Relief for neck pain?

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ajrowart
ajrowart Posts: 16
in Fitness and Exercise
HI all.:sad: :sick:

I was just wondering if anyone knows some stretches or exercises that help relieve upper back/shoulder and neck pain. I work at a computer desk most of the day so my neck and back are very upset with me. Any ideas?

I appreciate any help I can get.

Thanks

Agnes

Replies

  • mmnichol
    mmnichol Posts: 208 Member
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    I know just what your going through. I had that pain/tightness every day. Believe it or not, when i started doing more upper body/arm/shoulder exercises i don't suffer from those symptoms anymore. Coincidence? maybe all i know is i don't have that uncomfortable pain anymore.
  • BrendaLee
    BrendaLee Posts: 4,463 Member
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    neckstretches.gif
  • arewethereyet
    arewethereyet Posts: 18,702 Member
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    Door stretches:

    walk to center of door frame. Put your hands on the frame, about shoulder height.
    step thru with one foot.......feel the stretch in chest and shoulders.
    if you do not feel the stretch, adjust your hands.
    hold this for 10 seconds.....work up to 30 seconds 3 times on each foot.

    I have a rubber band I keep at my desk. I use this to do back stretches. just put one end in each hand, put hands in front of you as if you are going to hug someone. now stretch out to your sides as shoulder height. You should feel this in your upper back. Hold for 10 seconds....work up to 3 times at 30 seconds.

    I too have less neck pain with exercise and strength. Dont forget to get up and stretch every 30 mins or so!!
  • keiko
    keiko Posts: 2,919 Member
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    The neck stretch on this is one of my favorites http://www.yogajournal.com/practice/231
  • arewethereyet
    arewethereyet Posts: 18,702 Member
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    neckstretches.gif

    These are great Brenda!!!

    On the isometrics...........it feels really funny the 1st time you do this, but once you learn it I do them in my car!! Must look pretty darn funny!!
  • sherribj
    sherribj Posts: 3 Member
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    I share your pain and also work at a desk/computer 40+ hours per week. My recommendation is to find a good chiropractor. I stress GOOD because there are plenty out there who aren't good. One stretch my chiro taught me is to move your chin in & out in a smooth controlled jutting motion; you should feel the stretch in the back of your neck. It's not very pleasant at first but should get you loosened up over time. Good luck!
  • ajrowart
    ajrowart Posts: 16
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    Thank you all. I will try these out tonight.

    Agnes.
  • musclebuilder
    musclebuilder Posts: 324 Member
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    You may want to invest in a quality therapeutic chair cushion or two..One for your back and even one to sit on. this may help relieve alot of that neck/upper back pain. You can also by foam rollers or therapeutic pillows to sleep on rather then your normal pillows. They can definitely help.
  • BrenNew
    BrenNew Posts: 3,420 Member
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    Thank you all. I will try these out tonight.

    Agnes.



    Something else you could try is to sleep without a pillow for the night. It works for me whenever my neck is bothering me. :smile:
  • Poison5119
    Poison5119 Posts: 1,460 Member
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    I not only had neck pain, but also shoulder pain and in the thoracic area, so bad I was on the verge of going to a doctor. I moved my computer screen 6 inches to the left, and the pain disappeared in less than 2 days. So in addition to the suggestions given here, evaluate your workstation to see if the way you're holding your head or neck might be caused by the position of your monitor, which in turn can give you pain. Good luck
  • sdinsdale
    sdinsdale Posts: 2
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    I had chronic neck pain for about 9 months. Every day. I tried all kinds of stretches, massage therapy, chiropractors, nothing worked. Then I bought a magnetic necklace. One week later, gone! I can't begin to explain but now I never take it off. Never recurred like it did then. I had the "slept-on-it-wrong" feeling for a few days but nothing beyond that.

    You can get them basically anywhere nowadays.

    good luck.
  • sdirks
    sdirks Posts: 223 Member
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    Posture is very important when you sit at a desk all day. Slight changes can make a big difference! Here are some tips my chiropractor gave me:

    - Try to keep both feet flat on the floor. It may feel unnatural at first, but crossing your legs for more than a few minutes at a time puts unnecessary strain on your lower spine. That stress can travel up your back to cause stiffness, neck pain, migraines, etc.
    - Align your shoulders to your hips. You may have to sit at the front of your chair to do this. Cushons or ergonomically designed chairs may help. Make sure you're not slouching your shoulders when you type. (that was my habit and I had constant headaches from it!)
    - Make sure you're looking straight forward at your computer screen. Looking down at a monitor, keyboard or paperwork for hours on end puts serious strain on your neck. Find out if there's a way to raise your monitor or get a standing easel for your paperwork.

    Re-examining the way you sleep is also a really solid idea! A good neckroll and quality mattress can work wonders on neck pain and achy muscles.
  • Nich0le
    Nich0le Posts: 2,906 Member
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    Gonna sound crazy but put two tennis balls in a tube sock, put the first one in, leave a little space and tie a knot, then put the second one in and tie another knot. put the balls on whatever part of your neck or back are hurting and either lay on the floor or against a wall and roll it around. The doctors that I work for used to laugh at me and then they started using it, had to make extras so we could all use one!

    Also, make a point to get up from your desk every hour or so and stretch your neck and rotate your arms, even do a childs pose stretch if you have time and then go back to your desk! Yoga is a great way to reduce this kind of tension!
  • weaklink109
    weaklink109 Posts: 2,831 Member
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    There is another possible reason for your neck pain. How is your eyesight? If you don't see the connection, this is what I am referring to. If you are having to hold your head at a certain angle in order to read your screen, THAT can lead to neck shoulder and back pain.

    In my case, I wear progressive lenses (lineless trifocals) and I found that getting a pair of glasses with just the mid range prescription in them allowed me to comfortably read the screen without having to hold my head a certain way. It also helped to change the height of my monitor.

    If you don't wear glasses, are you having to strain your eyes to read the screen? If so, maybe it is time for an eye exam.

    I am not saying all the things previously posted may not help, but if the root cause of the problem is the way you are holding your head in order to SEE, then correcting that issue will result in no need for all the exercises, or tennis ball contraptions, etc.

    Good luck!!:flowerforyou:

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