Laker fans better watch their backs

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Craning the neck while watching the Lakers battle the Boston Celtics in the NBA finals could be hazardous to your health, says Joe Horrigan, director of the Soft Tissue Center at D.I.S.C. Spine and Sports Center in Marina del Rey. Watching a sporting event, such as a Lakers game, while leaning forward and lifting the chin up, can pinch delicate nerves in the neck, causing pain and numbness. Although the pain will normally subside in a few hours, for some the pain is an indicator of a possible bone spur or structural problem in the neck.

‘People sit on stools and they’re not in a great posture to begin with,’ says Horrigan, ‘and then they lean forward talking to their friends and they extend their neck, and they look up to watch television, and maybe call a friend and cradle the phone between their shoulder and ear.’ As the game goes on, he says, ‘you have more and more compression.’

The best posture for the back and neck is to sit with the upper back straight, not rounded out, and with the neck neutral. Thus, for healthy Laker watching, try to view the game from eye level or lower. If you must watch the game on an overhead TV, you might want to get out of that posture from time to time during the game or even do the following exercise: Stand up tall, looking straight ahead. Slowly tuck your chin in towards your neck, making a double chin. Hold the position for five to 10 seconds. Relax your chin and repeat three times.

Keep in mind, the longer the game, the more the compression. ‘Triple overtime,’ says Horrigan, ‘is tough on everybody.’

--Janet Cromley