Today I am going to share some basic stretches to relieve neck pain you can easily do at home.
Side Neck Stretch for neck pain
Sit down straight and gently let down your head fall to your right shoulder. Hold the position for 10 to 20 seconds. Do this with a calm mind and in a relaxed position.
If you want a deeper stretch, than placing your hands gently on the tops of your head and let the weight push your head down a little more.
Do this for both sides and repeat this five times to 7 times in a set.
Rotation Stretch for neck pain
Again sit down and relax your body; after that, start with the neutral position before slowly turning your head to your right side, keep the chin level. Try twisting your head as far as possible. You can hold this stretch for around 10-12 seconds. After that, return to the normal position and do it on the other side. You can do this in sets of 4 to 5.
Isometric Neck Exercises for neck pain
According to the research, this was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Stretching can help you from alleviating pain, but doing neck exercise regularly with resistance has been proven to provide five times more benefit than stretching.
These exercises for neck pain were tested in the studies by using resistance bands, but the patient can achieve the same effect by using hands only.
Try to hold your palm of the right hand against your head directly over your ear. After that, you should gently push your head and hand together on the same side while keeping your neck into a neutral position for about eight to ten seconds. Rest for fifteen seconds and do this on another side. Repeat this exercise 5 times in a single time and do 2-3 times a day that means a total of 10 to 15 in a day.
After doing this exercise on the sides of your neck, try to place your hand on the forehead and push your head forward into the hand for eight seconds. You can repeat this 2-3 times. Now finally, place your hands on the back of your head and again pressing together for eight seconds.
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Front Shoulder Stretch for neck pain
Try to straighten your left arm in front of you before moving your arm to the right side, across your body. After that, you should bend your right arm and try to catch the left-wing in the elbow crook. Now gently stretch your left shoulder for a count of eight and repeat this on the other side too
Back Shoulder Stretch
Try to lift both of your arms overhead. Now bend your right arm and capture your left arm with your right hand, just above your elbow. Now let your left arm fall gently. Try to fall your arm as far as you feel it comfortable. After that, hold it in the same position for eight seconds before repeating in on the other side of your arm.
Yoga
Yoga is one of the excellent ways to improve flexibility and strength in your body. Doing deep breathing in yoga helps the practitioners become more aware of the tension which generates in their bodies.
Doing consistent practice of yoga helps you to release stress, stiffness, and pain in the body. One of the main areas of the body, where people hold weight is the upper back and neck. When these areas become tight, and you also fill stiffness, it creates headaches. By doing yoga regularly, anyone can get rid of that tension and stress. Yoga makes body, mind, and soul lighter, and you feel more relaxed and happier from inside.
Just a few simple yoga exercises can help you to relax and release all of the tension from your neck from shoulders with your headache. The neck, shoulder, and back muscles are interwoven, overlapping, and connected, which grip the entire joint. When one of them is getting tighter, it creates pain in all of the parts that are attached.
Wide-Legged Forward Fold
A wide-legged forward fold is another right place where you can start stretch for your neck pain. Try to stand with your feet around 2 to 3 feet apart. Inhale oxygen and then exhale lightly. Keep your legs engaged together and make your back straighter.
You can stop this in halfway down and rest your forehead on a chair or some counter. Keep your core engaged together and your legs in a firm position, and let your head and neck relaxed. Hold your body for several breathes and let everything goes out too. You should rise slowly while inhaling and go down slightly while exhaling. Do this for 5-7 times in one time try to do 3-4 times a day.
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Standing Forward Fold with Shoulder Opener
You should stand straight and tall with parallel feet and hips-width distance apart. Now start inhaling and lengthening the crown of your heads to the sky. After that exhale and lengthen your tailbone down towards the floor, it’s just enough to engage your muscles of the lower belly. Now interlace your hands behind. Inhale and reach your hands towards the floor behind yourself when you look up, now pressing your sternum to the sky.
So now, when you exhale again, then hinge forward from your hips by folding forward. You can bend your kneed if you want to protect the backside of your knees. As you do the fold, then bring your clasped hands on the upside over your head as far as you feel comfortable. Try to stay in this position for at least eight deep breaths.
Now come back to normal position by releasing the clasp of your hands bring down your hands on to your hips. Know to bend your knees slight a bit, now start to inhale and come halfway up. Now stay there and do exhale, and then when you inhale again, start pressing your feet into the ground to rise all way up out from this exercise for the neck pain.
Strap Stretches
You should sit comfortably with your spine tall and your tailbone lengthening towards the downside. Now take a strap or belt in your hands and now raise your hands about your head. Now relax your shoulders blade down the back and try to lengthen your tailbone to the ground while reaching towards the sky with the crown of your head. After that, with the full hands, start to exhale and lower down your arms and keeping your elbows straight. Now inhale your arms back above your head after that exhale and lower down your weapons behind yourself without bending the elbows.
