Is it the case across the whole country, or do New Yorkers suffer from Big Bag syndrome more than other metropolitan areas? Which is fine, until I start to feel that familiar pinch. It’s my traps, my rhomboids, my whole shoulder girdle objects. And then I get into down dog and -yikes-.
When it’s bad, it’s really bad. And cat cow can be a compassionate remedy. It stretches your back body and helps you gain a gentle range of motion in your shoulders and neck. Key word here being: gentle.
Until you get back to normal, I would stay away from any weight bearing on the shoulders. Sorry, headstand. Try a modified down dog, too, by using a stable chair or dresser. Here’s a helpful link I found for that modification.
NOTE: Sharp pain can be an indicator of serious injury. This is one of those times I’m going to say get yourself to a doctor to get checked out.
The street style pic is from a blog called Fashion Tent. The images for seated cat cow come from gaiam.com.