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The Ultimate Guide to

Neck Pain

By Shane Dowd, CES, CMP

(Click for My Story)

DISCLAIMER: This program is not medical advice nor a substitute for in-person medical
care. If you have a serious injury or medical problem seek a trained professional who can
treat you in-person. By reading this eBook or doing the accompanying 30-day program
you take full responsibility for the risks inherent in this and any form of exercise.

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 Table Of Contents

WELCOME to the Neck Pain eBook + 30-day program…...5

What is Neck Pain?................................................................6
Anatomy Class Time!…………..…..…………………………. 7
My Personal Battle with Neck pain …………….......………. 8
What Causes Neck Pain? ………………………………...….. 10

Treatments for Neck Pain ……………………….....……..….. 13

Incomplete Treatment #1: Rest ………………………...... 14
Incomplete Treatment #2: Anti-inflammatory Pills .......... 15
Incomplete Treatment #3: Ice, Heat, Vibration,
Electrical, Stimulation, Ultrasound……………………….. 16
Incomplete Treatment #4: Injections & Muscle
Relaxants…………………………………………………….17
Incomplete Treatment #5: Manipulations & Surgery…… 18

How To REALLY Fix Neck Pain …...…………..…………….. 20

The TSR System …...………………..……………………. 20
STEP 1: Restore Tissue Quality (Tissue Work) ……...…21
STEP 2: Improve Range of Motion (Stretching) ……...... 23
STEP 3: Build Strength & Stability(Re-Education) …….. 25
CASE STUDY: How This Woman Beat a 2-Year Stubborn
Case of Neck pain ……………………..……………….…. 26

How You Can Feel Better Now (3 Exercises) ……………... 28

How Long Does It Take to Recover? ………..……………… 29
The 30-Day Neck Pain Plan ………….…………………..…… 31
Surprise Bonus Gift ..……….………………….…………...… 32

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 WELCOME to The Neck Pain
eBook & 30-Day Program!

This program will help you fix neck pain FAST.

In fact, these are the same evidenced-based strategies I used

to fix my own neck pain back in 2015.

These are also the same methods that I’ve been teaching to over
20,000+ people all over the world using our programs.

What makes this program different from anything else you

have probably seen or tried is, we go far beyond rest, drugs,
injections, weird gadgets, posture braces, special pillows or
surgery to fix your neck pain.

Besides, rarely do any of those “quick fix” solutions last.

In this eBook & 30-day program, we get to the root causes,

drawing on the best evidenced-based strategies from modern
science AND combining them with real-world/in-the-trenches
exercises you won’t find on the internet or in most rehab
programs.

So, are you ready to fix neck pain for good?

Let’s dive right in!

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 What is “Neck Pain?”

If you've ever dealt with neck pain (like I did in 2015) then you
know the feeling can be unbearable and it can bring a lot of the
physical activities you love to a screeching halt.

But, what is it, exactly?

We all know the feeling of

that kink in the neck that
makes driving, turning around,
looking at your surroundings,
and just living your day-to-day
life unbearable.

Typically, we fear cervical

pain more than we fear other
kinds of pain.

Necks just seem vulnerable due to the important structures

housed inside. And yet most spinal/neck pain does not have a
serious cause.

Neck pain will most often be felt as a sharp/pinching pain on

one side of the neck, or even migraines/ headaches.
Issues stemming from the neck can also radiate pain down the
arm due to all the nerves in the area (pictured above.)

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 Anatomy Class Time!

Our necks contain a huge network of nerves known as the

Brachial Plexus which controls the sensory and motor control
(movement) of our upper extremities.

The neck contains 7 cervical vertebrae with 8 spinal nerves

that exit above each segment. C1 and C2 are known as the atlas
and axis, respectively. These two vertebrae have no disc in
between them while C3-C7 do.

When specific muscles around the brachial plexus (C4-T1) get

very stiff, and dense they can compress this area and cause
pain, numbness and tingling downstream.

You might be asking, “So you’re telling me this kink in my neck is

ALSO causing my pain and numbness in my wrist???

Could be! Later on, we’ll touch in more detail why these nerves
can get irritated and HOW to keep them healthy…

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 My Personal Battle with Neck Pain

In 2015, I had a frustrating case of neck pain.

It came out of nowhere when I woke up one morning.

