Simple Neck Pain Exercises to Create Surprising Neck Pain Relief

Simple exercises that relieve neck pain by realigning the body are found below. First, look at why realignment is key to relieving neck pain.  The likely missing piece to recover from neck pain, headaches, or dizziness. The cervical spine has the most valuable job of holding up the head. The vertebrae or bones in the neck are more intricate than the ones lower in the thoracic and lumbar. This allows for more freedom of movement, for the head to turn and bend. 

An example of how much our bodies respond to stimuli is the development of head control with a baby.  The spine of a newborn is more of a big C shape. The baby learning to lift the head while lying on the stomach helps develop the neck muscles.  As a baby grows into a child, the spine forms more solid structures, which is how the neck curve is designed with a backward C curve.  The full gentle S of the spine develops as a toddler crawls and then learns to walk.  Altered development or missing milestones such as crawling can influence the ideal skeletal alignment.

The neutral posture of the cervical spine has the head and eyes looking forward. The human brain and eyes are designed to naturally look forward and outward, a trait inherited from our hunter-gatherer ancestors who needed to stay alert for potential threats. However, the rise of modern technology has shifted this dynamic, as we often find ourselves looking down at screens. Fortunately, the neck and entire spine are built to accommodate this change, offering the flexibility to gaze in all directions, including downward.

Prolonged posture, including hanging the head down, results in loss of balance of the intricate muscles that surround the head and the cervical spine.   This creates significant stress on the spine that houses the spinal cord and nerves.  Tingling down the arm, hands, and fingers is a sign of pressure on a nerve. This can be a missed warning sign that the body needs realignment. 

The head has significant weight to it that increases the stress on the spine the more time the head is in a forward lean position. Test this:  Grab a hand weight or weighted object and hold it over your head with arms extended.  Now bring the weight forward a small amount and then again a little further.  Notice how much more the muscles have to work.

This mechanism happens all the time when the head is hanging down and looking at the phone.   The body can be tolerant, especially with youth.  However eventually, the forces and friction occurring on the intervertebral discs, vertebrae, and muscles result in breakdown. The symptoms of pain, headaches, dizziness, and tingling down the arm are signs that the body is weakening in structure.

Some of those experiencing this significantly are the growing teens who prefer inactive lifestyles.  The vertebrae of the spine are turning from collagen solidifying into bones creating changes in the spine curve, and kyphosis or scoliosis can develop.  Muscles are what moves the bones - so the best remedy is realignment or posture therapy.  The reverse is also true as with aging natural degeneration of structures will be uneven depending on the activities and lifestyle resulting in  the development or worsening  of kyphosis or scoliosis

With aging something that becomes common, is limited neck mobility turning, or side bending.  This can be with or without arthritis.  One of the problems is prolonged sitting and lack of use of all the hip muscles creating a lockdown in the neck muscles including the upper traps.  These muscles have to help keep the body stable while moving since the lower body isn’t doing enough.  It is likely stretching the neck every day doesn’t give the relief you would expect. That is because the body needs to be addressed as a whole including the hips.

Below is the link to exercises that help with neck pain, by addressing the most common deviations of posture for those people suffering from it.  Try this routine out by following in order, skipping any that cause pain.  Need more help and believe alignment is the cause click here to schedule your free posture consultation.