Having a set of strong and flexible muscles and joints is the best way to avoid any serious injury or strain. While this applies to all body organs, things become more crucial when it comes to the neck.
When the neck, upper back muscles, and chest muscles become tight or weak, your shoulders can become a little rounded, making your head tilt forward than how it normally should be. As a result, this poor posture leads to added stress on your spine’s joints as well as the vertebrae discs, including the muscles and ligaments.
To add to it, poor posture with the head too far than it should be can lead to chronic neck pain that can also lead to stiff joints, pain in the shoulder blade, and recurring headaches. The best remedy to ease neck pain is ensuring its consistent movement, and taking breaks from that computer screen.
Fortunately, there are multiple neck pain exercises at home that can help you relieve pressure on your neck and its surrounding areas, easing your neck pain.
What are the Different Types of Neck Pain?
As an overview, the following are the main types of neck pain:
Neck pain with headache, where the pain is accompanied by a throbbing headache at the back side of the head.
Neck pain with mobility defects, where the neck gets stiff due to sleeping in an incorrect position or lifting heavy weights.
Neck pains with radiating pains, which occur due to a herniated disc, or a cervical nerve compression.
Can Neck Strengthening Exercises Help with Pain?
Of course, neck strengthening exercises help a lot with pain in most cases, but it also depends on the cause of the pain. If the pain is the aftermath of some injury, then you might want to consult a doctor first before proceeding with your regime.
Neck pain can tend to be pretty uncomfortable and become a hurdle in different activities, and depending on its severity, it can also spread to other areas such as shoulders or arms. As far as treatments go, neck exercises are aimed at reducing the pain by:
● Increasing joint movements for better motion
● Increasing strength through posture improvement
● Boosting flexibility in the muscles
● Cutting down the neural tension
Exercises to Ease Neck Pain and Problems
We have divided exercises for cervical pain in the neck and shoulder into the following categories:
01. Muscle tension
02. Boosting postural muscles
Exercises to Reduce Muscle Tension
Properly stretching the neck can help you relieve the tension and improve its mobility.
Here are a few exercises that are great for easing neck pain by reducing muscle tension:
Neck Rotation
- ● With a neutral neck position, rotate your head gradually to the left, giving the impression as if you’re looking over your shoulder.
- ● Hold your position for a moment before turning your head back in the center.
- ● Repeat the same on the right side.
Shoulder Roll
- ● Begin by keeping your head and neck in a neutral position.
- ● Lift both your shoulders in such a manner that your head and neck are not moving.
- ● In a circular motion, move your shoulders forward and squeeze your shoulder blades together, releasing them and pushing them forward.
- ● Now, repeat the same movement in the opposite direction as well.
Forward Bends
- ● Lower your head a bit forward, towards your chest, and hold that position for a moment.
- ● Gradually, move your head upwards then to a more neutral position.
- ● Go through this motion multiple times.
Seat Twists
- ● Get yourself seated on a chair with your back in a straight posture.
- ● Put your left hand on your right knee and turn your upper body slowly towards the back, as if you’re looking behind at someone.
- ● Return yourself to the center gradually.
- ● Repeat the same twist now by keeping your right hand on your left knee.
Exercises to Reduce Muscle Tension
Posture muscles, that is, the muscles in your back, neck, and shoulders, might improve your neck pain recovery to help prevent injuries in the future.
The exercises include:
Head Lifts
- ● Lie flat on your back. Then, stretch your arms to the sides of your body.
- ● Tuck in your chin with a nodding movement.
- ● Hold the pose for a few seconds before releasing it back to its neutral position.
- ● Repeat the same motions multiple times.
Overhead Seated Presses
- ● Sit on a chair or a bench with grip weights in each hand, keeping it level with your shoulders.
- ● Push the weights towards an upward direction, while also extending your arms overhead.
- ● Get the weights back to your shoulder sides before repeating the same motion.
Lateral Raise
- ● Stand with your feet apart, aligned with the width of your shoulder, and hold a weight in each hand.
- ● With your body kept still, move your arms in an outward direction till they get level with your shoulders.
- ● Gradually, lower your arms back to the side and repeat the same motion.
Other Remedies to Relieve Neck Pain
As far as muscle strains in the neck are concerned, poor posture is one of the biggest causes of this discomfort.
Using a computer or phone while staying seated for long hours can lead to a forward head posture, where the head comes out a bit from the spine due to this posture. It triggers symptoms such as dull pain across the sides or the back, which might also spread to the head, shoulder, or upper back.
Adjusting the posture can lead to a reduction in pain in the neck, head, and shoulder regions.
In such cases where the neck pain hampers you, there are a few remedies other than exercises that could help you ease the pain:
● Taking some anti-inflammatory medicines
● Application of heat or ice packs on the affected areas
● Using support for the neck such as a neck brace
● Giving proper rest to the neck to avoid excessive strain
Conclusion
From a range of different causes, neck pain is a common issue in everyday life today. With proper treatment, this neck pain can be easily treated, completely. If you’re looking to get your neck pain completely taken care of, then Purple Heron Hospitals can help out.
With a superlative amount of experience, you’re going to be in the safest hands with their surgeons. You can connect with them for neck pain treatment!