Pain in the Neck? Stretch it Out!

All of us have had an experience with neck pain at one time or another. One wrong twist of the head — however minor — can have long-lasting effects of discomfort and greatly compromise your ability to move freely. 

The most common reason for neck pain is a result of a minor sprain or tear to the muscle tissue. Another cause can be from poor posture or even holding your neck out of alignment for extended periods (such as when you work on a computer). At the office of The Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Center, our highly qualified team of physical therapists will listen to your concerns and develop an appropriate treatment plan that includes targeted exercises to strengthen your neck muscles and rid you of the pain. 

Stretching exercises are all-important neck pain. They will help you maintain a healthy posture and strengthen the muscles in your neck so that you are not as prone to injury.

1. Chin Tuck - Tuck your chin while keeping your chest elevated.
2. Ear-to-Shoulder Stretch - Lower your ear toward the same shoulder (keep ear lined up with shoulder - avoid a forward head posture) and repeat for the other side.
3. Doorway Stretch - Lean forward while standing in a corner or doorway with your hands placed around shoulder height and outside shoulder width.
4. Reach Stretch - Grasp your hands together in front of your chest, look downward, and reach forward with your hands.
5. Ear-to-Shoulder Pull - Gently pull the back of your head toward the same axilla (arm pit). 
6. Shoulder Blade Squeeze - Squeeze shoulder blades together and try to slide them down toward your waist. 

We suggest doing these stretches 1-2 times daily, repeating each stretch 5-10 times in order to get the most benefit from the exercises.

At the office of The Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Center, we believe that nobody should have to live with the limitations neck pain can impose. We invite you to learn more about our services and how our approach to wellness can help for a wide range of conditions. For more information, give us a call today.