Best ways to loosen a stiff neck or shoulder
97Neck and shoulder pain can be caused by something as simple as sleeping the wrong way, or as serious as a herniated disk - and one can be just as agonizing as the other! To be safe, always take things gently when trying to loosen and stretch the area, to ensure you don't make any injuries worse.
If you know the pain is the result of injury, you should start with an ice pack. The aim is to stop inflammation in its tracks - otherwise it will be even more painful tomorrow! Once the injury has settled down, or if you know the pain is muscle spasm, then a heat pack will work better. However, heat can make inflammation worse - so if there's the slightest chance there's an underlying injury, don't risk it no matter how tempting that soothing heat may sound!
Shoulder pain is often not really in the shoulder at all - it's what is called "referred pain" from the neck. So if your problem is shoulder pain, it's worth trying some of the neck exercises as well, to see if they help.
Basic Neck Stretches
Begin with the gentlest neck stretch.
Lie down on the bed. Now slide the back of your head away from your shoulders - think about lengthening the back of your neck. Your head will tilt forward slightly and your chin will tuck into your neck. Pull your chin in as far as you can and press the back of your neck into the mattress for 10 seconds, then relax. Do 3 sets of 10.
You may want to be alone when you do this exercise - if you do it right, it will make you look like you have a really attractive double chin (if not several)!
Next, still lying on the bed, roll your head from side to side. Don't try to force it or control it, just let your head turn gently and rhythmically from one shoulder to the other. You could even play some music to keep time to! Keep this up as long as you can manage - you'll find your range gradually increases, the longer you keep rolling.
If this is easy, you can do the "chin tuck" exercise sitting or standing in front of a mirror. Looking straight ahead, tuck your chin into your neck (there are those gorgeous double chins again) and push backwards, stretching the back of your neck. To make this stretch stronger, you can put both hands on your chin and push back. Don't drop your head - if you keep looking in the mirror, it helps you hold the right posture.
These exercises can be done several times a day, whenever you remember.
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More Advanced Neck Stretches
If you can do the basic exercises without exacerbating your pain, it's time to move on to more advanced versions.
These are basically the same neck exercises you'll find at any fitness class - dropping your chin to your chest and turning it side to side - but there are important differences.
Sit on a hard chair with your back straight. Tuck your chin in (as for the basic exercise above), then lower your head forward. Move your head only, don't drop your shoulders or round your back, and keep pulling your chin in. Now place your hands gently on the top of your head - don't press down, just let them rest there. Hold for 10 seconds and release. Do 3 sets of 10.
Do the same thing to the side. Hold the edge of the chair with your right hand, to prevent you lifting your right shoulder. Keeping your chin tucked in, lower your left ear to your left shoulder. Lift your left hand and rest it gently over your head, fingers touching your right ear. Don't press down, just feel the weight. Hold for 10 seconds and repeat the whole exercise on the other side.
The third exercise is simply to turn your head from side to side. Keep your your head upright, and turn to look as far as you can over each shoulder without forcing it.
You'll notice I don't suggest an exercise to tilt your head back. That's because tilting the head back can pinch the nerves at the back of the neck, so it's best avoided unless you have been given the all-clear to do so by a professional.
Shoulder Swings
For the shoulder exercise, you'll need a long thin bolster. If you have a cervical roll, you could use that - otherwise roll up a towel tightly into a tube shape.
Lie down on your back on the floor, and position the roll so it runs along your spine, from just below your neck to your waist (this can take a bit of adjustment!). Let your arms fall out to the side, palms up. Feel your shoulder blades dropping down each side of the roll and your chest opening up. You can put a thin pillow under your head if you're feeling uncomfortable in this position.
If your shoulder is very sore, just relaxing in this position may be enough. If you're ready to go further:
Bring your arms to your sides, palms facing your thighs. Now, keeping your arms relaxed and slightly bent, lift them straight up and take them as far over your head as you can. Your goal, eventually, is to touch the floor above your head - but don't force it!
Do this exercise quite fast, swinging your arms loosely over your head and back down to your thighs. Aim to do at least 100 of these swings. As you do it, you should feel your shoulder blades dropping more and more either side of the roll. Don't worry if you can't get far over your head at first, and don't force it - it should be a very relaxed movement.
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Preventing Neck and Shoulder Pain
None of these exercises will help much if you're doing things in your daily life to make your neck sore again!
One of the biggest culprits is your sleeping position. If your head is turned sideways to your body while you're sleeping, or scrunched into your shoulder, you're almost guaranteeing you'll have neck pain one day. Your head and shoulders need to be in alignment while you sleep. Many people skimp on a good pillow, because it seems ludicrous to pay seventy or eighty dollars for a simple cube of latex. Think of it this way - it's not an investment in a pillow, it's an investment in your neck!
The other major source of neck pain is the computer. Check out your work set-up. Sit in your chair and reach forward with your hand. If you can't touch your monitor with your fingertips, it's too far away - your head has to move forward slightly to see it, putting huge pressure on our neck.
If you fix the things that are causing your problem, and keep doing the simple exercises for a week or so after the pain has cleared, you can beat neck and shoulder pain. As with all things, if pain persists, see your doctor.