To try to fix it, I went to a chiropractor

who took this picture of my neck…

“WOW, looks like Scoliosis…

To fix this we are going to need a LOT of
sessions together. Here is a year-long
plan, 2-3x per week that you can sign up
for…”

After I picked my jaw up off the floor, I

decided I’d save myself thousands of
dollars and learn how fix it myself.

In the past, as a runner, soccer player, Olympic weightlifter, and

track & field athlete, I've suffered from:

• Sciatica
• Runner's knee
• Plantar fasciitis
• Hip impingement (FAI)
• Low-back / SI joint pain
• Shoulder Impingement

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...but never neck pain like this! Why now? All of a sudden?

Fortunately, because I’ve been helping people fix injuries & get
flexible for over 12+ years I know what to do about pain.

I've spent thousands of hours and dollars studying it!

I was able to fix my neck pain thanks to 3 core principles that

are missing from most traditional recovery programs.

These 3 principles are the TSR System for fixing injuries and
getting flexible.

This system powers The Neck Pain program and is your ticket
to being pain-free in the next 30-days.

…but more on that later.

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 What Causes Neck Pain?

To get even more specific about what causes neck pain –

according to the literature, the risk factors are:

1) Facet Joint Capsule Irritation: The facet joint is the joint

that connects two adjacent vertebrae. This is probably one of
the more common causes of sharp stabbing pain when you
turn your head to one side or look up. The main cause of this
is chronic poor posture that eventually inflames the
connective tissue surrounding the joint capsule.

2) Bulging disc: One cause of neck pain is due to bulging

(herniated) discs in the mid to lower cervical segments.
Discs are tire-like structures that sit between the vertebra of
the spine. If the outside of the disc tears, usually due to neck
pressure from bad posture, the jelly-like inner material can
come out and impinge or inflame the nearby nerve.

3) Spinal Stenosis: Most commonly in the elderly population,

spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spaces between your
spine which can put pressure on the nerve roots exiting the
spine.

4) Trigger Points in Neck & Shoulders: “Knots” or trigger

points in muscles of the shoulders and neck often involved in
cases of neck pain. Knots occur most commonly in the
sternocleidomastoid, suboccipital, scalene, upper trap,
levator scapula, and pec minor muscles.

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 5) Muscle Imbalances/Poor posture: Muscles affect the
position of the joints. If some muscles are too WEAK and
others are too TIGHT, then the joints just won’t sit in the right
place. Over time this will lead to pain, and possible nerve
irritation. Most of the time if you can take care of this, the
other problems won’t happen in the first place!

6) Other less common factors include: Tumor, serious

infections, and vascular issues (dizziness, light
headedness), trauma (motor vehicle accident), or
arthritis. If you experience any “red flags” that indicate
something more serious is going on, you should not try to
treat the issue yourself and should seek medical guidance.

🚩🚩 A quick note on “red flags” – if you have been in an

accident, experienced head/neck trauma, have severe pain
that is not getting better, dizziness, vomiting, fever/malaise,
weight loss, etc. – you should investigate with the help of a
medical professional.

Red flags do not mean that something terrible is

happening, just that it’s time to talk to a doctor.

So, in simple terms, what causes neck pain (in a nutshell)?

In plain English, neck pain primarily boils down to 3 things:

• Your anatomy (stenosis, trigger points, disc pathology)

• Your biomechanics (mobility, muscle tightness/weakness)
• Your lifestyle and external factors (how much you slouch
forward, your job requirements, your movement habits, etc.)

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To completely fix neck pain, focus on these 3 important
factors – your anatomy, biomechanics and lifestyle.

This means the smart person will systematically work on:

Postural re-education/ergonomics
Weak, dense, or tight muscles in the neck, shoulders, & back
Understanding the factors that aggravate or alleviate it
Correcting training errors (doing too much, too soon)
Seeking jobs that don’t require too much sitting / “screen-time”
Having a massage, stretching & strengthening practice

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 How Can You Fix Neck Pain?

So, how can you feel better NOW? Well…

…if you want to jump straight to the practical exercises, watch this
video I created showing 3 of my favorite exercises for neck pain.

However, it’s important to understand the bigger picture that

there are good and bad approaches to fixing neck pain…

…or maybe, more accurately, complete and incomplete

approaches to fixing neck pain.

First let’s look at some of the incomplete approaches.

Then I’ll share the best evidence + experience-based

approaches.

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 Incomplete Treatment #1
“Just Rest”

Rest! Seems logical, right?

Although “just rest” has been a popular treatment for neck pain for
a long time, it’s usually what people recommend when they have
no idea what to do.

