How to Stretch and Strengthen Your Neck

Neck pain is an extremely common problem in the general population. Whether you’re an office worker, a student, or a stay-at-home parent, you might be at risk of developing neck pain.

In this article, we will investigate why this issue is so prevalent. We’ll dive into some of the solutions for neck pain, so it doesn’t get in the way of you living your best life.

What Has Caused the Recent Upturn in Neck Pain Cases?

Often, it’s hard to distinguish the exact reasons why certain conditions become more prevalent. In fact, any issue affecting the body can be caused by a multitude of factors, such as dietary choices, environmental contaminants, and lifestyle considerations, to name a few.

However, when it comes to neck pain, there is at least one causative factor that we can point to with relative certainty: posture. More specifically, neck pain tends to arise due to poor seated posture.

During a given day, the average person sits for many hours on end. We sit when we are eating breakfast, we sit when we drive to work, we sit while we’re at work, we sit on the drive home from work, then we sit when we get home.

With proper seated posture, this huge volume of sitting might not be a problem. Yet, the problem is that most of us sit with awful posture, even though we might not even notice it (you could even be doing it right now!). In fact, there is a specific neck-related disorder that can be directly linked to poor seated posture. This condition is known as Forward Head Posture (FHP).

FHP results in a chin that juts forward, a head that is tilted back, and extremely weak/tight neck and shoulder muscles. Eventually, this can lead to unsightly humps in the upper back, as well as varying degrees of pain.

Fortunately, there is a relatively easy solution for this issue: exercise!

Stretches and Strengthening Exercises for the Neck

In general, most of the stretching and strengthening exercises prescribed for neck pain are fairly intuitive. For example, if the muscles on the right side of the neck feel tight, you’re likely inclined to bend your head to the left to lengthen them and relieve this tightness.

But in the interest of being specific, let’s review some formal stretches and strengthening exercises for the neck. For each of the following exercises, hold the indicated position for 10 seconds, and perform 10 repetitions of the exercise per day.

The Side Bend Stretch

Keeping your head straight, without rotation, you can simply bend your head down toward one side or the other. In doing so, you’ll stretch out muscles on the opposite side. Better yet, you can add a slight rotation to this movement to really target your problem areas.

Be sure to sit up tall during this movement and don’t allow your shoulders to “hike up” while performing the stretch.

Chin Tuck Exercise

By laying on your back, tucking your chin, and slightly lifting your head, you’ll strengthen the “deep flexor muscles” of the neck. In doing so, you’ll correct one of the major issues related to neck pain: weak stabilisers.

Shoulder Retractions

In a seated position, you should aim to sit up as tall as possible as you pull your shoulder blades down and back. This will strengthen some of the major postural muscles of the back and, perhaps surprisingly, will often help with neck pain.

If you’re looking for more specific help with your neck pain, Chatfield Chiropractic is here to help. Book your appointment with our professional and friendly team today. Together, we can help you find neck pain relief and avoid future incidences of pain.

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