6 Exercises To Relieve Neck Pain

Have you ever had so much neck pain that you ended up walking like a robot for hours? This article will tell you about several different exercises that will help you relieve neck pain  so that you will have a better everyday life.

Neck pain is quite common. This is because of the daily tasks we perform, and because our neck muscles support our head almost all the time.

Stress + Poor posture = Neck pain

Daily commitments and problems, along with a bad attitude for several hours at work or at home, are the main factors that cause neck pain.

However, there are also diseases that cause these symptoms. Nevertheless, it is our daily habits that, in most cases, cause the pain in the neck.

The buildup of tension in this area indicates uneven pressure on our legs, tendons, nerves and muscles.

The longer it takes for us to tackle the problem, the more difficult it becomes to solve it. The body compensates for the imbalance by involving several tendons, bones and muscles to support the head, which is the function of the neck. The good news is that you can stretch your neck to avoid this pain in areas such as the neck, shoulders, head or back.

Furthermore, it is also important that you try to improve your posture while sitting at the desk in front of the computer, while watching TV, or while carrying bags.

Read on for tips on how to relieve neck pain

Exercises to reduce and relieve neck pain

You can do these stretching exercises at any time during the day, and you can do them even if you do not experience much neck pain. In other words, these exercises act as a painkiller that will relieve neck pain, and they can also prevent you from getting them.

If our muscles and tendons are strong, it will be more difficult for them to be sensitive to pain. We recommend that you follow this collection of neck exercises and that you do them every day – they only take a few minutes – so that you can resume your daily activities quickly after completing the exercises.

Before we look at the stretching exercises that will help the neck and relieve neck pain, we should tell you that all the movements involved are slow and that you should not put too much pressure on the neck  when performing them.

In addition, it is best to warm up the neck and the surrounding areas of the body while performing these exercises. For example, you can use heating pads or hot water on the area.

And finally, you should do 5 repetitions of each exercise.

Turn your head from side to side

• Sit in a straight position with your back supported against the back of the chair you are sitting in.

• Place your hands on your knees.
• Turn your head to the right, as far as it will go.
• Try and hold your chin over your shoulders.
• Return to the starting position and do the same to the left.
• Hold each position for a few seconds.

Tilt your head from side to side

In this exercise, you should start in the same starting position as mentioned in the exercise above. The goal of this exercise is to get the right ear as close to the right shoulder as possible.

Ideally, you should not lift your arms or shoulders when doing this exercise. Furthermore, you should feel some tension in your neck  when you tilt your head. Make sure you start from the same position you started with when tilting your head to the left.

Forward and backward stretching exercise for the neck

• To do this exercise you need to sit in a chair. However, it should not stand against a wall, as this will make the movements difficult.
• Bend your head back as if you were looking up at the ceiling.
• Open your mouth slightly so that there is no pressure on your jaw.
• Remember to keep your back straight.
• Return to the starting position and then bend your head forward so that your chin touches your chest, or so that it is as close to your chest as you can get.
• For this exercise to work, do not bend your back.

Shoulder lift

As we have said before, when the neck hurts, the shoulders will also be affected. This exercise goes as follows:

• Start in the same position as in the previous exercises.
• Place your hands on your thighs or knees.
• Lift your shoulders up so that they touch your ears.
• Return to starting position and lower your shoulders as much as you can.

Butterfly clothes

To do this exercise, you must lie down – it does not matter if you are lying on the bed, sofa or floor.

• Place your hands on your neck, as in the picture above, but lock your hands together.
• Your elbows should be on the sides of your face.
• If you are lying in a bed, lower your arms to the sides so that your elbows reach the mattress.

The lotus position

• Sit on the floor and cross your legs.
• If possible, place both feet on opposite knees.
• Sit with your back straight and hold this position for several minutes.

When you first start doing this, it may hurt a lot, but the pain will go away as you get used to it.

Some people put pillows under their buttocks muscles or under their knees to feel more comfortable in this position.

You can do all the exercises we mentioned earlier (except butterfly clothes) in this position. Furthermore, there is another exercise you can do when you begin this position: rotating your neck.

To do this, draw an imaginary circle with the neck. The movements should be slow when performing this exercise.

Also, do not forget to open your jaw when tilting your head back.

Advice on how to avoid neck pain

In addition to doing these exercises every day or at regular intervals, there are also some other tips you can follow. These will help you significantly relieve neck pain:

• When talking on the phone, hold it in your hand and do not place it between your shoulder and face.
• Use the back of the chair to provide support for your back when sitting at a desk or table.
• Have the PC screen at eye level.
• Use an ergonomic pillow and sleep on your back.
• Bend your knees when you need to pick things up from the floor.
• Change your position several times throughout the working day.

• Do not carry bags that are too heavy. If you have no other option, avoid using your shoulders too much when carrying them.