Fortunately, this “prescription” is becoming less popular every

day. Most doctors know that it doesn’t work and most patients
don’t want to simply “wait and hope for the best.”

…and it makes sense, doesn’t it?

If your neck pain is due to poor alignment, or tight muscles or

dense muscles or joint dysfunction – simply waiting for those
things to fix themselves is a pretty slow and crappy strategy.

Of course, it’s understandable that if you are in pain you might not
want to move much, BUT we have advanced far beyond such
“throw your hands up in the air” strategies.

Nowadays, we have ways to help you get better, FASTER!

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 Incomplete Treatment #2:
“Anti-Inflammatory Pills”

What about Inflammation?

Yes, maybe the facet joints will be inflamed, and these pain killers
may help resolve some of that and relax some of the muscles
around the joints. But…

Why is the inflammation there in the first place??

Inflammation and pain is the body’s way of telling you something

is wrong, and it is a necessary response to an area being
overworked or damaged.

The heat and warmth is blood flow and fluid coming to the area to
bring nutrients and initiate repair. What these anti-inflammatory’s
do is blunt that response so the recovery process actually takes
LONGER (even if it makes you feel better short term.)

“But my Dr. prescribed these!!!”

Well, hopefully the Dr. also understands posture/ biomechanics
and why the neck pain came about in the first place. Because if
this isn’t addressed then the neck pain will keep coming back and
getting inflamed.

In the end, if used moderately and responsibly, painkillers have

their place, but they should not be relied on exclusively.

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 Incomplete Treatment #3:
“Ice, Heat, Vibration, Stimulation,
Ultrasound”

These and other “feel-good” techniques can help relieve

painful symptoms, BUT, these symptoms will return.

In other words…don’t’ bet all your money on them.

As I said, these therapies are fine if they help keep you active,
BUT, until you change your muscles, movement and motor
control you will be taking 1-step forward and 2-steps back.

With that said, there may be small role for heat and vibration
because, whether your neck pain is caused by a strain, or just by
tight muscles, the muscles need to relax.

This is where heat and vibration can help a bit.

Think: hot tubs, vibration, massage, hot packs, etc.

Similarly, muscles relax when vibrated (a nifty neurological trick

known as “proprioceptive confusion.”) This is why babies relax
when we gently, rock and bounce them in our arms or in the a
gentle vibrating back seat of a car.

You can take advantage of this “trick” by subtly vibrating when

you stretch, or using a vibrating massage gun, or having a trained
therapist apply this technique during a massage (something I do
with all my 1-on-1 clients if I see them in person.)

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In summary, the majority of these treatments may have a small
role to play in your neck pain, but I would still include them in the
“incomplete treatments” category because there’s still an
underlying issue needed to be addressed…

Incomplete Treatment #4:

“Cortisone Injections / Muscle
Relaxants”

Cortisone injections can give quick pain relief, BUT often at

great long-term risk.

When you override your body’s natural inflammatory

processes and pain signals with a powerful drug, you can get
quick relief, but at what risk? Perhaps a BIG risk.

Why?

Because you are no longer getting the natural pain signals that
your body is trying to send. Pain is protective. It is natural. It’s OK.

Artificially blunting pain helps some athletes perform at a high

level when they would otherwise need to stop, BUT…

…the risk for the average person is just not worth it.

Similarly, high-powered muscle relaxants have many side-

effects, and a potential for misuse or abuse. Therefore, they are
not recommended in most cases unless absolutely warranted

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 Incomplete Treatment #5:
“Manipulations & Surgery”

If you’ve ever been to the Chiropractor, I’m sure you had a nice
session of pops and cracks to your joints that were “out of place.”

While possibly temporarily helpful, as with the other

treatments, this is NOT a complete fix. Why?

Your joints are out of alignment for a reason! And after you
get popped and cracked on the table, your tissues will just
rebound you back out of alignment.

Going after the joints without also addressing important things like
tissue quality, adequate ROM, and stability is a recipe for
unstable joints and can potentially make the neck pain worse.

Check out this randomized controlled study showing that neck

strengthening and stability training showed BETTER
outcomes then spinal manipulation alone for chronic neck pain.

But what about surgery?

A common question you might ask yourself in the middle of a bout

of pain is – “but what if I need surgery?”

If you’re considering surgery for neck pain, this study should

make you strongly reconsider…

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As the authors conclude – “There is really no CLEAR evidence
to support that surgery is better over conservative treatment for
neck pain LONG TERM.”

