This video, I'm going to show you how to fix pain at the base
of the neck in seconds. Stay tuned.
Hey, everyone. Dr. Rowe coming to you from SpineCare in
Saint Joseph, Michigan. In this video, we're going to go over
easy exercises that are going to target nagging pains and
aches right here at the bottom or the base of the neck. A note
about these exercises, they each work just a little bit
differently. To get the best results, go through them all,
use what gives you the most relief. As a bonus, all of the
exercises can be done at home require no equipment and you
may find get quick relief even within 30 seconds. So, with
Ebby said, let's get started. So, let's start with one of my
favorite neck pain relief exercises, the turtle. This one
is perfect to do anytime that you feel neck pain starting to
build or if you feel like you've been leaning forward too
much because this one is a great postural exercise. You
can do it standing or seated. What you want to do to get into
position is have very good upright posture. Have your back
as straight as possible. You're going to take your arms, put
them up to your side. The first movement, what we're going to
do is draw our shoulder blades back as much as we can. Focus
on trying to pinch them in the back. You should feel a really
good stretch form in the chest but also in between the
shoulder blades. We're going to hold this position and now what
we're going to do is take our head and just stick it forward
like this kind of like a turtle sticking its head out of its
shell. You should feel a really good stretch form in the neck.
We're now going to hold this position and then look upward
towards the ceiling as much as we can. As we do this, you're
going to feel that good stretch form in the base of the neck
but this is how we're going to take it to the next level.
Let's look up as far as we can when we can't go any further.
Now, what we're going to do is draw our head backward like
this pushing it towards our shoulders. You'll feel a great
stretch at the base of the neck. It usually feels really
really good. I like to hold this one for about 10 to 15
seconds and then I relax. You're going to repeat this
three to five times and with each repetition, try to build
into it just a little bit more. So again, what we're doing is
drawing our shoulders blades back like this as much as we
can. Head goes forward. We're going to look up and then push
back just like this so with the turtle I've actually
experimented with different positions to open up the neck
just a little bit more so give this a try instead of going
straight forward with it just turn your head slightly towards
one side you don't really have to go that far so I'm going to
go just a little bit towards my left and then I'm going to
repeat this you're just going to notice it opens up the neck
a little bit differently so give that a try towards the
left you can also go towards the right if any of those
positions offer more relief at that point more repetitions in
so with this exercise we're going to focus on two muscles
that tend to cause a lot of pain at the very bottom of the
neck the upper trapezius and the levator scapula let's start
with the upper trapezius both of these exercises you can do
standing or seated this first one a lot of people really like
because it can end in a satisfying self pop cracker
release but just remember don't try to force it if it pops it
goes that's completely normal so what I'm going to do is
start with very good upright posture you're just going to
have your back straight possible. Whatever side that
you're having a little bit more discomfort like let's say it's
on my right side, what I'm going to do is take the arm on
that side, bend my elbow roughly at 90 degrees and then
I'm going to slide my arm across my lower back as much as
I can. You should feel a really good stretch form on the top of
the shoulder into the upper back into the side of the neck.
When you can't go any further, what we're going to do then is
take our other hand, grab off to the side of the head right
here, and then pull our ear towards the other side
shoulder. As you do this, you're going to feel a deep
stretch form into the side of the neck and it usually feels
really really good. Again, you might get a pop with this one
but don't try to force it. What you want to do is pull this
over as much as you can until you feel that deep stretch at
the base of the neck. To take this one to the next level,
what you can do is hold this but slowly turn your chin
upward towards the ceiling and this one usually feels really
good. I like to hold this one for about 20 seconds, relax,
and then repeat this one about three times and with each
repetition trying to into it just a little bit more and I
would recommend doing all of these exercises on both sides
just to keep everything in balance so another method to be
able to hit the upper trapezius without having to put your
shoulder in this position because I know a lot of people
have shoulder issues is to do a shrugging motion instead so
again let's assume that I have right sided pain what you're
going to do is whatever side that you're having pain you're
going to shrug that shoulder up towards your ear as much as you
can until you feel a very good activation of those muscles on
the top of the you're going to hold this position and then the
movement is very similar let's hook our head pull our ear
towards the other side shoulder as much as we can until we feel
a very good stretch in the side of the neck when we can't go
any further what you're going to do now is lower that
shoulder down as much as you can almost like trying to pick
something above the floor and it usually feels great I really
really like this one so again I try to hold this one20 seconds
relax and then just repeat this one about three times on both
sides so next we're going to a little bit more on the levator
scapula which hits right towards the top of the shoulder
blades goes into the very bottom of the neck towards the
back of the ear it's a big instigator of headaches tension
headaches especially so with this one we're going to do what
is known as the armpit sniffer so it's very very fitting for
its name so what I'm going to do with this one is whatever
side that I'm having pain again let's say it's my right side
I'm going to turn to look over the other side shoulder as much
as I can until I a really good stretch on the side of my neck.
