This video, I'm going to show you how to self-release
stiffness in your neck and shoulders. Stay tuned!
Hey, everyone. Dr. Rowe coming to you from SpineCare
in Saint Joseph, Michigan. In this video, we're going to go
over some great stretching exercises that are going to
focus on muscle tightness, and also joint stiffness, running
from the neck, the top part of the shoulder, into the shoulder.
You may find that these put a lot of mobility in there and
can end in a satisfying self pop, crack, or release into the
neck. As a bonus, all of these exercises can be done at home
do not require any special equipment and may give quick
neck and shoulder pain relief, even in as little as 30
seconds! So let's get started and self release the neck and
shoulder right now. This exercise is what I like to call
the 'super bed neck and shoulder opener' since you can
do it right in bed. You can also do this one on the floor.
What I'm going to use is a rolled up large bath towel to
put underneath my neck for extra comfort. You could also
use a pillow. What I'm going to do, start off flat on my back
just like this. This is a three-part exercise with the
last part we're going to focus on trying to get to really self release,
but let's loosen up the muscles first to get better results.
So, in the first part, I'm just going to take two fingers, put
them right on my chin and then pull my chin towards my chest
to put the neck into flexion. You should feel a very deep
stretch into the neck. Really challenge yourself by taking
the chin down towards the chest as much as you can. Once you
feel that deep, comfortable stretch. Let's hold this for
about five seconds. From there, you're just going to relax and
then do the opposite. You're going to take the back of the
head down towards the floor or bed as much as you can. This
will put the neck into extension. So, we're really
kinda going forward with it and then going backwards with it.
Hold this for about five seconds. You're going to want to
repeat this for 5 times So 5 second holds for 5 times. I
always joke and call that the 'five for five'. What I'm gonna
do next is a little bit more of a rotational stretch and with
this one, you can get a sudden pop or release with it because
it puts a lot of good mobility into the neck. So, what I'm
going to do is just have very good neutral posture into my
neck and then I'm going to look over towards one shoulder is
far as I can go. When you do this, you should feel the
muscles get activated just a little bit differently. So, go
as far as you can. Once we get to a point where it's a very
comfortable stretch, what you can do is either hold this for
about five seconds or you can take two fingers, put them on
the top of the head right here. Don't go over the jaw. You
don't want to irritate that but press into it just a little bit
more for a passive stretch and when I do this, sometimes I
will get a sudden release or mobilization into the neck that
is quite common but you just want to hold for about five
seconds. You're just going to relax and then just do it on
the other side. Again, five second holds for five seconds
and the third part, what we're going to focus on is really
relaxing. A muscle known as the upper trapezius. It's right up
to the top of the shoulder right here and goes into the
neck. This one is very easy. I'm just going to plant my feet
firmly on the floor or the bed and then lift my butt up
towards the ceiling. What I'm going to do is I'm going to take
one hand, bend the elbow at 90 degrees, slide it across the
back as as I can. When you do this, you're already going to
feel a very good release into this top muscle right here that
runs from the neck into the shoulder. That's that trapezius
muscle. Once we have an initial stretch being felt, I'm gonna
take the other hand, place it on the side of the head and
then just bend my ear towards the other shoulder and this
becomes a very deep stretch into the neck. It feels really
good. You want to go to a point where it's a very comfortable
stretch and again, this might get a sudden crack, pop or
release into the neck but don't to force it. Just get a very
comfortable stretch. You want to hold this one for five
seconds. You're just going to relax. On the next repetition,
take this arm, drive it over even more and take that ear
towards the shoulder as much as you can. You want to do this
for five times and then what I'm going to do is just simply
switch to the other side and repeat. You always want to do
this on both sides to keep them in balance but give that a try
and I hope that that gets the neck feeling a lot better, and
hopefully gets it to self release. This exercise is what
I'd like to call the shoulder scoop and it's going to
incorporate a little bit more traction or pulling motions to
help open up the shoulder and neck. We just need the edge of
a door frame or a wall for this one. So, whatever side that
we're focusing on, let's take that side's arm, put it out 45°
or straight out from the side, use our hand, grip right into
that door frame. From there, I want nice upright posture and
I'm going to use my whole body weight to lean away from the
door while my hand grips into it. When you do this, you
should feel a very gentle pulling motion pretty much from
the wrist, into the elbow, into the shoulder. Really focus on
feeling it into the shoulder. Once we get a very deep but
comfortable stretch into the shoulder, what I want to do
from there is a scooping motion. So, I'm going to act
like my shoulder blade right here is scooping forward and
then going backwards. So, what I want to do is get that
traction, scoop forward with it, and then I'm going to hold
this for about three seconds. I'm using my whole upper body
to kinda scoop forward and you'll feel a lot activate into
that shoulder. From there, I just relax and then I'm going
to just scoop backwards with it and do the same thing. On the
next repetition, let's try to use our upper body weight to go
just a little bit further away, scoop further into it, really
try to activate those muscles, and then go all the way
backwards with it. How we can take this one to the next level
is to incorporate a little bit more of a next stretch in
there. So, I'm going to get into that initial stretch right
here. From here, I'm going to then take my hand, put it on
the side of my head, and then pull with this one if it is
locked up you might get a sudden pop crack or release
into the neck this puts a lot of mobility in there you just
wanna hold this one for about 10 to 15 seconds you're just
going to relax and then you're going to repeat this three to
five times. You can also take this one to the next, next level
by doing that scooping motion with it so let's scoop forward
and then do that pullover you'll notice that it just hits
it a little bit differently so experiment with that one go all
the way back with the scooping motion and do the same thing if
of those feel like it's hitting that spot just a little bit
better, throw more repetitions in, target the spots that need
it the most and when you're done on one side, always switch
to the other to keep them both imbalance. So, here's a great
exercise I'd like to call the 'super standing neck and shoulder
opener'. It's a three-part exercise that I do quite often
because not only can it give a self release into the neck or
shoulder but it really helps with tightness and stiffness.