Basically, if you get cut open, you may get pain-relief, but shortly
thereafter, you’re no better off than if you’d done nothing!

Not very promising, is it?

So then why do people choose to get surgery? Often it is a

combination of fear and imaging (X-rays and MRI’s) that scare
the person into fixing something that they think is fundamentally
wrong with their spine or bone structure.

But how dependable ARE X-rays and MRI’s?

Here is a systematic review indicating that your X-ray or MRI

might NOT be as reliable as you would hope.

In fact, many people who are asymptomatic show degenerative

changes on their imagining but aren’t even in pain!

We have to understand the we are NOT our X-Ray.

Yes, your bony alignment and space between your vertebrae

does have an impact on your pain, but it does not address the
tissues holding your bones in place.

In my experience, the muscles are KEY to fixing your pain.

In summary, being cut open should never be the 1st option.

If you are willing to think long term and are not just looking for a
quick fix, I am here to show you the way. My goal is to not only
teach you quick fixes you can start implementing today, but fixes
that will stick for YEARS down the line. So, what does it really
take to fix neck pain?

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 How To REALLY Fix Neck pain

To fix neck pain you need the best evidence-based strategies

AND the best experienced-based exercises.

Next you need to turn those strategies into a step-by-step system

that is easy to follow AND add special exercises not found in
most traditional physical therapy programs.

I call this the TSR Mobility System. This will help you:

STEP 1: “Put out the fire” (reduce irritation and pain)

STEP 2: Fix the root cause (spine/neck mobility/strength)
STEP 3: Learn how to move better and live better to
prevent the injury from ever coming back.

Now, let’s discuss deeper, and look at some exercises/videos.

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 STEP 1:
Restore Tissue Quality
(Tissue Work)

Tissue Work is like a mechanic "tuning up" a car.

Your goal is to eventually become a “Master Mechanic”!

This style of targeted massage, helps instantly reduce pain

and get rid of trigger points. Trigger points are knots, myofascial
adhesion, excessive scar tissue formation or "hot spots".

The goal is to decrease these "hot spots" (over-time).

This is the single biggest "missing-piece-of-the-puzzle" for

most people.

In fact, this randomized controlled trial showed that Myofascial

Release or deep tissue massage is the MOST effective
treatment to decrease pain and improve function in patients with
neck pain compared to a multimodal physical therapy approach!

What’s even more interesting is that THIS study shows that

Myofascial release or deep tissue work has been shown be
BETTER than manual therapy for improving the cervical range of
motion and the quality of life in people with occupational neck
pain.

The techniques I will teach you in this program are backed by

research to improve pain, tissue quality, and function.

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 For example, here are 3 exercises that will immediately
help:

(Click to watch video with detailed instructions)

As you can see, there are several tools I recommend.

Why?

Because with better tools, you can do better work and access
difficult to reach anatomical locations easier!

For example, ALL the tools I recommend, are helpful…

• Softballs/lacrosse balls
• “The Stick” massager
• & more advanced tools)

...BUT, in your life-long journey to become a "Master

Mechanic", the simple fact is, some are better than others!

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 STEP 2:
Improve Range of Motion
(Stretching)

In the fight against neck pain we need to make sure we have

adequate range of motion to keep the neck in proper alignment.

This randomized controlled study shows that a well- rounded

neck and shoulder stretching program were very effective at
neck pain relief in office workers.

However, when people try to stretch on their own, they often don’t
even know where to begin! For example, they might wonder:
How long should you hold a stretch for? What do I do if stretching
hurts? What are the main stretching techniques?

I answer these questions in great detail in the program, but…

The primary techniques to increase flexibility are:

• Breathe/relax (static stretching)

• Contract/relax (PNF stretching)

You should also know that there are more than 6 commonly used
techniques (which all have their place depending your goals.)

For neck pain, here is 1 stretch that will help:

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 (Watch the video to learn 3 amazing exercises for neck pain)

In the Neck Pain program, the target for our tissue work +
stretching will primarily be the neck & shoulders, and upper back
because…

…if the shoulders & neck lack range of motion, or the muscles
are carrying too much tension, the body compensates.

If the body compensates, it's like a car driving out of alignment.

The faster/farther you drive that car, the more wear-and-tear!

AKA, neck pain!

