years, and I cannot tell you how many people said, "Oh," when I asked them to stretch backwards with their necks, and they would not do it. They said, "That is gonna hurt your neck. You can get a stroke from it." And I said, "Okay," and I just let it go. But if you've heard that, and Mike, have you heard this?
Mike: I heard that in gym class when I was a kid. We used to do warmups one year; we did full neck rotations, looked up. The next year, they said, "Don't rotate all the way back." I was a kid, so I guess I listened.
Brad: So what we'd like to do is go through this. There really is no problem with bringing your head back, except that there is potential for having a serious injury with it. So we're going to cover that and get this all cleared up.
Mike: So welcome back to another myth-busting episode, this one is on "can looking up cause strokes?"
Brad: So, anyway, what we're going to do is, as I said, there is generally not a problem with it, but there is a small percentage of people who need to be aware if they shouldn't do it because they could cause a problem. As a therapist, I've done this with many people in the clinic. If they come in and they have symptoms, and typically, they're older people, 60 years and older, but it could be younger people as well. So you're not going to look up or stretch your neck if you have any of these symptoms. Let's go ahead, first one.
Mike: So if you have any type of nausea, slurred speech, dizziness, or difficulty swallowing, it could be a sign you have some circulation issues going on in your neck to your head.
Brad: That's right. Could you grab the spine over there? Because I do want to talk about, there's a term called vertebrobasilar insufficiency. There are actually two arteries, and they go through your spinal column. There are little holes, and that goes up and feeds your brain. And if those become compromised, pinched, or irritated, that can cause a big problem to your brain, because it doesn't get appropriate oxygen and blood flow to certain areas. And that's why you get these symptoms that we're talking about.
Mike: So if you've ever been diagnosed with vertebrobasilar insufficiency, you would not want to do this. Also, if you've happened to have a recent stroke or you have known vascular issues, you are going to be more prone to possibly having this happen to you. What are some other things?
Brad: Well, a neck injury, for example, whiplash. If you were in a car accident and really strained your neck, you really need to be careful as well. Any severe neck pain or instability. Now, with instability, you'll know it because when you turn your head up and down, you'll typically feel it in the upper part of your neck. It just is not right. It feels like it may be moving in there, which can be uncomfortable and painful. Those people who have that which aren't many, you definitely want to not do this and not look up or stretch your neck. We are actually going to show some stretches that you can do in a safe way, assuming you have no diagnosis or symptoms that we just talked about. Now, there is a test, and I'm going to show you how to do it, how to determine if I was going to have a person work on extension or exercises that are going to get rid of neck pain simply by looking up. And I'll show you that test. It's only to be done by a professional, someone who really knows what they're doing. Even though it looks pretty easy, it is, but you need some experience to be safe with it.
Mike: Are you a professional?
Brad: Yes, absolutely, Mike. And it may not appear that way, but it is true. Have a seat right there.
Mike: Okay, Mr. Professional.
Brad: All right. This is the VAT test, the vertebral artery test. And again, the purpose of it is the arteries that I pointed out here; there are two of them going on each side of the cervical spine. I have the patient sit with good posture, and it typically is not going to be on a stool. It'll probably be on a chair with a back so they're more comfortable, and Mike'll demonstrate, I'll ask him what to do, and he will demonstrate how it's to be done. Mike, can you look to the right? Okay, now, keep that position there and look up towards the ceiling straight back. Now, we're testing the right artery going on that cervical spine. And what I like to be is in front, looking at his eyes, making sure everything, he doesn't have nystagmus or his eyes wiggling back and forth. Do you have any symptoms, any dizziness, anything that feels unusual at all?
Mike: No.
Brad: Okay, if that's the response, that's good. Then we'll go back to neutral, and we will now obviously do the other side. Look to the left and then extend again. And we're going to hold that and go through that again. If that's negative, then I continue on, and I'm not concerned about any exercises or stretching that involve looking up.
Brad: Again, this is for a professional to do, but just so you have a concept of what's going on with that. Alright, you can get up from there, Mike. Now, we have these towels for a specific reason. If you are going to stretch your neck and you want to stretch it right, left, or looking up, just like you're looking up towards the stars because you feel like your neck is just getting tight, the best way to do it is actually to take a towel, okay?
Mike: Mine's prettier.
Brad: Yeah, he's got the nice, pretty one. I got the standard white issue, one you get from the hospital, and actually roll it up however you like, okay? Put it around your neck. And a bigger towel offers more support. So if you get a big bathroom towel, it'll be a little more comfortable. A smaller one, not so much. I'll do it on a chair. Mike can do it seated there. If you do want to stretch out your neck looking up, and you don't have any problem with your neck as we've gone over, I like to lean back in the chair so it's more relaxed. You don't have to, especially if you're younger and hold it not too tightly, just comfortably, and simply look back and up. And you'll notice this towel, the support from the towel really makes a stretch. Very much more comfortable than without it.
Brad: I've done it like this with my hands here, and that works pretty well, too. Not nearly as comfortable as a towel.
Brad: Mike, do you want to talk about rotating right and left?
Mike: I can, but you can also work on going lower on your neck as well as higher up when you're doing this one. And sometimes, I even like to kind of go up with my hands and just see how that feels. You can just kind of toy around with it and see what feels good.
Mike: Now, for rotation, it's a little more confusing. It's not too bad, but I'm actually going to grab the opposite hand, so I'm not going to grab the same side opposite. So I'm going to pull down, grab my left hand here, and then I'm going to rotate to the left like this. Hopefully, I'm not hitting my microphone too much here, but notice I'm kind of below my ear here on my jawline. You can go up a little higher. I just have a microphone on right now, so I'm not going to, and you can just kind of rotate. If you want to hold it for 10, 15 seconds, you can if you'd rather do reps, but this should feel good as long as it's not causing any pain, okay?
Mike: Now, to switch sides, I'm going to reach over with my left hand first. So then my right hand, and I'm going to rotate towards the right.
Brad: Good, and one thing Mike talked about, I'm just going to emphasize that you really need to make sure you go up across the jawline. If you bring it down low, you simply choke yourself. That is not achieving the goal. Now, one good example of why you would do this stretch, for example, in your car, particularly if you don't have a newer car where you can look at the backup camera, and you need to look behind you to see what's going on on either side, because that is one range of motion as we age, when you get over 60, that tightens up notably, and I've seen it time and time again. So it's a really nice, gentle way to stretch so you can look right to left and look behind you a little bit in a situation like that. So I would hold those stretches for 10 to 15 seconds. You can go longer if you want. If you feel any symptoms at all that's not normal, you need to stop doing it. That should feel good. It should be a pleasurable stretch, and you get done, and everything feels good. If not, then you should hold on to it.
Mike: So give those a try. And if you want to check out more videos for seniors specifically and stretching, watch "3 Basic Stretches ALL Seniors Should Do Daily!"
Brad: Yeah, better watch that one.
For this week’s Giveaway, visit: https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways
Bob and Brad’s Products
Pain Management:
Fitness:
Stretching:
Check out our shirts, mugs, bags, and more in our Bob and Brad merchandise shop
Medical Disclaimer: All information, content, and material on this website are for informational purposes only and are not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.
Affiliate Disclaimer: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We are highly selective in our products and try our best to keep things fair and balanced to help you make the best choice for you.
Comments