The number one complaint from clients I treat is tight neck and shoulders, resulting from desk work. This can lead to headaches, loss of movement in the neck and chronic pain and tension. So how can you look after your neck tension and what are three stretches to improve your posture right now!
1. Chin Tuck
The chin tuck is more of a posture correction than a stretch but it is one of the most effective postural exercises for combating neck pain. Plus it’s the number one corrective exercise I give desk workers to do. This exercise helps strengthen the muscles that pull the head back over the shoulders (upper thoracic extensors) and also stretches the small muscles in the front of the neck and base of the skull (scalene and suboccipital muscles).
The first time you practice a chin tuck, stand with your buttocks and shoulder blades against the wall. Let the natural curve of your lower back come away from the wall. Now place the ‘flat’ lower part of your skull come into contact with the wall. Hold this for 20-30 seconds at a time to build muscle memory. Note where your chin is in relation to your chest and where your head is in relation to your neck. It may feel weird at first. Remember, it’s more about creating length in the back of the neck and reducing that chin poke, than forcing a double chin.
Practice this five to eight times a day and you will build the muscle memory to enable you to sit in this posture without the assistance of the wall.
2. Levator scapulae stretch
The levator scapulae is the muscle that travels from the back of the neck to the top of the shoulder blades. In anatomy class I would remember its name because it ‘elevated the scapula’. That is, it helps you shrug your shoulders.
I find people working at a desk end up with their shoulders around their ears but this muscle gets looked over when stretching.
A simple stretch is to turn the head to the opposite side, and look down towards the armpit. Stretching from neck to shoulder blade. If you’re not getting the full stretch, gently pull the head down with the hand you’re looking at.
3. Chest stretch
Stretching through the pectoral muscles of the chest is imperative to relieving neck and shoulder tension. We sit and work all day every day with our arms forward, creating a rounding of the shoulders. The chest muscles get tight. No matter how much we stretch or roll between the shoulder blades, if the chest is tight, the shoulders will stay rounded.
An easy stretch is to stand in a doorway with arms at right angles, like a ‘cactus’ and lean in. This can also be done in the corner, or in the shower.
With each stretch, ease in and don’t over do it. Take the stretch to where you feel a gentle tug of the muscle and take deep breaths. As the muscle eases off, you can take it a bit further. Stretching too strongly with only result in further injuring the muscle or having it spring back like an over stretched rubber band.
Stretch these muscles, several times a day. Especially when sitting for long hours at the desk, this will help improve your overall posture and muscle tension through the neck and shoulders.