Now, you need to widen your hands on the strap to keep your elbows straight. If you are suffering from a shoulder injury, then do this exercise very carefully and go as far, which safe for you; you should stay away and avoid putting tension on your shoulders.
Neck Circles
You can do this neck exercise in a sitting position or standing position, in whichever area you feel comfortable. Now start to lengthen your tailbone towards downside to engage with your lower belly portion and now lift your crown of the head towards the sky. Now inhale deeply, and when you are going to exhale, you should slowly lower your chin to the chest.
Again inhale and start to begin to circle your neck over your right shoulder, now continue with the left shoulder and with your chin towards your chest when exhale. Complete 5 or 6 of the circles slowly in both directions, you should go and feel the stretch.
Cat and Cow Pose
Move down to the floor in the position of cat or cow while you are suffering from neck pain. Start from hands and knees. Now inhale deeply by lifting your chin and dropping your belly towards the floor while the back of your hips floats upside. Now on exhale, arch your back and lower your head and hips down to the level. Do 5 or 6 sets of this until you feel tired or loosening. Do not push; just follow your inhale and exhale.
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Thread the Needle
Sit relaxed on a chair or a floor and inhale, now reach your hand to up by opening your chest to the right side. Soon when you exhale, reach your right arm under your left arm like you threading the needle. After that, bring your shoulder and cheek to the ground. Then take 5 to 10 deep breathe and come back to normal position.
Child’s Pose
While sitting with folded legs under you, let your knees fall open while your toes touching, and fold over till your forehead did not reach the floor/ground. Now breathe into your upper side of your back. Your arms can either be in a stretch position over your head or can be by your side. Stay in that position for several breathed and stay relax. Now try to keep your butt on your heels but try to avoid the push.
Now on inhale, you can rise from the child position. After that cross, your legs, now inhale and lift the right arm over from your head. And exhale, and place the right hand on the head, and start gently stretch your head downside towards the right shoulder. Now begin breathing and stay in a relaxed position. Try to release if you feel any clenching. Again inhale and free after that switch the cross of your legs and repeat the same on to your left side. Start clasping both of your hands behind your head and gently press the head forward.
After you complete this stretch of both of the sides, then inhale both arms towards upside over your head, then exhale again and bringing the right hand to the left knee and placing the left hand on the floor behind yourself. Hold this position for 5 to 7 breaths and then inhale the arms over the head and repeat this on the other side.
Legs up Against the Wall Pose
For this stretching exercise, you have to move towards a wall and lay back with your legs towards the upside on the wall. If you need support for this stretching exercise, then you can roll some blanket or some sheet on your backside, or you can place under your hips. If you want, you can place a rug down under the middle of your back to open the front side of your body. Your arms should become out in the position of T. after that, stay in this posture from the time between 30 seconds to 300 seconds. In whichever time you feel comfortable.
This stretching exercise for neck pain is called restorative pose, and by doing this, you will feel better. By taking support from the floor, take breathe quickly and relax. If some thoughts come in your mind while doing this exercise, acknowledge them and let the thoughts go. You should keep breathing into your tight spots of the body, now trying to loosen any grasping or clenching. You can do this pose anytime in an empty stomach or before or after 2 hours of eating food by itself anytime when you need to reduce the stress level and want to stay calm.
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Exercises for neck pain While Sitting
Using a computer, laptop, mobile, books for a long time may give you pleasure for some time, but seriously, it can kill your neck by giving immense pain. The healthiest and easy to do these works is by sitting in straight neck posture. Your neck should be in the position of 90 degrees with the thighs.
You know the bent forward formation is known as flexion, which most commonly adopted while using the things which are written in the above paragraph. The level of your computer, laptop, mobile, books must be straight in the 90 degrees angle of your head/neck. By doing this, you can save your neck from immense pain and work for a long time.
Exercises for Neck Pain While Standing
While walking down the street or some other place, your neck should be in the straight 90 degrees position; you can do this while sitting too. There are lots of people who adopted a slight hunch while relaxing and spending many hours during working time. You should reverse the idea while walking to make sure to keep your spine in a straight position and you’re in a neutral position
Preventing Neck Pain while Sleeping
While sleeping, your neck posture is essential, and it would be in a comfortable position. But unfortunately, while sleeping, it is tough to control your sleeping posture and your neck posture. You can use a supportive pillow to avoid any neck pain after sleeping.
According to Harvard Health Publications, the best way to sleep is on the side or the back of your body. If you are sleeping on the backside and want to try to support the spinal curve of the neck, then you can try using a rounded pillow and flatter pillow for the head support.
Those pillows which are filled with a feather or made of memory foam are healthier because these pillows support the unique contour of your head and neck.
Have a happy and healthy day! Thank you