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Top exercises for neck pain

Neck pain, in medical terms is known as cervical pain, can be experienced by a person anywhere between the bottom of your head (from where your neck starts) to your shoulder top. If this pain is ignored in its initial phase, chances are that you might soon experience pain in your upper back and arms. The pain can cause limitation in the movement of your head and neck. Some other issues that you will experience along with pain are dizziness, severe headache, fatigue, distorted vision and even depression. These health issues can last for a few days or even for years if it is left unattended. Limitation in your movement due to pain could harm the quality of your life. The neck, head and shoulder along with chest and arms are all interconnected through nerves. Thus this enables in easy movement of the upper body. If there is severe pain in the neck, it becomes difficult for people to carry out simple daily tasks with comfort and ease. Thus, if you sense pain in your neck which is limiting your movements and is leading to pain in the other parts of your body like shoulder, arms or chest, then it is time to get the help of a medical professional.  You might require an initial diagnosis and subsequent physical therapy sessions to ensure your neck and surrounding muscles are properly treated.  If you are located in Wyckoff, please consider Apex Orthopedic Rehabilitation.
Neck pain could be caused due to several reasons like, excessive neck movements that cause pressure on ligaments, bones, joints and tendons, poor posture, injury, incorrect bending and lifting movements, osteoarthritis, pinched nerve, obesity and many others. Thus, it is necessary to get it diagnosed to rule out the actual cause of the pain. The diagnosis is conducted by various techniques like CT scan, MRI, X-ray etc. After that proper medical treatment is given to the patient. Physical therapists will also suggest some effective neck exercises along with certain medication or treatment method to alleviate the problem.
Here are top 4 exercises to reduce neck pain:
Side to side head movements: This exercise not only reduces the neck pain, but also strengthens and stretches the tight muscles of your neck.

  1. Rotate your head on the right side at round 90 degrees and hold for 20 seconds.
  2. Push your head more towards the right gently with your hand till you can bear the stretch.
  3. Slowly release and bring it to the center. Now repeat the same process on the left side. Do it around 4 to 5 times on both sides.

Bending head to the sides: This exercise will help make your neck muscles more flexible.

  • First tilt your head on the right side so that the ear is near the shoulder. Take the help of your hand and by placing it on your head gently pull a little more to stretch.
  • Hold for 20 seconds and then slowly bring it back to the original position.
  • Repeat the same process on the left side. Do this exercise for 4 to 5 times on both sides.

Correcting your posture: This exercise improves your posture.

  • Sit straight so that your ears are right above your shoulder.
  • Move your chin towards the inside of your neck by leaning your head forwards. You will feel a stretch on your entire neck starting from the base
  • Hold for 5 to 10 seconds and slowly release. Repeat this exercise for at least 10 times in a day.

Neck rolling: This exercise helps relax your muscles and it should be the first thing you should do when you wake up.

  • Sit up tall and take a deep breath.
  • Bend your head a little behind and roll your neck along your shoulder in clockwise direction and then anti-clockwise direction. Do this for 5 times each.
  • You may also do half rolls by rolling your neck to and from shoulder length with head bent forward and chin moving around your chest from right to left and vice-versa.

 

Tom Willemann

Tom Willemann

Tom Willemann is a premier physical therapist based out of Bergen County, New Jersey. He holds an MS in physical therapy from the University of Miami, is credentialed in the world-renowned McKenzie Method of Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy (MDT), and holds an OCS (Orthopedic Clinical Specialist) certification. As of 2018, there are approximately 14,000 ABPTS certified specialists in the nation and less than 400 of them are located in the state of New Jersey. Tom is the owner and director of Apex Orthopedic Rehabilitation in Paramus. He opened the clinic, which specializes in spine and sports injury prevention, in 2004 after many years of experience in the field. Tom’s caring interest in others and his strong belief in continuity of care, combined with his clinic’s ability to find solutions for the most difficult orthopedic problems, have earned Apex Orthopedic Rehabilitation its excellent reputation with patients and medical professionals in northeastern New Jersey and beyond. A true “family man,” Tom takes pride in his clinic’s warm and welcoming environment.
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