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All text copyright Marisa Wright. Crick in the neck photo courtesy of [message redacted] on Flickr
Yoga poses for neck and shoulder pain
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Comments
Really useful tips here Marissa. Great you also included not bending your neck back -its so easy to want to do yet not good at all!
Your point about the chair you sit in is very well taken. Sometimes when I am concertraing at the computer I find myself sort of slipping out of the chair and forgetting to keep the back support in place. A little prevention goes a long ways.
Thanks !! Stiff neck is one of those usual problems which i face working on a PC for long hours. I will try to keep in my mind all the points you listed.
Thank you Marisha. I often have this stiff in my neck. I hope your tips will be helpful.
Great information. You should make your own Yoga videos if you can, would be great! But that video is good stuff. Thanks.
Thanks - very informative!
Marisa ~ Thank you for sharing this well needed information-it came at the right time. I'm sure your being a dancer, you have much experience in this area to help people. Thank you for this writing this hub. Kathy
It is so weird that I came upon this Hub now. I seem to get pain in my neck most in the winter time from holding myself stiff when I am cold. I am going to try these exercises, and if they work my husband will be so happy because I am always asking him to rub my neck! Thank you!
Well done on a great hub Marisa - you've covered the ground really well with it. I love the Shoulder Swing exercises your recommend and I often advise that my shoulder pain patients do a similar routine on my own shoulder pain website at http://www.jointenterprise.co.uk
Great Hub - Love it
Gordon
I found this hub very useful. I often sit too at my computer. You reminded me to take a break and do some exercises. I feel better already. Bookmark.
As a chiropractor I have seen my fair share of stiff necks and shoulders with restricted movement. I totally agree that stretching will be an important part in helping with these issues. However, if it has been there too long it may need additional help to "get the ball rolling". I have seen amazing changes with just a few small adjustments of the neck and 1st rib. Whenever the 1st rib is mis-aligned it causes the muscles that start in the neck and go to the shoulder on that side to become extremely tight and causes the shoulder to become restricted. A proper adjustment can go a long way but can help even more if people do stretching to keep things moving and hopefully prevent this from happening in the first place.
The older I get the more I appreciate this info. I really need it after a long drive in the car, which it seems I do more of these days that I should. Thanks for the tips.
This was a really useful read for me - I get neck and shoulder pain as a result of fibromyalgia and your advice about posture when sitting and the stretches helped me today - so I came back to comment (as I had planned to do). Thank you.
thank you!
Hi, thanks for a great article. I suffer from a desease that causes muscle spasms and spasticity, especially in my neck and shoulders, I look forward to trying these exercises.
~Jen
Very well written hub .....
very much informative ......
Thank you very much for your great hub, for good advice, good wishes and support. Thanks for sharing your experience with all of us.
I do have a lot of neck and lower back pain so finding some stretches that will relief this is helpful.
People are natural slouchers and don't pay much attention to posture until they have a problem. Computer work stations are very hard on the body unless they are ergonomically correct. I wrote hub about high end office chairs http://hubpages.com/hub/Finding-the-Best-Ergonomic that make a huge difference in the way you sit. The good ones actually move with your body. If you have a lot of pain sometimes stretching makes it worse. Massage and warm water showers or hot tubs can really help you loosen up before you stretch.
Thanks a lot i am fed up of my neck problem and it has disturbed my life, first thing I will now buy a good pillow and try out all the stretches suggested by you.
Good to know the various methods to relieve a stiff neck. Great help..
Bookmarked this page for the video. I am in front of a computer way too much and don't want to be a hunchbank!
Most evenings, after having sat all day in front of a computer, the back of my neck and my shoulders hurt pretty bad. So, I definitely need to try these exercises!
I did some of these even while I was reading. Helpful article.
I've had problems with my neck since a car accident I was involved in when I was 18 and the other thing I do is sleep on an ergonomic pillow and it has been fantastic.
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Links
- Groups Discussing stiff neck and shoulder pain | Yahoo! Groups
4 groups discussing stiff neck and shoulder pain - How To Treat A Stiff Neck | Neck Pain | Neck Exercise
How to treat a stiff neck? Here are seven practical ways, including some you may not have thought about before to help bring relief to a common problem. - A stiff neck exercise that loosens muscles & tendons to relieve pain.
The Neck Twist is an effective stiff neck exercise & stiff neck remedy that stretches AND strengthens the neck PLUS stimulates nerves in the cervical vertebrae. - Health MSN.com - back pain
- Neck Problems and Injuries-Topic Overview
Most people will have a minor neck problem at one time or another. - Rule out Meningitis as a Cause of a Stiff Neck
Basic guidelines on ruling out meningitis as a cause of a stiff neck may save your life -- One symptom of meningitis is a stiff neck, but this type of stiff neck does not begin in the neck. The guidelines presented here will help you rule out meningi - RACGP | Painful or stiff neck
A painful or stiff neck is most often the result of a muscle spasm brought on by sitting or sleeping in an uncomfortable position or by doing unaccustomed exercise or activity Although the symptoms ar - MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Joint pain
- Golflink.com video - neck exercise
- SpineHealth.com































stephhicks68 says:
2 years ago
Marissa, this is really helpful! I've been struggling for about a week, and I am excited to try the stretches. I may have to buy one of those pillows too. Much appreciation, Steph