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Featured Posture -Neck and Shoulder Exercises

Neck & Shoulder Exercises

One of the most common causes of neck and shoulder pain, and sometimes headaches, is poor posture. It is easy to get into bad posture habits without even realising it. Training yourself to stand, sit, and move with good posture can help prevent aches and pains, tiredness, depression and other health problems.

Neck pain can make us avoid normal activities and movement. Unfortunately long term inactivity weakens the neck muscles and reduces the ability of the cervical spine to cope with knocks. The following exercises strengthen the muscles that support the spine, they also stretch away tightness that causes neck and shoulder tension and stiffness. Daily practice can also help to prevent and ease headaches.
Physiotherapists recommend these exercises to patients with neck and shoulder pain, they work best when practiced daily. If you suffer from neck or shoulder pain make sure you go gently to begin with gradually building up strength. If you experience extreme dizziness, severe or lasting pain please stop practicing and inform your doctor.

Anatomy of the cervical spine

One of the most flexible parts of the spine is the neck (cervical) region, which consists of seven vertebrae, shock-absorbing discs, muscles, and vertebral ligaments. The top cervical disc connects the spinal column to the base of the skull. Nerves from the brain run down the centre of the spine, they spread out from the spine to various parts of the body. Because cervical nerves spread down into the arms, sometimes arm pain is caused by a problem in the neck.

Neck Exercises

Rotation

Sit in a comfortable position with a straight spine, breathe deeply. Keep your shoulders still. Slowly and smoothly turn your face to the right, easing your chin round over your right shoulder. Keep your shoulders low and wide, and your chin drawn back, then slowly turn your face to the left, easing your chin round over your left shoulder.
Slowly turn your face round to the right again, try to stretch a little further, then slowly ease round to the left. Now slowly turn your face round to the right as far as you comfortably can. Hold for about 20 seconds softening into the stretch as you exhale. Now slowly turn your face round to the left, stretching as far as you comfortably can. Hold for about 20 seconds softening into the stretch as you exhale. Come back to centre. Recheck your posture.

Lateral Stretch

With your head centred, keeping your shoulders low and your chin drawn back, slowly lower your right ear towards your right shoulder, and gently come back to centre. Now slowly lower your left ear towards your left shoulder. Come back to centre. Now slowly lower your right ear towards your right shoulder, stretching a little further this time. Slowly come back to centre. Lower your left ear towards your left shoulder. Again see if you can stretch a little further. Come back to centre.
Slowly lower your right ear to your right shoulder and hold for 20 seconds softening as you exhale. Gently come back to centre. Keeping your chin in slowly lower your left ear to your left shoulder and hold for 20 seconds, soften as you exhale. Gently come back to centre. Recheck your posture.

Extension

If the extensions cause extreme dizziness, severe pain or aggravate a cough ease out and rest.
Keeping your chest and shoulders still, lifting up through the spine, slowly drop your head back as far as you can. Squeeze the back of your head onto your upper back, massaging the neck muscles. Feel the stretch across your throat. Keep your face muscles soft and shoulders low and wide.
Now slowly move your head just a few centimeters to the right. Ease your head slowly back to centre. Now move your head to the left, just a few centimeters. And slowly back to centre.
Try to squeeze your head further back onto your back then roll it very slightly to the right again. Gently come back to centre. Slowly move your head to the left a few centimeters. Come back to centre.
Squeeze your head further back onto your back then roll it slightly to the right again, hold for a few seconds. Gently come back to centre. Slowly move your head to the left a few centimeters, hold for a few seconds. Come back to centre. Carefully lift your head up and recheck your posture.

Flexion

While keeping your back straight slowly lower your chin to your chest. Now bring your hands, with your fingers interlaced, to rest on the centre of the back of your head. Slowly draw your elbows towards each other. Breathe deeply as you hold for 20 seconds, softening into the stretch as you exhale. Now roll your head a few centimeters the right, hold for ten seconds, then a few centimeters the left, hold for ten seconds. Come back to centre. Inhaling lift your head and exhaling lower your arms down. Take a deep breath. Recheck your posture.

Shoulder lifts

With your head still and arms relaxed, inhale while slowly raising your right shoulder towards your right ear. As you exhale slowly lower the shoulder back down.
As you slowly inhale raise your left shoulder towards your left ear. As you exhale slowly lower the shoulder back down.
Inhaling, raise your right shoulder; lift a little higher and exhaling lower down further.
Inhaling, raise your left shoulder; lift a little higher and exhaling lower down further.
Inhaling raise your right shoulder, hold for about 20 seconds, breathing comfortably, imagine gathering tension at the shoulder, then as you exhale lower your shoulder, imagine the tension draining down through your arm, hand, fingertips into the earth. Inhaling raise your left shoulder, hold for 20 seconds breathing comfortably, while visualising gathering tension at the shoulder, then as you exhale lower your shoulder, imagining the tension draining down through your arm, hand, fingertips into the earth.

Now as you slowly inhale, raise both shoulders towards your ears. Keep the head still and the arms relaxed. As you exhale slowly lower the shoulders back down.
Inhaling raise both shoulders lifting a little higher and as you exhale slowly lower your shoulders down. Inhaling raise both shoulders as high as you can this time hold for 20 seconds while visualising gathering tension at the shoulders. Then as you exhale lower your shoulders imagine the tension draining down through your arms, hands, fingertips and way down into the earth.

Shoulder rotations

Raise both shoulders high towards your ears and work three slow wide circles. Now practice three circles in the opposite direction. Relax and take a few deep breaths.

Crow Pose and The Cat Routine

Crow pose/Kakasana

Crow Pose/ Kakasana strengthens your upper body… shoulders, arms, wrists and hands. It improves balance, concentration and determination.

