If you are experiencing neck and shoulder pain right now, you should try out these 15 exercises for neck and shoulder pain relief. They are simple and can be done at home, offering fast relief.
1. Shoulder Roll
The name suggests what this exercise is about: rolling your shoulders. It offers relief by easing tension on the muscle groups which are responsible for rolling the shoulders. To do this exercise:
2. Arm Raises
Nothing, except sleeping, perhaps, is simpler than raising your arms. This simple exercise—Arm Raises—can offer relief from neck and shoulder pain by working the muscles of your shoulders, particularly the deltoid muscle and some muscles in the upper back. To perform an arm raise:
3. Arm Circle
The arm circle is a simple yet effective neck and shoulder pain relief exercise. Think of this exercise as you being a bird that can’t exactly fly. You know, that game some of us played as kids. You are the bird, and your wings, stationary, are your arms.
4. Cat-Cow
This simple yet effective exercise is a multi-purpose exercise that works on several muscle groups, including muscles in the upper back, neck, and mid-back. To do this exercise, you have to take the stance of an animal on four legs.
5. Neck Roll
The neck roll is a simple exercise that offers neck and shoulder pain relief. To perform it:
6. Arm Reach
All you need is a chair to perform this simple exercise for neck and shoulder pain relief.
7. Arm Scissors
This exercise works on the muscles of your shoulder and upper back. It is simple to perform yet very effective in offering relief from shoulder and neck pain. To perform this exercise: If you want, especially if the exercise seems too easy for you and doesn’t seem to be doing anything, you can hold some weight in your hands. But be careful not to hold too heavy material, so you don’t cause any damage. You are not supposed to feel any tearing. Stop if you do.
8. Chin Tuck
This is a common and simple exercise known to offer relief from neck and shoulder pain caused by strain from bad posture. It works on the muscles that work to move the head around and over the shoulders—the scalene muscles and the occipital muscles. To perform this exercise:
9. Trapezius Stretch
As I mentioned earlier, the trapezius muscle is a large muscle at the sides of your neck and is usually the point of pain when neck pain is caused by strain and pressure from bad posture. Stretching this muscle can offer relief by easing the tension on it, causing neck and shoulder pain to diminish remarkably. To perform this stretch: Easy, isn’t it? Oh, it is. A lot of times, in a bid to find relief, a lot of us do this exercise even without knowing its name.
10. Prone Cobra
This simple exercise stretches the muscles of your upper back and neck and offers relief from shoulder and neck pain in no time. To perform the prone cobra: A way to make the most out of this exercise is to try doing a chin tuck this way. It should work wonders.
11. Nodding
Nodding can be a great way to relieve neck pain, especially when combined with other exercises that target similar muscle groups. When you nod, the muscles involved are the needed muscles of the neck, so targeting them can relieve the pain you feel around your neck.
12. Chest Expansion
This exercise targets your chest and your shoulders. Chest Expansion is a great exercise because it aids flexibility and works your pecs and deltoids. It is simple and helps relieve shoulder pain as well as stretch the muscles of the chest wall. To perform a chest expansion:
Wrapping Up
These exercises can help prevent neck and shoulder pain. Take care when you do activities that involve reaching for something overhead or bending forward. Try as much as possible to move your body in a way that you can minimize discomfort. If you’re an athlete, make sure you’re using the correct technique. Featured photo credit: Chalo Garcia via unsplash.com
