Pain in the neck is, well, a real pain in the neck.
It can get in the way of sleeping, sitting in an office chair and just looking around in general. In some severe cases, it can be debilitating pain and radiate to other parts of your body like your head or your shoulders.
Here at South Orange Chiropractic Center, we’ve seen all types of cases where painful neck symptoms wreak havoc on our clients’ lives. So we’ve created a list of strength exercises that are sure to help with your painful neck symptoms and allow you to get on with your day.
Stretch First
Before doing any of the exercises we have listed below, make sure that you stretch. Your neck is like any other muscle in your body, and just like those, they need to be stretched before exertion.
Try these two stretches to warm up your neck:
- Side-to-side neck tilt: For one of the easiest and most common stretches, start your exercise movement with this side-to-side neck tilt. Simply lean your head over your right shoulder until you feel a slight stretch in your neck, hold for five seconds, then move your head back to center. Repeat on the other side.
- Gentle neck roll: Tilt your head to look down and then gently roll your head side to side. Don’t move your head in the full circle, just a half one. Do this for two counts of eight and take it slow.
Once you’ve completed your neck stretches, be sure to stretch out the rest of your body as well. Once you complete these, you’ll be ready to do some strength exercises.
1. Resistance Exercises
Standing or sitting, make sure your posture is the best it can be. The best way to identify if your spine is aligned is by taking a deep breath, shrugging your shoulders up to your ears and then pushing your shoulders back and down.
From here, you’ll do a simple resistance training movement to target your neck muscles. Take your left hand and put it above your left ear. From here, push your head into your left hand and hold for 8 seconds. Release. Then switch to the other side. Do this three times on each side.
2. Head Lifts
Lie on the floor and make sure you’re completely flat. Position your feet flat on the floor and shoulder wide. From here, gently lift your head up and then lay it back down on the floor. Make sure to not move your shoulders as much as possible. Repeat this for two sets of eight.
3. Chair Stand
It may sound surprising, but core exercises can be influential in relieving stiffness, soreness and neck pain. And it doesn’t have to be intense core movement, either.
This chair stand involves you starting out sitting in a chair with good posture. Set your hands on the tops of your thighs, take a deep breath, tighten your core and stand up. Do the same thing to sit back down. Do this eight to 10 times.
4. Shoulder Shrug
This movement includes a prop as you will need two items that weigh the same to hold in your hands. Cans of matching soup are a great option if you don’t have dumbells.
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your choice of weights in each of your hands. Allow your arms to drop to your side and have your palms facing towards you. From this position, shrug your shoulders upward as high as possible, hold for one count, then release.
You’ll do this 10 times for three sets, so 30 times in total.
Schedule an Appointment Today
We understand that doing these movements at home might not feel fulfilling or you might not feel like you’re doing it right. Maybe you’ve tried this and you’re still not seeing any results.
Now is the time to schedule an appointment with the experienced practitioners at the South Orange Chiropractic Center. We’re here to help you feel the best you can and get on with your daily life pain-free.
