Safe exercise for the neck

If you’re like me, you’ve already done a lot of things to relieve neck pain that actually cause damage over time. Much of our neck pain is preventable, once we understand the causes. So we must discover our specific needs, take steps to prevent damage, and establish an exercise routine to help prevent damage caused by inevitable neck strains. Read on to learn that neck pain is usually not as difficult or complicated as it seems.

Understanding Neck Pain: The neck carries all the nerve signals, nutrients, and air our bodies need to function, and all the blood for our brains to function. That’s why the first thing we all need to know about our neck is not to do anything without consulting a doctor… especially if we’re already feeling pain. Because the neck transmits all of our body’s nerve signals, neck pain can be felt in the shoulders, arms, hands, abdomen, legs, feet, and…umm…neck.

Pain can be caused by muscle strain, emotional stress, nightmares, sneezing, cough, cold, flu, swollen glands, thyroid disease, tonsils, computer work, osteoporotic fractures or injuries, meningitis, encephalitis, some types of cancer etc Do you see why a doctor could be helpful if you have neck pain? Most of the time, it’s a simple muscle strain or stress, so don’t think it’s one of those exotic illnesses. Of course, doing more than taking over-the-counter neck pain medications can cause more harm.

Neck Damage Prevention: I was one of those silly teenagers who learned to relieve neck stiffness by “cracking” it like popping a stiff joint. While this temporarily relieves pain, it can immediately cause a fracture and, over time, lead to osteoarthritis. I have many different neck pains, now, because I treated the stress like it was my neck being dislocated. Neck damage can come from a car accident or fall, lifting or straining other muscles, or something as simple as a sneeze. Obviously, follow lifting precautions and other safety precautions for neck injuries when possible.

Safe Neck Exercise – When neck strains cannot be avoided, the risk of injury can be reduced by strengthening the neck. The head is extremely heavy and only has the neck to support it. By strengthening the neck muscles, we can significantly reduce the chance of neck injuries. Of course, as in other areas, to avoid injury, consult your doctor before starting a neck exercise program. All programs should start gradually and build very slowly… especially the neck exercise.

1. Thumb Push – This is an exercise where you sit in a straight-backed chair and push your thumb against your head, countering that pressure with your neck muscles. Push five minutes (start with 30 seconds) in one direction, then the other, until you’ve gone all the way around your head (30-40 minutes total). This is easy to do while watching TV, reading, or talking on the phone. If it hurts where your thumb makes contact with your head, you’re pushing too hard.

2. Head weighting: This should be done very slowly and carefully, with no extra muscles pushing in the direction the head is moving. While standing or sitting in a straight-backed chair, slowly lower your head toward one shoulder, then slowly lift and lower your head toward the other shoulder. Do the same in front and behind (don’t push with your muscles). After doing this once, lower your head to one shoulder, then slowly “roll” it in a sort of dropped circle (don’t push). Build up from one of these a day to 10-20. Never do this if it is painful.

3. Shoulder Rotation: While standing with your feet pointing in the same direction, a natural distance apart, with your head up and arms down at your sides, roll your shoulders forward four times and back four times , using pressure with the shoulder muscles. . Build up to repeat these 10-20 times a day. This is very effective at work, to relieve stress from deadlines, computers, co-workers, etc.

4. Stretch – After any of these exercises, stretch your neck and upper back muscles before resuming normal activity. In the same posture as in point 3 above, slowly relax your neck from top to bottom, allowing your head to roll forward. Let your arms swing forward as you continue to relax your upper back just below your shoulder blades. Do not lean over, but let your head and shoulders fall forward. Without forcing any muscle, just hang there for 30 seconds, then slowly straighten from your mid back to your head.

If you feel any sharp pain in your neck or back while doing any of these, see a doctor. If you have muscle soreness a day or two later, you’re either straining your muscles or progressing too fast in your routine. When you exercise at the right pace, all you should feel over time is a little toning in your neck and shoulder muscles.

The neck, like other areas of the body, can be strengthened to reduce injury and provide better fitness. Obviously, this is not a miracle system. We will not get immediate relief from neck pain with exercise. What you can gain over time is fewer injuries and less frequent neck pain, a stronger posture, better stamina for work, and a better ability to handle physical and psychological stress. I think that’s a lot of a few simple exercises.