Stand in Tadasana /Mountain pose. Take a deep breath. Make a V shape you’re your feet and as you inhale come up onto tip toes and as you exhale squat down, with your knees wide apart. Bring your palms on the floor in front of you, shoulder width apart with your fingers spread.

Keeping your head up, with your knees outside your arms, slowly bring your body weight forward, taking most of your body weight on your hands. Keep your toes on the floor. Hold for a few deep breaths. Take your weight onto your feet release your arms and gently shake them easing out your wrists. Practice again or if your wrists are strong enough, place your palms on the floor again and this time bend your arms and place your knees onto your upper arms, or if that is too difficult on to your elbows.

Slowly, bring your body weight forward until your toes come off the floor. Don’t hop up because if your wrists are weak you could fall on your face.

Keep your head up, breathe slowly, and hold for a few deep breaths. Release slowly, with control. Sit in a comfortable position to gently shake out your wrists, then rotate your shoulders a few times and finally and ease out your neck by lowering your right ear to your right shoulder, then slowly turn your face to the right then back to centre repeat to left side. Then take a deep breath absorbing the good work of Crow pose.

The Cat Routine/Marjariasana

If you need to ease out an aching back this is the best routine to practice daily. It improves the strength and suppleness of the back and spine. The postures of the cat routine also strengthen the muscles of the abdomen, legs and arms, hands, wrists, and shoulders. The routine increases hip flexibility and strengthens the bones and joints of the knees, hands, wrists, arms and shoulders. Regular practice improves the functioning of the circulatory and digestive systems.
If you are pregnant do not push your spine down, instead keep it relaxed in a neutral position.

Come on to all fours with enough room behind to stretch your leg out. Place your hands palms down on the floor with your wrists directly beneath your shoulders and your knees directly beneath your hips. If while practising the cat routine your wrists ache come up onto fists, or gently shake out your wrists, then continue. Keep your elbows soft and relaxed throughout the routine.

Breathe slowly and move slowly and smoothly. Focus on stretching through your back and spine.

Inhale deeply, preparing to begin.
Exhaling, push your spine upwards, pulling your stomach in towards your spine and tucking your chin in.

Inhaling, slowly push your spine down, lifting your hips and head.

Exhaling, push your spine upwards, while pulling your stomach in towards your spine and tucking your chin in.

Inhaling, bring your right knee in and up to towards your nose.

Exhaling, relax your knee back down, (keep your knees hip width apart).
Inhaling, slowly push your spine down lifting your hips and head.

Exhaling, push your spine upwards, while pulling your stomach in towards your spine and tucking your chin in.

Inhaling, bring your left knee in and up to towards your nose.
Exhaling, relax your knee back down.

Inhaling, slowly push your spine down lifting your hips and head.

Exhaling, push your spine upwards, while pulling your stomach in towards your spine and tucking your chin in.

Inhaling, bring your right knee in and up to towards your forehead.

Exhaling, stretch your right leg out behind you, turning your head slowly to check the leg is in line with your spine. Push away your heel, stretching the leg.
Inhaling, bring your head back to centre, look up lifting your chest.

Exhaling, relax your knee back down.
Inhaling, check your joints are in alignment (wrists beneath shoulders and knees beneath hips).

Exhaling, push your spine upwards, while pulling your stomach in towards your spine and tucking your chin in.

Inhaling, bring your left knee in and up to towards your forehead.
Exhaling, stretch your left leg out behind you, looking behind to check your leg is in line with your spine. Push away your heel, stretching the leg.
Inhaling, bring your head back to centre, look up lifting your chest. Exhaling, relax your knee back down.
Inhaling, check your joints are in alignment.

Keep your hips above your knees and as you exhale turn your head and shoulders to the right, stretch the left side of your back, inhaling, return to centre.

Exhaling, turn your head and shoulders to the left, stretch your right back muscles. Inhaling, slowly return to centre.

Exhaling, keeping shoulders above wrists look over your right shoulder.
Inhaling, slowly raise your bent right leg up to the right side of your body. Try to have your knee and ankle in line with your hip. Exhaling, relax your leg down. Inhaling, bring your head to centre.

Exhaling, keeping shoulders above wrists look over your left shoulder.
Inhaling, slowly raise your bent left leg up to the left side of your body. Try to have your knee and ankle in line with your hip.

Exhaling, relax your leg down. Inhaling, bring your head to centre.

Exhaling, push your spine upwards, while pulling your stomach in towards your spine and tucking your chin in. Inhaling, bring your right knee in and up to towards your forehead.

Exhaling, stretch your right leg out behind you, check your leg is in line with your spine. Push away your heel, stretching your leg.
Inhaling, bring your head back to centre, look up lifting your chest.
Exhaling, relax your right foot; bend the leg bring your foot over towards your left shoulder. Inhaling, lift your right hip and knee.

Exhaling, slowly lower your right knee back down to the floor beneath your right hip.
Inhaling, check your joints are in alignment.
Exhaling, push your spine upwards, while pulling your stomach in towards your spine and tucking your chin in. Inhaling, bring your left knee in and up to towards your forehead.

Exhaling stretch your left leg out behind you, check your leg is in line with your spine. Push away your heel, stretching your leg.
Inhaling, bring your head back to centre, look up lifting your chest.

Exhaling, relax your left foot; bend your leg, bring your foot over towards your right shoulder.
Inhaling, lift your left hip and knee.
Exhaling, slowly lower your left knee down to the floor beneath your left hip.

Rest in a comfortable postion, gently shake out your wrists and take a few deep breaths.