OPAL Movement Therapy

05/30/2026

Don’t let neck pain slow you down!!!

Whether it shows up during your workouts, after long days at your desk, or just with everyday activities - neck pain can make it harder to do the things you love.

The OPAL team is here to help you identify the root cause, improve how you move, and build the strength & resilience needed to keep it from coming back. 💪

Want to work with us?💙
Schedule your FREE Discovery Call and work with us anywhere in the world by clicking the link in our bio or visiting OPALMovementTherapy.com/contact-us 📱 ✨

05/30/2026

If you missed our previous videos this week, here's another one about the base of your neck!

This area is called your cervicothoracic junction (CTJ) and it's where your neck meets your upper back.

It's a spot that tends to get a little stiff and rounded over time.

If you look at a typical posture (shoulders forward, head forward)
you’ll usually see a bit of a curve or “hump” show up right there.

Part of the reason this happens is because this area is a transition zone.

Your neck moves a lot, and your upper back is naturally a bit stiffer.

So if your upper back stays rounded and doesn’t move well, your neck has to extend more to compensate.

That’s where that little “ledge” or bump starts to show up above it.

So instead of just trying to fix your neck, we actually want to bring your upper back a little more upright.

When your upper back stacks better, your neck usually follows.

It’s a small shift, but it makes a big difference in how that area feels and moves.

Need more help?💙
Book your FREE Discovery Call through the link in our bio or by going to OPALMovementTherapy.com/contact-us 📲💻✨

⌨️ Drop a comment or question
🌍 Share with the world
🫶 Follow for more
🌐 OPALMovementTherapy.com

05/29/2026

If you watched our last video about that “hump” at the base of your neck, this is where we start to address it.

A lot of that comes down to how you’re positioning your spine and how well you can maintain that position when you move.

A neutral spine lets everything stack and share the load.

But with how much time we spend sitting, driving, and on our phones, it’s really easy to fall into a position where the neck sits in more extension.

That’s where that hinge point shows up.

Over time, that one spot starts doing more than its share, and the area below it gets stiffer and more flexed.

That’s when people start to notice tightness, discomfort, or that “hump” appearance.

The goal isn’t to force perfect posture. Instead, the goal is to build awareness of ideal spine alignment and how to find this position and actually use it throughout the day or in your workouts.

Need more help?💙
Schedule your FREE Discovery Call through the link in our bio or by going to OPALMovementTherapy.com/contact-us 📱💻✨
--

05/29/2026

If you watched our last video about that “hump” at the base of your neck, this is where we start to address it!

A lot of that comes down to how we’re positioning and using our spine throughout the day.

To manage neck pain (and help prevent it), it’s really helpful to understand how your neck alignment and your ability to maintain it when you move your arms affects the joints, muscles, and nerves in that area.

A neutral spine position lets all the vertebra stack and share the load.

But with all the time we spend at desks, on phones, driving, etc., we tend to fall into positions where the neck sits in more extension.

That’s where you’ll often see that hinge point or shelf show up right at the base of the neck, which can create a "hump" or flexed area of the neck below the hinge point.

Over time, that hinge point starts doing more than its share, and the area below it gets stiffer and more flexed, and that’s where discomfort can creep in.

The goal here is to bring things back to a more neutral position where each part of the neck is doing its job.

Need more help?💙
Book your FREE Discovery Call through the link in our bio or by going to OPALMovementTherapy.com/contact-us 📲💻✨

05/28/2026

"I love working with OPAL.

I went in with back pain and a numb foot for over a month. The pain is better, but more importantly Dr. Morgan is teaching me to move, and to get stronger so that I don’t continue to have back problems.

Will keep coming back!"

Want to work with us?💙
Schedule your FREE Discovery Call and work with us anywhere in the world by clicking the link in our bio or visiting OPALMovementTherapy.com/contact-us 📱 ✨

--

05/28/2026

The “hump” or flexed area at the base of the neck is called the cervicothoracic (CTJ) junction.

This is where the cervical vertebra transitions into the thoracic vertebrae between C6-T3.

