10 Stretches to Relieve a Tight Sore Neck

10 Stretches to Relieve a Tight Sore Neck

 

Prior to doing neck stretching exercises

Stretching exercises is indeed beneficial to your neck, although some individuals can’t tolerate pain and keep them from doing these routines. Therefore, it’s better to deal with the pain first before doing the routine. Here are some useful tips in alleviating pain, especially when it’s too much to bear:

• Hot compress. Heat has been a famous solution for soothing pain. Place a hot compress, pack or heating pad on your neck for pain relief.

After some time, you’ll experience a lessened amount of pain and do neck stretches without problems.

• Ice pack. While you’ll enjoy the soothing effect of hot packs, you’ll also benefit from applying cold packs on your neck prior to stretching exercises.

Applying ice pack after working out to deal with the pain caused by working out. Consider this as a way to cool off.

• Medications. While cold packs and hot packs do the drink most of the time, it’s undeniable that some pains are beyond what you can experience.

This is where medications will become helpful. You can benefit from taking in OTCs or over-the-counter meds that focus on eliminating muscular inflammation and pain. Famous OTC painkillers include ibuprofen and others.

In some cases, prescription painkillers or anti-inflammatory medications are more effective for some patients. It’s impossible to obtain these medications without doctor’s prescriptions and should be followed as recommended.

 

Aside from these procedures, doing neck stretching exercises also require you to consult experts before starting any routine.

These stretching exercises concentrate on your neck muscles and bones by promoting flexibility and strength.

Before committing to any routine, it’s vital to consult professionals like chiropractor and physical therapists to see if you can do the routine. Goals of consulting these professionals include the following:

• A sore neck is the result of various causes.

Neck, no matter as simple as the body part looks consists of numerous parts like bones, muscles, cartilages and nerves.

Therefore, soreness is due to different causes and your goal is to discover whether neck stretching exercises are the best options for you.

• Correct posture guidance. Stretching exercises are often done with wrong movements or posture.

The problem is continuing with a routine without following the right posture cause serious neck injury.

You’re adding intense sore neck problems, instead of fixing the issue. These experts will serve as your guide in correcting posture or following directed motion towards healing your neck problem.

Sore Neck Stretching Exercises:

 

1- Front to Back – Flexion and Extension Stretching

Bring your chin down to your chest and then hold it just for about 5 to 10 seconds and then look back up towards the ceiling for about 5 to 10 seconds without turning your head. Repeat this stretch 3 – 5 times.

 

2- Side to Side – Side Bending Stretching

In this stretch, drop your ear gently to the side towards your shoulder. You don’t want to bring your shoulder up (your shoulder must staying in one spot), stretch about 5 to 10 seconds and then come back to the other side for 5 to 10 seconds.  You must do this stretch three to five times in each direction.

 

3- Turn to Turn – Neck Rotation Stretching

In This stretch, you’re going to rotate a little bit. So, turn almost like you’re looking over your shoulder for about 5 – 10 seconds and then turn back to the other side for about 5- 10. Repeat this technique 3 -5 times.

 

The above 3 stretches are just starting off with some simple stretches without doing anything except moving your head and getting those stretches in their front to the back, side to side and turn to turn.

 

The next 6 stretches you must do are to add some overpressure. Basically, overpressure is meaning you just use your hands to give you a little more pressure added to the stretch. So these stretches are actually going to be your traditional 30 seconds stretches, three times on each side.

 

4- In the first stretch, hold your hand underneath your thigh and keep your shoulder flat and pull it down a little bit.

Bring your other hand on the top of your head towards the opposite way and pull over to the side and then take some deep breaths (breath in and out) for 30 second, three times each both sides.

5- Levator scapulae stretch:

This stretch is to be used for your levator scapulae muscles.

People get hunched over a lot, they’re typing on the computer and those muscles get really tight and when those muscles get tight people get tension headaches so a really good way to stretch that out is to take one the arm on the same side that is hurting, and put it up on your back side of shoulder if you can.

Then take your other arm and put your hand on the back of your head.

And pull it towards your opposite knee, you’re not pulling it straight down and you’re not pulling it towards the side, but towards your opposite knee almost like a 45-degree angle, hold your upside as high as you can and you’re going to pull your head down.

 

6- Drop your chin towards your chest and clasp your hands at the base of your skull and just gently drop your elbows down with a little bit of pressure.

Then bring your head back to the center and move your chin up towards the ceiling and turn your hands face down and get a good grip on your shoulders. Then start to draw your hands forwards rolling across those tight muscles.

7- Turn your chin as it will go in one direction; use your hand on your jaw and another hand to your shoulder to create some resistance to the stretch. And be sure to do the other side.

 

8- Drop your ear towards the shoulder; use your hands to help deepen the stretch, one hand on the shoulder and the other on the side of the head, pulling away from each other.

 

9- Drop your chin gently towards your shoulder which will increase the stretch along the back side of the neck. Use your hands to pull your head deeper into the stretch.

 

10- Drop your chin down and rolling your head back to the other side and return in the opposite direction. Use your hands to squeeze out the tops of the shoulders, then you can do massage to your neck and head.

 

These are just some quick exercises that could be performed at work, home, or anytime you have a spare moment.  By keeping an active lifestyle, you’ll be choosing healthy living.