5 exercises to relieve neck pain at home
Neck pain is one of the most common reasons people come to the clinic. Most of the time it is not serious, but it is very annoying: it limits movement, causes headaches and stays with you all day in front of the computer. The good news is that with a few minutes of mobility a day and a few small corrections you can improve a lot from home.
In this article I give you five simple exercises you can do without equipment. I recommend spending about 10 minutes on them in the morning or mid-afternoon. First, an important warning.
Before you start: three basic rules
For these exercises to help rather than harm you, keep the following in mind.
- No sharp pain. The movements should be comfortable. A feeling of tightness is normal; a sharp stab is not.
- Slowly. This is not gymnastics, it is mobility. Each movement, two or three seconds.
- Breathe. If you hold your breath you tense the neck muscles. Breathe in through your nose and let the air out gently through your mouth.
The 5 exercises
1Gentle side bend
Sitting or standing, with your back straight and shoulders relaxed, slowly let your right ear drop towards your right shoulder until you feel a gentle stretch on the left side of your neck. Hold for 15 seconds, breathing calmly, and return to the centre. Repeat on the other side.
Repetitions: 4 on each side.
2Slow neck rotation
Keep your head upright and turn slowly to the right as if you wanted to look over your shoulder. Go as far as is comfortable, without forcing. Hold for 5 seconds and return to the centre. Repeat to the left.
Repetitions: 6 on each side.
3Chin tuck
One of the most useful if you spend many hours with your head forward over a computer or phone. Looking straight ahead, draw your chin backwards as if making a "double chin", keeping your head level (don't tilt it down). You will feel the back of your neck working. Hold for 5 seconds and release.
Repetitions: 10.
4Shoulder shrugs
Raise your shoulders towards your ears as far as you can and hold for two seconds. Let them drop suddenly and feel the muscles "fall". It is a simple trick to release the tension built up in the trapezius.
Repetitions: 10.
5Chest opener
It may sound odd, but a lot of neck pain comes from shoulders slumped forward. Standing or sitting, interlace your fingers behind your back and move your hands away from your body, opening the chest and gently drawing the shoulder blades together. Hold for 15 seconds and release.
Repetitions: 4.
Beyond the exercises: three adjustments that really matter
Check the height of your screen
If the top of the screen sits below your eyes, you are forcing your neck to stay bent all day. Raise the monitor with a box, a ream of paper, whatever, until the top is at eye level. It is the most effective postural correction there is.
Your phone too
Looking at your phone with your head tilted down makes your neck carry the equivalent of a bowling ball. Raise the phone to face height whenever you are going to look at it for more than a minute.
Active breaks every 45 minutes
The best muscle is the one that moves. Set an alarm every 45 minutes, get up, walk for two minutes and do three or four of the exercises above. Five small breaks through the day are better than one long session at the end.
Had neck pain for a while and it won't go away?
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