They don’t use the term “pain in the neck” to describe something that’s a nuisance for nothing. Neck pain can be awful, even debilitating at times. Of course, visiting your chiropractor would be the best choice, but what happens when the pain occurs on the weekend? Luckily there are some very easy stretches that you can do at home for relief. Find the best stretch for your neck and repeat throughout the day.
Simple exercises can really help to relieve your pain or at least stall it until you are able to see a chiropractor.
Do Turn Around
It may sound silly, but merely looking behind you, done in the right way, can actually work wonders. You’ll want to sit up straight in a chair. Take a deep breath in and then as you release the breath, look over your left shoulder without moving your body. Take a breath back in as you come back to the center and then do it over the opposite shoulder. Do this four times per side.
Tuck Yourself In
If your neck pain morphs into a tension headache, as they often do, performing a chin tuck can help alleviate pressure. Just like the first exercise, you will want to sit up straight in a chair. While squeezing your shoulder blades together, put your pointer finger on your chin and tuck it back slowly and lightly until you feel a good stretch. Hold it there for just about half a minute. Repeat three times.
Listen to Shoulder
If your neck pain is at its worst when you tilt or rotate your head, like so many of us 9 to 5 office workers feel, performing an ear to shoulder stretch can work wonders. Take a very deep breath and as you let it out, bring your left or right ear to its shoulders. Inhale again as you come back to the center and then repeat the stretch with the opposite ear and shoulder three times each. You can also increase the weight on the stretch by putting your fingertips on the side of your head.
Hands Behind Your Back
This is a great one if you are looking to stretch the sides of your neck. It can be done sitting down, but for best results, you’ll want to stand with your feet spread apart slightly. With both hands behind your back, take hold of your right wrist with your left hand. Now have your left hand pull your right arm away from you lightly until you feel a stretch. Hold for 30 seconds. If you need to feel a bit more of a stretch, you can bring your ear down to its shoulder. Repeat with opposite arms.
Flex-It
Sometimes you just need to flex your sore muscles in order to relieve some of the pressure on your neck. This is a super easy stretch to do, but it really can go a long way for some people. Simply intertwine your fingers behind your head and gently bring your head down toward your chest. Hold for about 15 seconds and repeat five times.
