25/05/2020
The neck area is one that commonly holds tension, especially if you're sitting at a desk all day (with sub-par posture) or constantly staring down at your phone screen. Pain may spread to the shoulders, upper back or arms, or it may trigger headaches and cause numbness, tingling or weakness in your arms. As many are working from home at the moment you may not be able to get away from the computer, but there are things you can do to reduce the strain. Stretching the neck muscles is one of the simplest at-home (and at-work) prevention techniques to keep tension at bay. This routine can be repeated daily to alleviate neck pain and keep your neck loose throughout the day.
1- assisted neck pull - Place your hands on the base of your neck with your elbows pointed out to the sides. Stand up tall and take a deep breath, and then exhale as you drop your chin towards your chest, pulling your elbows down towards the floor. Gently allow the weight of your hands and arms to weigh your head down further, and take a few deep breaths here
2- ear drop - Interlace your fingers behind your back, resting your hands on the small of your lower back and pulling the shoulders down and back. From here, drop your right ear to your right shoulder, and hold for a few breaths. Then switch sides.
3 - forward fold with head nod - Hinge forward at your hips and bend towards the ground. Hold on to opposite elbows and allow your head to dangle down. Nod your head yes and then shake your head no.
4- the yes stretch - In an exaggerated nod, say "yes' with your head. Lift your head up towards the ceiling and look up as high as you can, and then drop your chin down towards your chest as far as you can. Repeat this 10 times.
5- neck circles - Use your chin to draw a circle to the right three times and then to the left three times.
Try these exercises and see how they work for you or get a more personalised diagnosis to your neck problems with a free consultation consultation with our CEED physios.