Stiff Neck Exercises for Neck Pain

Exercises for stiff neck

STIFF NECK EXERCISES FOR NECK PAIN is a simple routine to do on a daily basis whether you have head neck pain or arm pain or not. Since 70% of the general population will have neck pain in any one year, and for 12% it will be disabling, a bit of prevention makes sense.

We recommend you take these exercises one at a time, do it for a few days, and when you're happy, go on to the next one.

There is no exercise program that fits with everyone. Listen to your body, take it slowly. If it doesn't feel good, leave it out, and move on to the next one. If you're not sure if you are doing it right, get someone to watch you do them.

Obviously first prize is to get a professional check that you are doing them correctly.

1. Neanderthal Man

Fix the eyes on a point on the wall directly in front of the eyes, and move the head forwards and backwards (retraction), slowly and rhythmically, careful to keep the chin on the same plane. Avoid flexion / extension - looking up and down.

A slight chin tuck on retraction is important.

Not to be done in public! Do this exercise in the car, and in the loo.

In general it's good practice to stretch tired and sore muscles. However, my experience, with the neck muscles, stretching them often increases the pain.

If there's any concomitant injury to the disc or facet joint complex, stretching the neck muscles may subluxate the weak joints. 

So I have no neck muscle stretches on this page. There is a place for them, but I'd rather you were taught them by your health professional, who must also decide: do you have a purely muscle condition in the neck, or is there is also an underlying joint condition. In which case, in my book, stretches are contraindicated. Others have a different opinion.

2. Neck Muscle Exercises

Cat and Camel

The Cat and Camel exercises for a stiff neck are more difficult, and probably should not be taught on a website. If you're not getting it, get help. It's an old yoga exercise.

In essence, it's the Neanderthal Man, with the head RETRACTRED against gravity. Once again, don't extend the head. Keep looking straight between your hands.

One of the reasons is that it requires two movement simulaneously:

1. humping and arching the lumbar spine.
2. moving the head and neck STRAIGHT UP AND DOWN.

Begin them separately and, when you can do each part confidently, then try combining them.

First, the Cat portion of the exercise.

The Cat stands proud during these stiff neck exercises for neck pain. Head up, neck retracted and back arched.

• On hands and knees, in a comfortable position, elbows straight.
• Place your watch between your hands. At all times down at your watch. This helps prevent the temptation or arch your head and neck into extension. Now retract your head and neck, keeping your eyes formly focused on your watch. 
• Now drop the belly and arch the back.

Do not arch the head and neck. 

This is a surprisingly vigorous exercise if you're suffering from neck pain. Take is slowly, not going to the extremes initially. 

The Camel

The Camel neck muscle exercise, done properly, is just as tricky. She's thirsty, and wanting to drink.

• Drop your head STRAIGHT DOWN (not chin on chest), keeping your eyes firmly fixed on your watch.
• Now hump your back.
• Eventually try doing them together, when you are confident that you can do each of these exercises for a stiff neck separately.

And now of course these two stiff neck exercises for neck pain (the Cat and the Camel) should be done simulaneously. First, just the head bobbing up and down, then the back arched and humped, and finally (if you can, some people can never coordinate it) head and back together.