When I can't go any further, what I'm going to do from here
is take my hand on the other side, hook the back of my head,
and now passively pull my chin downward towards my armpit like
this. You'll feel a deep opening stretch right here at
the base of the neck. I really like this one. It's a great
stretch. 22nd hold. You just relax on the next repetition.
Try to build into it just a little bit more. Again, repeat
this three to five times on both sides. So, here's a easy
exercise that you can do daily right in bed. This one is going
to focus on lengthening but more importantly, strengthening
neck muscles for both quick and long-lasting relief. What we're
going to do to get into position is to start off on our
stomach and slide forward until our shoulders and head are off
the edge of that bed. What you're going to do is take two
fingers, put them right on your chin and do a slight chin tuck
like this taking your chin towards your chest. We're going
to hold this position. What we're going to do next, put our
arms off to our side and then do a head retraction. Great
postural exercise. Just drive your head the back of it upward
towards the ceiling as much as you can. Really focusing on
feeling a great stretch at the base of the neck into the upper
back. It really will start to fire some of those neck
muscles. You want to hold this one comfortably for about 5
seconds. You're just going to relax, take a breather, and
then repeat this five to ten times and with each repetition,
try to build into it just a little bit more. If it feels
like you have a little bit more you can always throw in another
set or two. So, to take this one to the next level, what you
can do is instead of keeping your head straight, turn it
slightly towards one side. So, I'm going a little bit towards
my right and then repeat. You're going to notice it opens
up the neck just a little bit differently. So, give that a
try all the way towards the right, give it a try towards
the left. You'll probably notice that one spot just
offers you the best results and at that point, I would throw
more repetitions in. So, this is how we're really going to
take it to the next level and focus a little bit more on the
upper back because it's really important to strengthen the
upper back to support our neck. So, let's start off again at
the edge of that bed right here with our shoulders and head
off. We're going to take our hands, put them on the back of
our head just like this and then you're going to wing your
elbows upward towards the ceiling focusing on feeling a
really good stretch in the chest but more importantly,
trying to pinch the shoulder blades as much as we can. When
we can't go any further, what we're going to do lift our head
up kind of like what we did first but this time around,
we're really going to try to focus on lifting our chest and
upper back at the same time. You're going to feel a ton of
muscles start to fire. Try to hold this one comfortably for 5
seconds, you're going to relax and then, you're going to
repeat this five to ten times but if it feels like you have a
little bit more energy, try to throw in some more repetitions.
So, here's a unique exercise that will really help open up
the base of the neck. For this one, we need something that we
can grip on to sturdy chair preferably one without wheels.
You can use also the edge of a couch, even a bed. What we're
going to do is start off also on our knees. So, make sure to
put something like a pillow or towel underneath them for extra
comfort. I'm going to do what is known as a modified child's
pose to begin with. So, what I'm going to do is grip right
into the edge of whatever object that we're using. We're
then going to tuck our chin towards our chest and then rock
our whole body backward like this taking our bottom towards
our heels. Keep going back as far as you can should really
create a very deep stretch throughout the whole back and
usually feels really really good. When you can't go back
any further, you're going to allow the chest to sag towards
the floor. This will open up the upper back into the neck
just a little bit more. What we're going to do is hold this
position and now focus a little bit more on the base of the
neck. So, what I'm going to do is press my head upward towards
the ceiling as much as I can until I feel that really good
activation around the bottom of the neck. Hold this for about 5
seconds. You're just going to relax and then you're going to
repeat this five to ten times and with each repetition, try
to build into it just a little bit more. This is how we can
take it to the next level. What you're going to do is get back
into that original modified child's pose like this but put
your thumbs up like this into a hitchhiker sign. From there,
you're going to lift one arm up like this upward towards the
ceiling. So, taking your thumb up towards the ceiling and it's
really going to target around the blades into the upper back
into the very bottom of the neck. Hold this for about 5
seconds. You're just going to relax and then you're going to
repeat on the other side. I like to do this about five
times on both sides but go through all of those motions.
If one just helps out a little bit more, at that point, throw
more repetitions in. If the exercises help, please support
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