The Best and Worst Stretches for Neck Pain
You’ve probably tried stretches for neck pain, but like most people, you’ve probably not found relief from the tightness, stiffness, and pain in your neck and shoulders.
Whether you were told to stretch your neck by a friend, a doctor, or you saw a video on social media, stretching hasn’t helped your neck pain, and for most, it usually gets worse or more frequent!
We understand that this is incredibly frustrating, and from working with thousands of neck pain sufferers, it’s a common frustration so you aren’t alone.
But why hasn’t stretching helped your neck pain?!
The Worst Stretch For Neck Pain
First, people often do a Neck Circle stretch – one of the WORST neck stretches for pain.
The logic behind doing Neck Circles is that it helps loosen a stiff, aching neck.
But in fact, it can cause a lot of nerve compression in your neck and cause damage to the tissue.
This can lead to more neck pain, which makes it difficult to move freely, hard to keep active, and can lead to frequent headaches.
So if you’re currently doing neck circles, try these two neck stretches instead!
The Worst Stretch For Neck Pain
Stretches aren’t all bad – when done correctly.
There are two stretches for neck and shoulder pain that can really help relieve tension, ease pain and help you get on with your day without having to resort to painkillers.
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Stretch For Neck Pain Relief #1 – Head To Shoulder
The first stretch to try is Head To Shoulder where you look forward, and then tilt your head to one side trying to bring your ear to your shoulder. Once there, look down at your shoulder to add an extra stretch of the neck muscles.
To get an even bigger stretch, gently pull your head forward, and you should feel this neck stretch right from the bottom of your skull into your shoulder blade.
Do this on both sides, holding for about 30 seconds at a time.
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Stretch For Neck Pain Relief #2 – Chin Tuck
The second stretch to try is a Chin Tuck where you look forward, and then as the name suggests, you tuck your chin (as though you are trying to give yourself a double chin).
This is only a small movement, but it is going to give a little stretch on the muscles of the next around the base of your skull.
This is a very simple, but powerful to help you relieve neck tension, and keep some of those headaches away too!
Get More Expert Advice On Neck And Shoulder Pain For Free
If you are struggling with neck and shoulder pain, and you’re confused about what to do, frustrated that it’s getting worse, and desperate for a natural solution.
Our founder, and leading physical therapist, Brad Conder, has written a free, downloadable report that’s perfect if you haven’t been able to end your neck and shoulder pain in the past.
The Quickest Way To Ease Your Neck And Shoulder Pain
Stretches are great and can be very good at easing your neck pain…
BUT if you aren’t having success with them, there may be a bigger, more complex issue that’s causing your neck pain, and leaving you unable to get a good night’s sleep, with frequent headaches, and in a bad mood with your family and friends because of nagging pain.
To help you discover how to end your neck and shoulder pain, you can arrange one of our Free Neck Pain Analysis appointments with one of our specialist physical therapists.
During this free appointment, you’ll be given the time you need to explain how your neck pain is affecting you – something you won’t have had with other healthcare providers – and you finally end your confusion about the right treatment options for you.
Still unsure?
Ask yourself… Is it such a bad idea to speak to a physical therapy expert for free, when you’ve spent so long struggling with neck pain, shoulder pain, and headaches?
Prefer to speak to us from home, without having to travel to our clinic – No problem!
You can arrange a free telephone consultation or simply give us a call on 502.509.3136