NECK MUSCLE | THE RIGHT ACTIONS FOR RELIEF

Neck Muscle Exercises: Dos and Don’ts

If you are suffering from neck muscle pain, you want to get rid of it as quickly as possible. One way to do this is to exercise your neck. What should you do? And most importantly, what should you not do?

When should I start exercising?

If your doctor agrees, you should start fitness exercise as soon as possible to help ease stiffness and pain. If you rest too long, usually more than two days, you will have a harder time getting moving again.

Do not exercise if you have severe neck pain or weakness in your hands or arms. If you experience these symptoms while exercising, stop immediately and call your doctor.

What neck muscle exercises should I do?

These simple exercises can help you:

Neck tilt:

While sitting, tilt your head down so that your chin touches your chest.
Hold this position for 5 seconds.
Return to the starting position and repeat.
Do this exercise five times.

Tilting the neck from side to side

In the same starting position, tilt your neck toward one shoulder, starting at your ear.
Hold this position for 5 seconds,
then return to the starting position.
Do this exercise five times on each side.

Neck rotation

Look straight ahead,
then turn your head to one side, keeping your chin level.
Do this exercise five times on each side.

Neck stretch

Keeping the rest of your body straight, push your chin forward, stretching your throat.
Hold this position for 5 seconds.
In the same starting position, push your chin back and hold this position for 5 seconds.
Do the forward and backward stretch five times each.

If any of these exercises cause severe pain or weakness in your hands or arms, stop immediately and talk to your doctor.

When will the pain go away?

Neck pain is common but usually not serious. Your pain should improve within two weeks. Full recovery should take 4 to 6 weeks.

When your neck starts to feel better, you can do more of the things you're used to.

Even if the pain goes away, don't stop exercising.

How long should I exercise my neck muscles?

You should continue doing the movements for 6 to 8 weeks, even if you are pain-free. This will help prevent your neck pain from coming back.

How can I make the pain go away?

You can exercise your neck muscles just like you would any other muscle. Stretching is effective, but you can also do simple exercises like the ones below.

They can improve your neck strength and range of motion.

For each of these exercises, start with five repetitions and try to do ten.

Consult your doctor before starting.

Rotations:

Stand or sit with your back and head straight above your shoulders.
Next, turn your head to one side as far as you comfortably can.
Hold this position for up to 30 seconds.
Then turn your head to the other side,
and hold this position for 30 seconds.

Shoulder Circles:

Stand up, raise your shoulders and make a circle in one direction.
Lower your shoulder and repeat in the other direction.

Resistance exercises:

Standing or sitting, place your left hand on the side of your head, above your ear.
Gently press your head against your hand while keeping your head straight.
Do the same with your right hand.

Raise your head:

Lying on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, raise and lower your head.
Be careful not to lift your shoulders while doing this.
You can also do it on your side or stomach.

What else can I do for neck muscle?

Core exercises can help relieve your neck pain. These include the abdomen, back, and buttocks.

If your core is strong and you keep your head upright as much as possible, your neck won't have to work as hard.

Also discover: 30 DAY KETTLEBELL CHALLENGE, HOW DOES IT WORK?

How to strengthen the neck muscle?

Place your arms out to 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 facilitate strengthening).
Squeeze your shoulder blades together and lift your hands off the floor.
Roll your elbows in, palms facing out and thumbs facing up.

Neck Strengthening Exercises

The head sags when the neck and upper back muscles weaken and extra strain is placed on the cervical spine, which can lead to neck pain.

Strengthening these muscles can help improve balance and bring the head (with the ears directly above the shoulders) closer to the neutral position.

The following neck strengthening exercises will help reduce neck pain caused by poor posture.

"Chin Tuck"

The chin tuck exercise is one of the most powerful postural exercises for combating neck pain.

This exercise strengthens the muscles that pull the head back over the shoulders into alignment (upper thoracic extensors) and also stretches the scalene and suboccipital muscles.

Patients are usually advised to stand with their spine against a doorjamb and their legs about 10 cm from the bottom of the doorjamb when doing this exercise for the first time.

Push the top back and the head back until the head touches the door jamb, keeping the spine against the door jamb. It is essential to ensure that the chin is down so that the head is pulled straight back and not looking up.
Hold your head against the door jamb for 5 seconds.
Repeat this exercise 10 times.

On the side of the neck, a person may feel a stretch in the scalene muscles that run down to the collarbone. These muscles are normally tight, as are the suboccipital muscles located at the top of the neck and the base of the skull.

