Odunayo Bolarinwa
The hectic lifestyle of today’s world has us spending the majority of our awake hours hunched in front of a computer or smart phone.
Unfortunately, the pattern of being stuck in a forward head position and cervical flexion for long periods creates significant work for the muscles that extend the neck, which in turn can lead to chronic tension and fatigue.
In this article, we will outline three simple tricks that will help you break this negative pattern and reclaim your health and well-being.
READ ALSO: 5 common causes of back pain
Stretch your neck muscles
Something as basic as getting up every few minutes to stretch is a very effective way to relieve stubborn neck and back pain. Below is a list of simple exercises you can perform anywhere without much effort:
1. Side Bend Neck Stretch
This stretch will help loosen up the scalene muscles, which consist of three muscles positioned on the neck and collarbone on either side of the body. These muscles are very prone to tension triggered by poor posture patterns, and are often the cause of pain in the neck and shoulder area.
✔ Lift the sternum up to the sky.
✔ Retract and tuck the chin.
✔ Pull the shoulder blades back and down.
✔ Bend your neck to the right as far as possible, until you feel a stretch in your neck.
✔ If you like, place your opposite hand on the side of your head and very gently pull it toward your arm
in order to assist and amplify the stretch.
✔ Hold for 15-20 seconds while breathing deeply; focusing on sinking deeper into the stretch with
each exhale.
✔ Slowly release your arm and neck back to neutral and adjust your posture back to the starting
position.
✔ Switch sides and repeat the process on your left
2. Upper Trap Neck Stretch
This exercise will help relax the trapezius muscles, which are located right below the scalene muscles on either side of your body. Since they are so closely located, the stretch is very similar to the Side Bend Neck Stretch, aside from a very slight angle adjustment. Just like with the previous exercise, remember to make sure you can see both ears in the mirror to make sure you are targeting the correct muscles!
✔ Lift the sternum up to the sky.
✔ Retract and tuck the chin.
✔ Pull the shoulder blades back and down.
✔ Bend your neck to the right as far as possible, until you feel a stretch in your neck.
✔ Bring your chin down toward the opposite chest muscle, making sure keep your shoulder blades
back and down in order to not lose the connection with the trapezius muscle.
✔ Raise your right arm and wrap your hand around the left side of your head to assist the stretch,
gently pulling it toward your right while tucking your chin a bit more.
✔ Hold for 15-20 seconds while breathing deeply; focusing on sinking deeper into the stretch with
each exhale.
✔ Slowly release your arm and neck back to neutral and adjust your posture back to the starting
position.
✔ Switch sides and repeat the process on your left.
3. Anterior Scalene SCM Neck Stretch
This exercise will help loosen up the anterior scalene and SCM (sternocleidomastoid) muscles along the side of your neck, which are closely located by and thus intimately related with the temporomandibular Joint (TMJ).
✔ Lift the sternum up to the sky.
✔ Retract and tuck the chin.
✔ Pull the shoulder blades back and down.
✔ Bend your neck to the right as far as possible, until you feel a stretch in your neck.
✔ Keeping your shoulders back and down, slowly tip the head back in to extension.
✔ Look over your right shoulder to rotate your jaw until you feel an obvious stretch in the front of
your neck.
✔ Raise your right arm and wrap your hand around the left side of your head to assist the stretch,
gently pulling it slightly backward.
✔ Hold for 15-20 seconds while breathing deeply; focusing on sinking deeper into the stretch with
each exhale.
✔ Slowly release your arm and neck back to neutral and adjust your posture back to the starting
position.
✔ Switch sides and repeat the process on your left.
Improve Your Breathing
Restoring normal breathing with proper belly breathing techniques is an effective way to ease pain in the neck and shoulder region. Belly breathing will reduce so-called chest breathing, which causes excessive activity in the neck muscles that function as secondary muscles in the inhalation process.
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