EXERCISES FOR A STIFF NECK
Always be careful exercising the neck. Stop if you feel pain. Be gentle in your movements. If you have problems with your neck, consult your doctor before attempting these exercises.
Note: The 8th exercise, circling your head, is the most effective of the series. Make your head motion very small. Try to make the motion equal in both directions. The best of all is to begin the movement in the direction that is counter normal. (If your instinct is to circle your head to the right first, try it to the left first.) If you experience little change in your neck's range of motion, do the head circling again with more attention and with smaller movements.
- Check your range of motion: Sit upright in your chair, feet on the floor, knees over your feet. Shift your head backward, turn your head to the right and notice what you see. Mark it in your mind. Turn your head to the left and mark it as well.
- Release tension in the shoulders and neck: Sit to the front of your chair, arms hanging straight down. Squeeze your right shoulder up. Turn your left arm so that the palm faces forward and back 4 times as you gently pull the arm downward. Reverse sides.
- Stretch the front of the rib cage: Hold onto the back of your chair and allow your torso to tilt forward with your spine straight, stretching across the collarbones and front of the rib cage. Breathe. Stop immediately if the legs of your chair start to lift and redo the motion after moving yourself further back into the chair.
- Stretch the sides of the neck: Bring your head back and drop your right shoulder down. Now drop your right ear down toward your right shoulder to stretch the left side of your neck. Make sure to have your face looking straight forward, not downward. Hold onto the left leg of your chair with your left hand, stretching all along the top of the left shoulder and across to the neck. Breathe into the stretch. Reverse sides.
- Strengthen the neck muscles with an isometric exercise: Clasp your hands together and place them behind your head. (If your arms bother you, skip this exercise.) Push the back of your head into your hands as you resist by pressing your hands against your head. Keep pressing. Do not let up the pressure as you breathe and hold for 15-30 seconds.
- Bring your head back to stretch the back of the neck: Sitting upright, slide your head backwards as if you are on a railroad car in reverse. The back of the neck stretches and lengthens. Keep your chin slightly tucked. Turn your head to the right for a neck spiral twist. Take several deep breaths in this position as you stretch. Reverse sides. Compare your range of motion to your opening marks.
- Nod your head "yes" and "no" but only after having brought your head back with your chin tucked. Make the nods small and gentle.
- Circle your head: Place your hands around your neck with your thumbs under your chin, forming a bowl for your head alone to rest in. Roll your head around the bowl several times in each direction. Don't move anything except your head. Make the circles small and relaxed.
- Recheck your range of motion: Bring your head back, turn your head to the right and what do you see? Compare it to your beginning mark. Reverse sides.
Note: The 8th exercise, circling your head, is the most effective of the series. Make your head motion very small. Try to make the motion equal in both directions. The best of all is to begin the movement in the direction that is counter normal. (If your instinct is to circle your head to the right first, try it to the left first.) If you experience little change in your neck's range of motion, do the head circling again with more attention and with smaller movements.
If we release tension in the shoulders, the neck itself can relax. We can then improve neck health through gentle release, stretch and strengthening. Building Better Balance teaches these essential steps to bring healing to any part of the body that is experiencing problems:
• Work gently to release adjacent joints.
• Release painful joints themselves with gentle movement.
• Stretch the muscles surrounding the problem.
• Strengthen the stabilizing muscles that encircle the area.