If you have a desk job where you are looking down at a screen or spend a lot of time looking at your phone, you may have neck pain. A stiff or strained neck can cause limited range of motion and nagging pain. While there are many causes of neck pain, read on for some effective stretches that can help relieve neck pain and which to avoid.
Flexion Stretch: For this stretch, stand with your feet shoulder width apart or you can sit up straight while cross-legged on the ground or in a chair. Center your head over your shoulders. Slowly bring your chin down toward your chest until a slight stretch is felt in the back of the neck. Hold this stretch from 5 seconds to 10 seconds and then return to normal posture. You can do this regularly throughout the day to provide relief.
Levator Scapulae Stretch : Standing in or next to a doorway, lengthen the muscle by raising your arm so your elbow is at shoulder level at your side. First rest your elbow against the side of a door jamb. This action rotates the outside of the shoulder blade up and the inside of it down, which lengthens the levator scapulae muscle. Then bring your chin down and toward the collarbone opposite your raised arm. You should feel a stretch in the back and side of your neck. Hold this position for 30 seconds up to one minute, and repeat on the other side. This stretch can be performed 3 to 5 times per day.
Corner Stretch : An exercise that is important for stretching the chest and shoulder muscles is a corner stretch. For this stretch, as its name suggests, stand facing a corner of a room. Stand approximately two feet from the corner and place your forearms on each wall with your elbows just below shoulder level. With your feet together, lean forward until you feel a stretch in your upper chest without pain. Hold this stretch for 30 to one minute. After that time, return to the starting position. This stretch can be performed 3 to 5 times per day.
Neck Circles – Avoid : As tempting as it might be to want to do neck circles, research shows that the combination of extending the head back and rotating it puts stress on the cervical spine. Neck circles could also cause more compression of the arteries that take blood to the brain than other neck movements.
Schedule Your Appointment Today with your Chiropractor to help diagnose and give you neck pain relief. If you’ve tried stretching for a few days it’s best to make an appointment for a chiropractic check-up. A chiropractic physician will be able to take an in-depth look at what is going on and potentially make some adjustments for your comfort. Chiropractic Physicians can help diagnose, treat, restore, and strengthen your body through our various massage therapy and chiropractic treatments. Now’s the time to put your posture first; Schedule an appointment with one of our providers in Burien, WA, Federal Way, WA, Kent, WA, or Tacoma, WA today!