Therefore, we must restore good neck, shoulder & thoracic

spine (t-spine) tissue quality and mobility using tissue work,
stretching and…

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 STEP 3:
Build Strength & Stability
(Re-Education)

Massage & stretching will definitely help your neck pain, but
1 critical pillar is missing…Re-Education!

What is “Re-Education”?

Re-education can be summed up as strength, stability and skill.

It is learning how to train your body how to move in a way that

doesn’t aggravate symptoms, and how to build strength in a
functional manner that keeps you out of pain long-term.

For example, this randomized controlled study showed the

importance of neck STABILITY training for chronic neck pain.

In addition, this scientific study concluded that postural education

WITH stretching gave superior results for chronic neck pain.

The take-home message?

Your body is an integrated system – train it as such! For neck

pain, this includes neck tissue quality + scapular stability + T-
spine mobility.

The result? A healthy, resilient neck!

Now, let’s see how a real person fixed his chronic neck pain
with The TSR System!

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CASE STUDY: How This CEO Beat a
Stubborn, 10-Year Case of Neck pain

Aaron is the CEO of Buildify Systems, a successful business

coach for entrepreneurs and world-class seminar leader.

Aaron has coached over 10,000+ business owners ranging from

startups to celebrities to billion-dollar companies.

When Aaron first came to me, he was dealing with some gnarly
neck pain that had been bothering him for years.

After 4-5 sessions, here’s what he had to say about our work
together:

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“I had been living with neck pain for 10
years and tried many kinds of treatments
that didn't work…
I went to Shane…and in just a few sessions
my neck pain was completely gone.

I would recommend Shane to anyone who

is dealing with pain in their body or lack of
mobility or flexibility. He has a true gift.”

The secret to fixing Aaron’s neck pain

was exactly the same as what you’re
learning in this eBook. Yes, he had the
advantage of working with me in-person, but
the principles are the same.

The first thing we did, was get his neck to “chillax” with some
deep-tissue manual therapy. Next, I showed him how to do this
kind of massage using the “Reflex Roller” tool (my personal
favorite), which I show in the 30-day “Neck Pain” program.

Finally, Aaron learned how to prevent the neck pain from

returning by working on his tight pecs, traps, and “CEO posture”
with some targeted tissue work & stretching. You see, Aaron runs
several companies, so he works a lot! But once he learned a few
more stretches and exercises, the pain never returned!

Nice job, Aaron!

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 How You Can Feel Better Now

Now, to make this eBook actionable and valuable, here are a

few key exercises that helped Aaron and can help you.

Watch this short video for the 3 key exercises…

(Click to Watch The Video on YouTube)

If you do the key exercises featured in this eBook, you will be

well on your way to a pain-free, happy, neck.

For more in-depth exercises, strategies and specific routines,

check out the 30-day program at the end of this guide.

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 How Long Does It Take To
Recover from Neck pain?

Well, it depends…

Depends on your lifestyle, how the pain occurred, and how long
you’ve had it.

This Review concluded that most acute cases of neck pain are
relatively harmless and will go away with conservative
management in about 1-2 weeks…

However, the pain will keep coming back if the root of the
problem is not addressed!

The authors state: “Neck pain is also often more persistent in

people who have already had neck pain.”

So, in plain terms… if you’ve had it before you’ll probably get it

again, and again, and again.

What if you’ve had the pain for longer than you can remember?
This is known as chronic pain which lasts for over 12 months.

Although most acute cases of neck pain tend to resolve on their

own, rates of recurrence and chronicity are high.

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In this literature review, Blanpied et al reviewed the body of
scientific studies and found that:

• 30% of patients with neck pain will develop chronic

symptoms, with neck pain of greater than 6 months in
duration affecting 14% of all individuals who experience an
episode of neck pain.
• 37% of individuals who experience neck pain will report
persistent problems for at least 12 months.
• 5% percent of the adult population with neck pain will be
disabled by the pain, representing a serious health concern.

What!?

That’s almost a third of people who get neck pain will have
chronic, long lasting symptoms

I want it fixed now!

Fortunately, when I had my own bout of neck pain, using a

more comprehensive approach (including better exercises)
helped me resolve it much quicker. The secret is the system!

You can have similar results…all you have to do is start!

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 The 30-Day Plan To Fix Neck pain

You CAN fix neck pain.

The key is simply using the TSR system + consistency.

To help you get out of pain faster, get an exclusive 35%

discount on the FULL 30-day program on the next page.

Join the 20,000 people around the world using our programs now!

Enjoy!
-Shane

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