The combination of neck and shoulder pain is likely a familiar one for many Oakland, California, residents. In many cases, pain in these areas is caused by poor posture, and it can also be the result of overly tense muscles. To help ease your pain, here are two neck and shoulder stretching exercises you can try:
- Side-to-side head tilt
Stretching out tense and painful neck and shoulder muscles doesn’t always involve complicated movements. There are simple stretching exercises that can target these areas. One simple stretching exercise you can use to treat neck and shoulder pain is the side-to-side head tilt.
Having good posture is key for this stretch, so the starting position for this exercise should be sitting or standing with the back straight. Your shoulders should also be back, and your head should be centered over your shoulders. From this starting position, slowly tilt your head to the right until you feel a moderate stretch. You should feel the stretch in the left side of your neck and on the top of your left shoulder. Hold the stretch for 15 to 20 seconds, and then slowly tilt your head to the left. This will allow you to stretch the right side neck and shoulder muscles. Continue to repeat these steps until you’ve done five repetitions on both sides.
- Static wall
Another stretching exercise that can help improve posture and decrease neck and shoulder pain is static wall. This exercise only requires two things: you and a wall. To get into the starting position for this exercise, sit sideways on the floor with your left hip touching the wall. Next, rotate your body to the left until your back is flat on the floor. Your butt should be touching the wall now, and you’ll need to move your legs straight out in front of you and rest your heels on the wall.
Once your lower body and back are correctly positioned, it’s time to make sure your arms, shoulders and head are, too. Your head should be lying on the floor, but you can place a small rolled-up towel under your neck for support if needed. As for your arms, they should be placed at about 45 degrees from your sides with the palms up, and this helps put the shoulders in a neutral position.
Now that you’re in the starting position for static wall, the next steps are pretty simple: Flex your feet so that they’re sticking straight out from the wall, and tighten your thighs to help hold your legs upright. After you do this, concentrate on keeping your upper body relaxed and try to hold this position for three to four minutes.
SOL Physical Therapy can help you find relief from neck and shoulder pain
From car accidents to poor posture, many issues can cause neck and shoulder pain. SOL Physical Therapy is ready to help you treat your pain at our conveniently located clinic in Oakland. We offer free screenings to help you learn what’s causing your pain, and our team can build you a personalized treatment plan to target the root cause. This plan will be designed around multiple therapy techniques, and some techniques we may include in your plan are:
- Therapeutic exercises
- Active release
- Graston Technique®
Take the next step to start getting our help with your neck and shoulder pain. Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an appointment.
