Three Simple Tricks To Ease Neck and Back Pain

The hectic lifestyle of today’s world has us spending the majority of our awake hours hunched in front of a computer or smart phone. Unfortunately, the pattern of being stuck in a forward head position and cervical flexion for long periods creates significant work for the muscles that extend the neck, which in turn can lead to chronic tension and fatigue.

In this article, we will outline three simple tricks that will help you break this negative pattern and reclaim your health and well-being.

Stretch your neck muscles

Something as basic as getting up every few minutes to stretch is a very effective way to relieve stubborn neck and back pain. Below is a list of simple exercises you can perform anywhere without much effort:

1. Side Bend Neck Stretch

This stretch will help loosen up the scalene muscles, which consist of three muscles positioned on the neck and collarbone on either side of the body. These muscles are very prone to tension triggered by poor posture patterns, and are often the cause of pain in the neck and shoulder area.

I recommend using a mirror for this exercise, as it will help you make sure that you are not rotating your head in the process. If you can see both ears in the mirror, your head is in the right position and you are stretching the correct muscles.

✔ Lift the sternum up to the sky.
✔ Retract and tuck the chin.
✔ Pull the shoulder blades back and down.
✔ Bend your neck to the right as far as possible, until you feel a stretch in your neck.
✔ If you like, place your opposite hand on the side of your head and very gently pull it toward your arm
in order to assist and amplify the stretch.
✔ Hold for 15-20 seconds while breathing deeply; focusing on sinking deeper into the stretch with
each exhale.
✔ Slowly release your arm and neck back to neutral and adjust your posture back to the starting
position.
✔ Switch sides and repeat the process on your left

2. Upper Trap Neck Stretch

This exercise will help relax the trapezius muscles, which are located right below the scalene muscles on either side of your body. Since they are so closely located, the stretch is very similar to the Side Bend Neck Stretch, aside from a very slight angle adjustment. Just like with the previous exercise, remember to make sure you can see both ears in the mirror to make sure you are targeting the correct muscles!

✔ Lift the sternum up to the sky.
✔ Retract and tuck the chin.
✔ Pull the shoulder blades back and down.
✔ Bend your neck to the right as far as possible, until you feel a stretch in your neck.
✔ Bring your chin down toward the opposite chest muscle, making sure keep your shoulder blades
back and down in order to not lose the connection with the trapezius muscle.
✔ Raise your right arm and wrap your hand around the left side of your head to assist the stretch,
gently pulling it toward your right while tucking your chin a bit more.
✔ Hold for 15-20 seconds while breathing deeply; focusing on sinking deeper into the stretch with
each exhale.
✔ Slowly release your arm and neck back to neutral and adjust your posture back to the starting
position.
✔ Switch sides and repeat the process on your left.

3. Anterior Scalene SCM Neck Stretch

This exercise will help loosen up the anterior scalene and SCM (sternocleidomastoid) muscles along the side of your neck, which are closely located by and thus intimately related with the temporomandibular Joint (TMJ).

Because of its relation to the TMJ, tightness in this area can cause both pain in the jaw and result in tension related headaches.

✔ Lift the sternum up to the sky.
✔ Retract and tuck the chin.
✔ Pull the shoulder blades back and down.
✔ Bend your neck to the right as far as possible, until you feel a stretch in your neck.
✔ Keeping your shoulders back and down, slowly tip the head back in to extension.
✔ Look over your right shoulder to rotate your jaw until you feel an obvious stretch in the front of
your neck.
✔ Raise your right arm and wrap your hand around the left side of your head to assist the stretch,
gently pulling it slightly backward.
✔ Hold for 15-20 seconds while breathing deeply; focusing on sinking deeper into the stretch with
each exhale.
✔ Slowly release your arm and neck back to neutral and adjust your posture back to the starting
position.
✔ Switch sides and repeat the process on your left.

Improve Your Breathing

Restoring normal breathing with proper ​belly breathing techniques​ is an effective way to ease pain in the neck and shoulder region. Belly breathing will reduce so-called chest breathing, which causes excessive activity in the neck muscles that function as secondary muscles in the inhalation process.

Get a Massage

Getting a professional massage is a great way to prevent and relieve tension. I frequently deal with patients that suffer from neck and back pain in ​my Santa Monica massage therapy practice​, and from my experience, the best approach is a multi-faceted one that combines regular professional treatment with home stretches and breathing exercises. However, you can also try self-massage techniques using tools like the ​Theracane ​with great results!