Neck, Shoulder & Mid-Back Pain Relief Stretches

Here are some basic stretches for people dealing with Neck pain, Shoulder pain or Mid-back pain. Follow this easy step-by-step guide for each exercise.

Neck Rotation Warm up:

1. Sit-up in a chair with proper posture by pulling the shoulders back while tucking the chin back trying to align your ear with your shoulder 
2. Slowly rotate your head side to side until you feel a slight stretch. If you feel any pain with this then stop rotating right before the point of pain or discomfort. 
3. Repeat for two sets of 20 repetitions to loosen up the neck.

If you have discomfort or any issues traveling down the arm or into the mid back you’ll want to go right before you feel those symptoms and then right back to avoid pushing the motion into a range that can cause pain. Do not push past those symptoms as that can cause more aggravation to the tissues and inflammation. Our goal is to gently loosen and up the neck to work out those trouble areas. When you’re done with that exercise you are ready to move on to the neck stretch. 

Neck Stretch:

1. Sit and grab the side of the chair.  
2. Tilt your head back and stretch your neck at a 45 degree angle back and to the side. You should be feeling the stretch in the front contralateral side or your neck. 
3. Take a deep 3 second breath in. 
4. Slow breath out, stretching a little deeper into the stretch. 
5. Repeat for 3 to 4 breaths on each side.

As you progress you can take two fingers, put them right in front of the ear and slowly apply a gentle amount of force to get a little bit of extra stretch. You do not want to be pulling or yanking when you’re in this position as you can cause more aggravation. If you become light headed or dizzy while performing this stretch then stop and consult your chiropractor or physician.

When you’re done with those stretches then you’re going to move into loosening up the pecs. Loosening up the chest allows your shoulders to pull back making it easier to hold proper posture during the day. The reason being is that if we have  tightness in the shoulders or the pecs it rounds the shoulders forward. This makes it so we cannot maintain proper neck position unless we loosen up the shoulders since they are the foundation of which the neck sits on..

Pec and shoulder stretch:

1. Step into the corner of your room and put one foot forward into the corner. 
2. Put your hands and elbows flat against the walls keeping your head back.  
3. Slowly push your chest toward the corner. 
4. Take a deep 3 second breath in. 
5. Slow breath out, stretching a little deeper and hold that stretch for 30-60 seconds. 
6. Repeat 3 to 5 repetitions. 

If there is pain with any of these movements please discontinue at that point. It’s okay if it’s uncomfortable as many times stretching will be uncomfortable but we do not want them to be painful. If there’s any pain with these movements please consult with your chiropractor to give you alternatives you can do that will still have the same benefit and effect. If you have any questions or would like to be set up for a consultation please call South OC Chiropractic at (949)470-4757.

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