Click here for more informationThe Neck Pain Exercises
The neck pain exercises
If you are in a good deal of pain you need to be doing these exercises every hour. The double chin exercise should be done on the first day and then the second day you should include the tennis in the sky exercises as well. If your pain is too severe to do the second exercise then just do the double chin exercise. These two exercises are extremely powerful in their own right.
When your neck is not in pain get into the habit of doing the exercises two to three times a day especially if you work at a computer or have to look down a lot such as sewing or knitting.
Ok, here we go. So you now know that the first and most important factor to be pain free is that you sit, stand, eat drink and do your daily activities using correct posture. That is, not pushing your chin/head forward. You need to sit up straight and stand tall whenever you are walking or standing. This does not mean that you act and walk around like a robot. An easy image to think of is to sit tall and stand tall. Feel like you are being pulled from the top of your head by an imaginary string. Also, during your daily activities whether it be reaching above you to grab something from the cupboard, drinking from a glass or even just reading a paper make sure that your head is slightly retracted so that your chin does not jut out. It is impossible to put your head into a good postural position if your lower back is not in good postural position. Good neck posture starts at the lower back. Therefore, make sure you are sitting tall which makes your muscles of your back work rather than slouching which rests on the ligaments and pushes the discs backwards. I suggest that you use a rolled up towel, a cushion, or even buy a lumbar roll to help you maintain good lower back posture when you sit. Place it just above your beltline where the small of the back is. This will help keep the natural inward (lordotic) curve for your lower back. Now that your lower back is in good position your head will automatically be in better position. This simple correction of your posture alone will help your neck pain enormously.
Now that you have helped your neck (and lower back) with good posture you also should do some neck exercises during the day to help counteract the amount of forward bending the head does throughout the day.
Day 1
This should be done every waking hour, 10 repetitions with 3 second holds.
The double chin-the good, the bad and the ugly
The good…
- Draw your head backwards without your chin lifting up. Keep your chin tucked in and down you may need to look into a mirror a first to do this. Draw it back as far as you can comfortably. You want to repeat this 10 times and hold for 3 seconds. Draw it back as far as you can, hold for 3 seconds and release.
- Remember to breathe and relax.
…the bad and the ugly
- Lifting your chin up
- Forgetting to breathe and relax
Day 2
On Day 2 if pain allows include this as well. Do 10 repetitions, retract your head(exactly like the double chin exercise), look up to the ceiling and turn your head about an inch each side 3 times. If it is too painful just continue with the double chin exercises until you can do the tennis in the sky exercise
Tennis in the sky-the good, the bad and the ugly
The good…
- Now that you have done the double chin, you need to follow up with “tennis in the sky”. Please note that if your pain is still too severe, just stick with the double chin until you can progress to this one.
- Start by doing the double chin and then look toward the sky without letting the chin jut forwards-keep your chin retracted. Look up as far as possible( to the point of pain or restriction) and then look to the left and right as if you were watching a tennis match. Don’t do it too slowly nor too quickly, it should be about the pace of watching tennis match in a baseline rally and only allow the head to move a little way each side (you nose moves about an inch to the left and right).
- As you do this, try to extend your head further and further back as far as you can you are trying to look further and further behind you on the ceiling.
- Look upwards and turn your head side to side 3 times and then return your head to the starting position.
- Repeat this 10 times
- Remember to breathe and relax
…the bad and the ugly
- Allowing your head to jut forward when you extend. This is a common mistake, you must retract your head backwards first (creating the double chin) and then look upwards.
- Forgetting to extend your head back as far as possible( as pain permits)
- Forgetting to breathe and relax
What to do if you still have some pain
So you have been doing your exercises for 5-6 days now but you still have some pain. If the Pain is to one side you can also include this exercise. You bend your head TOWARDS THE SIDE OF THE PAIN. Let’s say you have pain on your left hand side still.
You should sit tall once again and take your left ear to your left shoulder. You are bending your head over to the left towards your left shoulder but you must make sure that you keep your head looking forwards. It is very common for people to want to turn their heads a little as they do this because they get their head a little further down but it is wrong.
The other thing that is important to do is keep lifting your head as you do this. When you bend your head to the side make sure that you have the feeling of lifting your head upwards the whole time you do this. It’s very much as if you were being pulled by a string from the top of your head. Keep that feeling of being pulled up as you bend to the side with your head. This will keep you from compressing your joints too much and help stretch the soft tissues as well as opening up the joint spaces. Hold the stretch for 3 seconds and then return to centre. Repeat 10 times and then do the same on the other side.
Do not put your hand on your head to pull it to the side as this will compress your joints! Keep the feeling of being lifted throughout the entire stretch.
Then you can follow this exercise with the double chin and tennis in the sky just like before. Continue to do these exercises until you are out of pain.
Step 3: Remove the Restrictions
Now that you have removed your pain and addressed your causes to your pain you now want to have the best range of movement that you can achieve to keep your neck happy and healthy.
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