<p>When I am taking an SAT practice test, around section 5 or 6 I start to have really bad neck pain from bending over for hours.... Anyone else experience this and what you do to stop it?</p>
<p>Try a rolled towel wedged to fill in between the small of your back and the chair. With that lumbar support, you might find that the vertebrae of your spine stay straighter and don't pinch on the nerves that come out between the vertebrae.
If you find this helps in practice, your next step is to get an approved something to take into the test with you. Perhaps rolled towels aren't allowed (cheating suspected), but a medical supply store would sell a dense foam lumbar support (truck drivers use them). See if a school nurse or your doctor can get you permission to take it in with you to the test. Work it all out beforehand.
You are probably curving your spine way too much, hunching over the work.
Another idea is to see if the problem is up closer to your neck. If so, there are soft collars (looks like you just had a whiplash in a car accident and can't wait to sue), but the narrowest width and least height you can find. You might hate this, and it might not help; could make you feel even worse.<br>
Is there any way to slant or slope the desk surface up towards your face, or are you stuck with those flat writing desks? (probably you are)
That said, try to take a moment when you change sections to roll your head gently around, rotate your shoulders in circles, and also reach behind your back with your two hands (left goes behind back reaching upwards, while right goes over your shoulder so elbow's in the air...until you can touch your fingers together once both hands are behind your back. Then reverse -- lefts for rights). It'll stretch your spine without you having to get up and walk around.
Dang, I hate these standardized tests in terms of physicality.</p>
<pre><code>I'm no professional, but have dealt with back and neck pain for many years after a car accident and surgery that stiffened my spine, so I had to learn many exercises.
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<p>You're healthy, but this is important. So, to really pursue it, phone your family doctor and ask for an exercise sheet to address this seated-too-long problem. If s/he can't help, ask for a referral to a physical therapist (they usually know much more, anyway).
If you can't afford it, just show up at the office of a young physical therapy clinic and ask to talk to the director. They might just identify with you and hand you a sheet of exercises.
Good luck. Pursue. It's important.</p>
<p>Try to find small and quick exercises you can do during the breaks to alleviate the pain. I was having back problems like yours so I started to actually stretch during the given breaks and basically helped me get through the test :]</p>
<p>"That said, try to take a moment when you change sections to roll your head gently around, rotate your shoulders in circles, and also reach behind your back with your two hands (left goes behind back reaching upwards, while right goes over your shoulder so elbow's in the air...until you can touch your fingers together once both hands are behind your back. Then reverse -- lefts for rights). It'll stretch your spine without you having to get up and walk around."</p>
<p>Agree. Also just improve on your general posture and don't forget to move around during the breaks.</p>