These neck stretches are key to keeping my pain under control.
I’ve struggled with crippling pain radiating down the right side of my neck and shoulders for over 4 years now. One morning in 2013 I woke up unable to turn my head. The muscles in my neck, chest, upper back, and shoulders had completely seized up. I was in horrible pain, but because I took such poor care of my health at the time I ignored the problem. I figured it’d just get better on its own, that I’d simply slept funny (spoiler alert: it didn’t go away). But even though it’s taken a lot longer than I expected, I’ve recovered dramatically over the years and I owe a lot to consistently doing these neck stretches.
The journey I’ve had in taking ownership of my healing process is what inspired me to write this blog. I want to share with you all the resources I wish I’d had when I was desperately searching the far corners of the internet for help, in so much pain I couldn’t think, unable to properly move my body. All of these neck stretches and mobility exercises were eventually taught to me by my physical therapists, and they help me a lot.
» In fact, I actually just took a break from writing this post to do these neck stretches. It’s kind of hard to see them and not want to do them, too. Or at least that’s how I hope you feel also, because I promise these neck stretches are amazing! They may be able to help you relieve a lot of your pain and tension. «
Btw – if you work long hours at a desk or computer, then you for sure need to pay attention! (This is part of the reason why I converted to a standing desk – I highly, highly recommend.)
A LOT of us suffer from neck pain.
In fact, according to Mayo Clinic, “neck pain is the fourth leading cause of disability, with an annual prevalence rate exceeding 30%.”
So more than a third of us have some kind of neck pain?! Guys, I’m so sorry. I know how much it SUCKS. This is an epidemic that needs to be stopped.
There are, of course, as many causes of neck pain as there are people who suffer from it. But any kind of pain is your body’s way of sending you a message that something is not right. Neck pain is usually the result of a chain of problems, so remember to look at your body as a whole to understand how to approach your own healing, and seek help when needed.
And definitely add this quick less-than-5-minutes sequence to your daily routine!
These neck stretches can help relieve much of the tension that can cause or worsen the pain.
Our bodies tend to get stuck in these self-destructive loops – you might have an injury that causes your neck muscles to tighten, but then the muscle spasms can worsen the injury and delay healing, which makes the muscles tighten even more… and on and on it goes.
Our bodies are really freaking incredible, but they ain’t perfect.
This is where you come in. Stretching is important because you need to retrain your body to help it break out of that cycle and RELAX. Stretching your neck will loosen your muscles to relieve tension where they attach along your jaw and shoulders.
Try to do these neck stretches as soon as you can after you notice your muscles start to tighten up. Hold each pose for at least 30 seconds. Remember to breathe and try to encourage your body to soften into each position. You never want to force things. Your neck muscles are fairly sensitive, so gentle is always best. You also need to maintain good posture along your spine while you do these exercises, so keep your ears in line with your shoulders, shoulders over your hips. Your low back should maintain its natural curve. Keep both your chest and back broad, and breathe deeply into your belly.
And, as always, be smart, listen to your body, go slowly, and when in doubt please consult a physician before beginning any exercise program.
I try to do these neck stretches every day, and I recommend the same for you as well. Consistency is much easier when it’s automated.
Let’s do this:
1 » Side Stretch
- Begin by standing or sitting up tall. If you have trouble doing that in this crosslegged position, try sitting on a pillow or chair instead of on the ground, or stand instead.
- Recruit your core muscles to support your posture by bracing your abdominals as if someone’s going to punch you in the stomach (really!).
- Lift up through the top of your head.
- Tilt your R (right) ear towards your R shoulder. You should feel a stretch down the L side of your neck.
- Crawl your L (left) hand away from you to lengthen the L side of your neck further.
- If you want more intensity, lay your R hand on top of your head. Do NOT pull down. Gently rest the hand so it acts as a subtle extra weight to deepen the stretch.
2 » Side Tilted Down Stretch
- From Side Stretch on the R side, tilt your head down and to the R. (Yes, it’s kind of like you’re smelling your armpit. You sexy minx you.)
- Keep reaching your L hand away from you.
- Keep your R hand on your head if you’d like to increase the intensity of the stretch.
3 » Side Tilted Up Stretch
- From Side Stretch on the R side, tilt your head up towards the sky so you’re looking off to the L. You should feel a stretch in the front of your neck.
- You can use your hands to gently increase the intensity of the stretch. Lightly place your fingertips under your collarbone and pull down slightly. (I recommend pulling down on both the R and L sides of your collarbone for different variations in the stretch.)
- Btw – this stretch really helps if you have jaw tension or grind your teeth! It stretches out the Sternocleidomastoid muscle, which can pull our heads down and forward if it’s shortened from where it attaches at our jaw. It’s an important one to re-lengthen!
» Repeat on the Other Side
4 » Towel Tilts Mobility Exercise
- Get a hand towel.
- Place the towel behind your neck at the base of your skull.
- Grab one end of the towel in each hand. Hold your hands up in line with your jaw.
- Sit or stand up tall and position your head and neck straight ahead.
- Slightly pull the ends of the towel forward to increase pressure on the neck from the towel.
- Keep the towel pulled taut as you tilt your head directly backwards. Only go as far back as you comfortably can.
- Move your head up and down while maintaining the pull on the towel for 30 seconds.
- This move helps your neck return to its natural curvature. Anyone here have a smart phone? Tech neck straightens out the bones in our neck and puts undue pressure on our joints as we jut our heads forward and down like cavemen. This will help you be less caveman-y and get those joints back to working properly.
5 » Towel Rotations Mobility Exercise
- Keep your towel behind your neck.
- Stay pulling the towel taut with both hands holding each end.
- Sit or stand up tall and position your head and neck straight ahead.
- Lift your R hand up in line with your jaw. Lower your L hand to hover just above your chest. So your R hand pulls forward, while your L hand pulls forward and down at an angle.
- Use your R hand to pull the towel towards the L so you turn your head to look to the side. Keep pulling forward with the R hand and forward and down with the L.
- Bring your head back to straight ahead and repeat.
- Continue turning your head to the L while maintaining the pull on the towel for 30 seconds.
- Again, this helps your vertebrae move correctly and glide smoothly as you turn your head.
» Repeat on the Other Side
One last thing I want to note: it’s not really the best thing for your neck to roll your head around in circles. I do it all the time, because I think it will help, but rolling your head backwards without a towel to guide your vertebrae can actually just put a lot of pressure on your spine and aggravate it further. Thankfully these stretches stretch the muscles all the way around your neck without that extra irritation!
Alright, after all this talk about muscle tension, I’m off to unwind with a hot bath! (I maybe went a little crazy with the push-ups in my workout today?) I hope you’re all having a lovely week so far. My husband is in our old home city of San Diego for the month for work so I’m in Hawaii alone, which has been a little rough. But I also always try to remember to cherish any time I get to just be with myself. Which is another good reason for the bath – it’s nice to spoil yourself! I feel like you are probably overdue to do the same, so remember to carve out some time for yourself this week!