Neck Strengthening

spine-health.com

Strengthening exercises for the neck can help support the spine and make posture easier to hold and the occurrence of pain to be less frequent.

he scalene and suboccipital muscles are most effectively stretched in conjunction with strengthening of the weakened postural muscles including the upper thoracic extensors and the deep cervical flexors.

• Watch: Why is Exercise Important for Neck Pain? Video 

The following neck strengthening exercises can help relieve neck pain:

Chin Tuck

One of the most effective postural exercises for combating neck pain is the chin tuck exercise. This exercise not only helps strengthen the muscles that pull the head back into alignment over the shoulders (upper thoracic extensors) but it also stretches the scalene and suboccipital muscles.

• Read more: Stiff Neck Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

The chin tuck exercise can be done numerous times throughout the day, such as while sitting in the car or at the desk at work. The repetition of this exercise throughout the day also helps develop good postural habits. It is especially important to perform this exercise when the neck and shoulder blades first begin to hurt.

• Watch the Causes of Neck Pain Video 

To perform the exercise for the first time it is often recommended that patients stand with the spine up against a door jamb and the feet out about 3 inches from the bottom of the door jamb (Figure 1).

• Keeping the spine against the door jamb, pull the upper back and head back until the back of the head touches the door jamb. It is important to make sure that the chin is down so that the head is pulled straight back and is not looking up (Figure 2).
• Hold the head against the door jamb for 5 seconds.
• Repeat this ten times.
• After performing this exercise in a door jamb about ten times, start doing the exercise in standing or sitting without a door jamb.
• The exercise can be done 5 to 7 times per day.
• When in the car, use the headrest as a point to aim for when pulling the head back.

Treatment for Neck Strain or Sprain Video

Patients may feel some stretching of the muscles on the side of the neck that go down to the collarbone. These are the scalene muscles. These muscles along with the muscles at the top of the neck at the base of the skull are generally the tight muscles. The muscles in the front of the neck and muscles of the upper back are generally the weak muscles that need to be strengthened.

• Read more: Cervical Spine Anatomy and Neck Pain

In cases of extreme forward head posture, patients may not be able to pull their head all the way back to the door jamb when they first start. In these cases it is advisable to pull the head back as far as possible without pain.

Prone Cobra

A more advanced exercise that strengthens the muscles of the shoulder girdle as well as the neck and upper back is the prone cobra exercise. This is done lying on the floor face down. The face down position uses gravity as resistance in the strengthening process.

• Lying face down, place the forehead on a rolled up hand towel for comfort.
• Place the arms at the side, palms down on the floor.
• Place the tongue on the roof of the mouth (this helps stabilize the muscles in the front of the neck to assist in strengthening) (Figure 3).
• Pinch the shoulder blades together and lift the hands off the floor.
• Roll the elbows in, palms out and thumbs up (Figure 4).
• Gently lift the forehead about an inch off the towel keeping the eyes looking straight at the floor (do not tip the head back and look forward) (Figure 5).
• Hold the position for 10 seconds.
• Perform 10 repetitions.

For further reading: How Yoga Helps the Back

Back Burn

Another important postural exercise is the back burn exercise. This exercise is done standing with the back up against a large flat wall and the feet about 4 inches out from the bottom of the wall.

• Assume the same position as the chin tuck exercise with the back of the head against the wall.
• Try to flatten the lower back against the wall.
• Place the elbows, forearms and the backs of the hands and fingers on the wall with wrists about shoulder height (Figure 6).
• Keeping the arms, hands, head and fingers all touching the wall as best possible, slowly slide the hands up above the head (Figure 7) and slowly back down (back to Figure 6).
• Repeat this 10 times, 3 to 5 times per day.

Neck Stretches

Spine-health.com

Neck stretches and flexibility exercises can expand the range of motion and elasticity in the cervical spine area to help relieve stiffness and pain.

The following stretching exercises can help relieve neck pain:

Corner Stretch

A basic exercise that is important for stretching the chest and shoulder muscles is the corner stretch. It is performed in the corner of a room.

This neck stretch is done as follows:

• Patients stand approximately two feet back from the corner, facing into the corner.
• Feet should be together.
• Forearms are placed on each wall, and elbows are a little below shoulder height (Figure 1).
• Lean in as far as possible without pain. Patients will feel a stretch in the front of the shoulders and chest (Figure 2).
• Hold the stretch for about 30 seconds to a minute.

This stretch can be performed 3 to 5 times per day. It should be done before doing any neck strengthening exercises.

Levator Scapula Stretch

The levator scapula stretch is also important for eliminating neck pain. The levator scapula is a muscle that often becomes tight and may be very tender where it attaches to the shoulder blade. This stretch can be performed while sitting or standing.

• Lengthen the muscle by raising the elbow above the shoulder on the side to stretch.
• In this position, first rest the elbow against a door jamb. This rotates the outside of shoulder blade up and the inside of it down, which lengthens the levator scapula muscle (Figure 3).
• Second, turn the head away from the side that is stretching and bring the chin down, stretching the back of the neck (Figure 4).
• Third, place the fingers of the other hand on the top of the head and gently pull the head forward increasing the stretch slightly (Figure 5).
• Hold this for about 30 seconds to a minute.

Some studies have shown that it is important to stretch tight muscles before strengthening the weak muscles. It is believed that tight muscles after being stretched can then relax, making the subsequent strengthening exercises more effective.

Stretches for the neck should never be done to the point of pain or soreness. Appropriate pain management is often an important part of any neck stretching routine.

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