What we're going to do is start with very good upright posture
just like this. With the first exercise, let focus a little
bit more into the neck. What I'm gonna do is an upper
trapezius stretch. So again, very good upright posture. Take
one arm, bend the elbow at 90 degrees, take the arm, slide it
across the small of the lower back as much as you can like
this. The further that you drive the arm over, the more
that you're going to feel a muscle right up here, relax.
That's the upper trapezius. Kinda runs from the shoulder
all the way into the neck. So, really focus on feeling that.
Once we get that initial relaxation, what I'm gonna do,
take the arm on the other side, bend that one in 90 degrees,
take the hand, place it on the side of the head right here.
So, my left hand is grabbing my right side and I'm going to
take my left ear towards my left shoulder. When you do
this, a very deep stretch will happen into the neck and if it
is locked up, you may get a sudden pop crack or release.
That is quite common but do not try to force the pop. Just go
towards a very comfortable stretch and hold this one for
15 to 20 seconds. From there, you're just going to relax and
then on the next repetition, let's drive the hand over just
a little bit more Try to take the ear over just a little bit
more too. Challenge yourself to get a little bit more mobility.
You want to do this for 3-5 complete repetitions and then
when you're done on one side, always switch to the other to
keep them both in balance. Next, let's focus a little bit
more into the shoulders. With this one, again, I'm going to
start with very good upright posture. This time around, I'm
going to take my head and just go into extension. That's a
backwards movement like this. Go back as far as you can. You
should really feel the muscles into the neck. Already start to
get a very good act From there, what I'm going to do is take my
arms straight at the elbow and then just grasp my hands just
like this. Doesn't matter what sides on top and then I'm just
going to raise my hands up towards the ceiling as much as
I can. The more that you go upwards towards the ceiling,
the more that you're going to feel a very good stretch into
the shoulders and with this one, if you do have something
that's locked up into a shoulder, you might get a
sudden pop crack or self release but again, just do not
try to force it. So, we're gonna back and then lift the
arms up like this. Go towards a comfortable stretch. You want
to hold this one for 15 to 20 seconds. From there, you're
just going to relax on the next repetition. Take the head back
even further and try to stretch more upwards with it. Three to
five times. In the third part, we're going to focus a little
bit more on the shoulder itself with a great exercise known as
a chicken wing. We're going to do this one right at the edge
of a wall. Grab a small towel or a pillow for extra cushion
too. Just put it right on the wall just like this. So, I'm
gonna bend one side elbow. In this case, it's my left. Press
into the towel into the wall. Take the hand right here, place
it right on your hip for extra comfort. This is known as a
chicken wing because we're going to mimic a chicken
flapping its wing. So, what I'm doing is I'm driving my elbow
into the towel into the wall. The wall is going to resist
against us. So, this will end up becoming a nice isometric
exercise. So, you're going to feel a lot activate into the
shoulder right here the more that you press into the wall.
Only go to your comfort level with this one right here but if
this shoulder is locked up you might get a sudden self release
pop or crack into it the more that you drive the elbow into
the wall but again only to your comfort level once you hit a
very comfortable activation of these muscles let's hold this
one for 15 to 20 seconds from there you're just going to
relax take a breather on the next repetition try to just
wing this elbow into the wall just a little bit more to
challenge everything around the shoulder but you want to do
this one for three to five repetitions and when you're
done one side, just switch to the other to keep them both in
balance. If the exercises helped, please support the
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If you have any comments or questions, please leave them
below. I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Thanks so much
for watching!