Neck Pain Relief

Many of us are living with neck pain & stiffness. I’d like to share a few to help you feel better!

Identify a pattern of your pain. When do you feel the worst? Which movements or activities cause the most discomfort?

If you feel worst in the morning, your sleep posture may be to blame. Ideally, you would keep your head & neck in neutral as you sleep with your shoulders down by your side. Sleeping on your belly places your neck in end-range rotation which can cause neck & arm pain.

If you work at a desk or spend a lot of time on your computer, take mini stretch breaks to prevent your neck from tightening up. It’s very difficult to maintain efficient alignment when you are sitting for long periods of time. Check out your co-workers posture after they’ve been at their desk for a while. You are probably doing a similar type of thing.

Taking a mini stretch break once every hour or so will help. Stand up & do some stretching. Doing even 30 seconds of stretching will help! Watch the video below to see some of my favorite stretches.

Wear a bluetooth earpiece when on the phone. If you make or take calls during the day, it’s best to do it in a hands-free manner. Holding a phone up to your ear stresses your neck & shoulder. If you’re wearing an earpiece, you can stretch while you talk!

Check your breath. 

Self Check 1: Stand in front of a mirror & take a deep breath in. Watch your neck & shoulders. Ideally, they wouldn’t move much. If you see your shoulders rise as you breath in, you’re chest breathing, which stresses your neck muscles.

Self Check 2: While sitting or standing, curl your fingers under the front of your rib cage & take a deep breath. If you’re using your diaphragm, your breath should push your fingers out.

Watch the video below to see my breathing assessment & correction.

Hopefully, these tips help ease your neck pain & tension. If you want more, I recommend seeing a Physical Therapist. I use hands-on techniques to ease tight muscles & free up stiff joints to get you feeling & moving better. I’ll also show you corrective exercises to help you maintain those gains & prevent those problems from happening again.