Exercises to Reduce Neck Pain Risk
Published on under Neck Pain
- Stretch the pects, or chest muscles, by grasping a door jam and rotating your body away.
- Shoulder external rotation strengthening. Lay on your side, elbow bent, and lift/rotate a LIGHT dumbbell toward the ceiling and slowly lower it.
- “Flies”. Strengthen the interscapular muscles by laying prone and raising the arms up toward the ceiling (like you’re flying), squeezing the shoulder blades together.
- Chin Tucks. Tuck your chin and nod the head to strengthen the deep neck flexors.
- Neck Stretches. Pull your neck to the side, look up, and turn toward your pulling hand, followed by looking down and turning away from your pulling hand.
Staying physically active can also reduce your risk for neck pain. In a year-long study involving 367 sedentary workers, those who increased their daily step count by 1,000 steps cut their risk for neck pain by 14%! So, if you work in an office, set a timer to remind yourself to get up and walk around and/or perform the above exercises (at least #4 and #5, which can be done from your seat). Breathing exercises and meditation can also reduce neck muscle tension.
In addition to using manual therapies like mobilization and manipulation to treat patients with neck pain, doctors of chiropractic frequently recommend home exercises like those listed above to improve forward head posture and strengthen the neck muscles to not only reduce neck pain but also to reduce the risk for neck pain recurrence.
Thousands of Doctors of Chiropractic across the United States and Canada have taken “The ChiroTrust Pledge”:“To the best of my ability, I agree to
provide my patients convenient, affordable,
and mainstream Chiropractic care.
I will not use unnecessary long-term
treatment plans and/or therapies.”
To locate a Doctor of Chiropractic who has taken The ChiroTrust Pledge, google “The ChiroTrust Pledge” and the name of a town in quotes.
(example: “ChiroTrust Pledge” “Olympia, WA”)
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