It often sticks out because the spinous process of C7 is longer than the other segments. The CTJ can also live in a more flexed, rounded position due to our repeated movements and sustained postures with forward head and rounded shoulders.

Junctions in the spine are often at risk for injury because they involve anatomical transitions between different types of vertebra.

The CTJ is commonly involved with complaints of pain and stiffness in the neck, upper back, and shoulder region.

It is vulnerable to mobility problems because it is a transition zone between a very mobile neck and a stiff upper back. The upper back is stiff because the ribs form joints with the vertebra in this region.

Our repeated movements and sustained postures like looking over the shoulder, looking down and phones, looking up at computers, etc. can increase stress and compression in this region of the spine.

Over time, this can lead to a hinge point above the CTJ. Movement occurs where it can, so if the CTJ is stiff, you’ll have to move more out of the spinal segments above and below it. These movement patterns can lead to stress and subsequent symptoms in these areas.

Need more help?💙
Book your FREE Discovery Call through the link in our bio or by going to OPALMovementTherapy.com/contact-us 📲💻✨

⌨️ Drop a comment or question
🌍 Share with the world
🫶 Follow for more
📲 DM us for a FREE Discovery Call
🌐 OPALMovementTherapy.com

05/27/2026

Hey everyone 👋
If you have tight hips or just want to improve your hip mobility, our new YouTube video is for you!!

Dr. Morgan walks through exercises like hip 90/90s, fire hydrants, hip circles, and more that can be used as a warm-up, mobility routine, or part of your training.

Give it a watch, drop a like, and as always, let us know if you have any questions!!💙💪

If your hips feel stiff, tight, or restricted during workouts, mobility drills can help improve how your hips move and how your muscles support that movement...

05/27/2026

If you hate lunges… you’re not alone!! And honestly, it’s usually not a strength issue.

Most of the time, it’s just that a few key pieces are missing. Things like:
▪️ being able to hinge at your hips
▪️ staying stacked when you’re on one leg
▪️ actually feeling your glute when you land and push off

If those aren’t there, your knees, back, or quads tend to take over.

So instead of just pushing through lunges and hoping they get better, we like to take a step back (LOL) and build those pieces first.

Then when you come back to lunges, it feels a lot more natural and a lot less frustrating.

Remember, you’re in charge of the lunge. It’s not lunging you!

Need more help?💙
Schedule your FREE Discovery Call through the link in our bio or by going to OPALMovementTherapy.com/contact-us 📱💻✨
--

05/27/2026

Here's an example of where drills like hip hinges and bandwalks in place actually start to make sense!

Those drills help you train the pieces of bigger movements like a walking lunge.

For example, as you step forward on the lunge you’re hitting a little hinge. And if you’ve practiced it, you’ll use your hips to do this. If not, your back may try to help out.

Same idea with the glute. Every time you land on that front leg, that glute should turn on and absorb the impact from the ground. If it doesn’t, you’ll usually see the knee start to cave in a bit or the knee will dive forward and put more work on the quad.

Why does this matter?

If your knee is bugging you and you’re trying to load up lunges, understanding the hip hinge can help shift some of that work away from the knee and into the hip.

And if your back tends to get tight, this is how you make sure the work is coming from your hips instead of your back doing everything.

So this is really just connecting the dots between all those smaller drills you’ve been doing and applying them to bigger movements so your body knows what to do.

Need more help?💙
Book your FREE Discovery Call through the link in our bio or by going to OPALMovementTherapy.com/contact-us 📲💻✨

⌨️ Drop a comment or question
🌍 Share with the world
🫶 Follow for more
📲 DM us for a FREE Discovery Call
🌐 OPALMovementTherapy.com
--

05/26/2026

At OPAL, we help proactive adults build the mobility, stability and strength that their bodies actually need to keep up with their goals long-term!

Whether you want to lift heavier, run faster, stay active during your pregnancy, or just move through life with less pain & more confidence - our team is here to help you move better for the long run!!

Want to work with us?💙
Schedule your FREE Discovery Call and work with us anywhere in the world by clicking the link in our bio or visiting OPALMovementTherapy.com/contact-us 📱 ✨