Generally, the muscles in the front of the neck and the muscles in the upper back are the weak muscles that need to be strengthened.

The exercise can finally be performed standing or sitting without a doorjamb after first performing the chin tuck exercise into a doorjamb and feeling comfortable with it.

Throughout the day, it is advisable to do the chin tuck exercise five to seven times, for example in the car or at the office.

Repeating this exercise throughout the day often helps to develop good postural habits. When the neck and shoulder blades begin to hurt, it is extremely necessary to do this exercise.

In case of extreme forward head position, a person may not be able to bring their head all the way to the door jamb at first.

In these situations, it is advisable to move your head back as far as possible without feeling discomfort.

Cobra lying down

The lying cobra is a more sophisticated exercise that strengthens the muscles of the shoulder girdle as well as the neck and upper back.

This workout is done lying face down on the floor and uses gravity as resistance in the strengthening process.

Lying on your stomach, place your forehead on a rolled towel for comfort.
Place your arms out to 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 help with strengthening).
Squeeze your shoulder blades together and lift your hands off the floor.
Tuck your elbows in, palms facing out and thumbs facing up.
Gently lift your forehead about an inch off the towel, keeping your eyes fixed on the floor (do not tilt your head back to look forward).
Hold this position for 10 seconds.
Perform 10 repetitions.

It may be difficult, at first, to hold the position for 10 seconds and repeat 10 times. In this case, the exercise should be performed as much as possible without causing discomfort, and then continued after giving the muscles a chance to recover in a few days.

Back Burn the perfect neck muscle

Another important postural exercise is the back burn exercise. This exercise is performed against a wide, flat wall with the back and feet approximately 10 cm from the bottom of the wall.

Adopt, with the back of your head against the wall, the same posture as for the chin tuck exercise.
Just try to flatten your lower back against the wall.
With wrists at shoulder height, place elbows, forearms and backs of hands and fingers on the wall.
Slowly slide your hands up, over your head, then slowly back down, keeping your arms, hands, head and fingertips as close to the wall as possible.
Repeat this exercise 10 times, three to five times a day.

In addition to strengthening the back muscles, the back burn also helps relax the chest muscles.

Learn more: 5 BENEFITS OF HIIT TO REMEMBER HIGH INTENSITY CARDIO

Trigger Point Exercises for Neck Pain

Trigger points are generally thought of as tender areas in the muscles.

Connective tissues (fascia) that become painful when touched or overworked. They can sometimes transmit pain to other parts of the body.

There are many causes that can lead to a trigger point, such as acute injury, repetitive overuse, or irritation of the facets of the spine, to name a few.

Trigger point pain is thought to result from nodules—or tight "knots"—that develop in otherwise smooth muscle. One theory for treating these types of trigger points is to do exercises that shrink and disrupt the nodules causing the pain.

Trigger Point Exercise

Here are two exercises that may help relieve certain types of trigger point pain:

Foam roller

A 6-inch diameter foam roller can be used to relieve trigger points that often accompany neck pain.

Place the foam roller on the floor.
Lie on it lengthwise.
Place your hands on your hips.
Slowly roll to the side, keeping your torso parallel to the floor, until the foam roller rolls over the muscles of your shoulder blade, where the painful trigger points are located.
Roll slowly 20 times on each side.

Racquetball

A racquet ball can also be used for self-massage of sensitive points on the shoulder blades.

Leaning your upper back against the wall, place the racket ball between the tender muscles of your shoulder blades and the wall.
Using your legs to move your body, roll the ball up and down over your muscles for about 2 minutes.

Also read: TONE YOUR WHOLE BODY IN HALF AN HOUR OF FITNESS

Neck muscle stretches

When the head and shoulders drift forward due to poor posture, certain muscles in the chest and neck may shorten.

They contract over time, which can perpetuate the poor posture that causes neck pain.

The following stretching exercises can help loosen postural muscles and reduce neck pain.

Corner stretch

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

This stretch is performed as follows:

Stand about two feet from the corner, facing the corner.
The feet must be together.
The forearms are placed on each wall, and the elbows are slightly below shoulder height.
Bend over as far as you can without pain. The patient will feel a stretch in the front of the shoulders and chest.
Hold the stretch for about 30 seconds to a minute.
This stretch can be done 3-5 times a day. It is good to do it before neck strengthening exercises.

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