Reduce Head and Neck Pain With These Simple Self-Care Techniques
After teaching yoga for 20 years, in addition to low back pain, I can also say that probably in 4 out of 5 classes I teach, at least one person will share that they are experiencing head and neck pain. Especially since the COVID-19 pandemic! For almost two years people have been working from home with improper ergonomics and slumping into their couches late at night. Never mind the amount of tension and stress we all have these days that tends to go straight to our upper back and shoulders. I know when I sit at my desk too long, I start to feel my upper back ache and my neck hurt! We may not be able to reduce our stressors, but we can do something about the pain in our neck. Today I’m sharing how you can improve or even eliminate your head and neck pain with awareness, self care and specific yoga postures designed to rebalance your muscles.
Muscle Imbalances
But what does it mean to rebalance your muscles?
If you haven’t been diagnosed with something specific, the pain you feel in your head, neck and upper back is more likely than not due to a muscle imbalance in your musculoskeletal system - it is misaligned or “crooked” thanks to the common everyday activities you do each day.
According to Lee Albert’s book, “Live Pain-Free”, A muscle imbalance:
“... simply means that some muscles are too short and some muscles are too long. Both muscles will feel tight. The short muscle is concentrated and tight, and the long muscle is like an overstretched rubber band - too long and very tight. Since every muscle is attached to a bone, these muscle imbalances pull the bones out of alignment. That’s what makes you crooked.”
When your muscles are imbalanced they become painful, and the joints around these imbalances are compromised which also results in joint pain and limited range of motion.
Unfortunately, our daily life activities are usually what cause these imbalances! The way we sit, drive, walk, exercise, stand, etc. are habitual movements that cause us to use some muscles more and other muscles less. The ones we use all the time become shorter and strong and the ones we use less often become long and weak.
When you have chronic pain in your head, neck and upper back, most likely your shoulders are probably rounded forward as you drive, slump on the couch, look at your phone and work on your computer. In these positions your head is forward of your body, putting a lot of strain on your neck and shoulders, which now have to hold up your head without the spinal column’s support.
Did you know that the average head weighs between 8-12 pounds? That’s heavy! The general rule of thumb is for every inch your head is held in a forward position, 10 extra pounds of weight is felt on the cervical spine. So your 12 pound head can quickly become a 42 pound head!
The shoulders and neck muscles were designed to move your head in different positions - not to hold your head up in the same position for long periods of time.
In addition to learning how to adjust your daily life activities for more correct posture, “Integrated Positional Therapy” (IPT) can help! IPT is a gentle, self-care approach you can do on your own to get your body back into balance. Basically, you can correct a muscle imbalance by stretching short and strong muscles and strengthening long and weak muscles in order to realign your musculoskeletal system and reduce or eliminate pain!
Poses for Head and Neck Pain
A lot of people experience head and neck pain on a regular basis. You probably notice aches, tightness, burning or even sharp, stabbing pains. You might experience a stiff neck or feel better or worse when you change positions from standing, sitting or laying down. This type of pain can also radiate to other parts of your body, as your musculoskeletal system tries to compensate for the weight of your head with your upper back or arm muscles.
Thankfully, there are certain poses you can do to help bring your body back into alignment. For each pose, you don’t need to go to the fullest range of motion. In fact, these postures are more effective if you only work at about 40-50% of your range. This gives your imbalanced muscles a chance to slowly release and reset back to their aligned position. Overworking your range of motion will cause your muscles to “freak out”, which will just cause them to go back to their imbalanced position.
Three Stretches to Balance Your Pelvis
Similar to the stretches for low back pain, these three stretches will help reduce your neck pain as well since your head and neck muscles are directly impacted by an out of balance pelvis. Basically, if the pelvis is “off”, it has a ripple effect up the spine.
Side Stretch:
Stand with your feet hips distance apart. Inhale your arms over your head and slowly bend to one side until you feel a stretch in the side of your body. Hold for one minutes and repeat on the other side.
Modification: Only lift one arm and rest your forearm on your head as you bend to the opposite side.
Knee down twist:
Lay on your back and draw your right knee into your chest. Hold it with your left hand and gently draw the knee over to the left. Extend your right arm out from the shoulder. Now, push your right knee up into your left hand and resist with pressure. Hold that pressure for 5 seconds. Release and draw the knee closer to the floor. Hold for one minute and then repeat on the second side.
Modification: Sit in a chair with your right knee crossed over your left. This will gently stretch the outer hip of the upper leg. Switch sides.
Quadriceps Stretch:
Hold onto the wall or a chair and reach back with the opposite arm to grab the same side’s foot. Feel the stretch in the front of your thigh. Gently push your foot into your hand for 5 seconds and then release. Deepen the stretch and hold for one minute. Repeat on the other side.
Modification: If you can’t reach your foot, no problem! Rest the top of your foot on a chair seat.
Stretches and Movements for the Neck
Back of the Neck Stretch:
Bring your interlaced hands to the back of your head and gently pull your head forward until you feel a slight stretch. Then, on an inhale, gently push your head back into your hands for 5 seconds as you hold the breath. Don’t let the head come up. Then, with an exhale, pull your head forward into a deeper stretch. Repeat the hold and pull motions as long as it feels good.
Side of the Neck Stretch:
With your hand, pull your head to one side until you feel a slight stretch. Let the opposite hand reach toward the floor or gently land on your lap. On an inhale, gently push your head up into your hand and hold both your breath and the position for 5 seconds, without letting the head move. Then gently exhale and pull the head a bit closer to the shoulder. Repeat three times on one side and then switch sides.
Front of the Neck Stretch:
Turn your head to one side and look over your shoulder until you feel a slight stretch. Place your hand on your cheek. As you inhale, try to turn your head back toward the center, resisting with your hand that’s on your cheek. Hold that position for 5 seconds while also holding the breath. On exhale, gently push your head a bit more toward the direction you are looking. Repeat three times and then switch sides.
Slacken the Shoulders:
Put one arm on top of your head and let it rest with the head slightly tilted toward that arm. Hold for two minutes. This will “reset” the upper trapezius and levator scapula muscles, relieving tension in the shoulders. Repeat as often as you’d like during the day.
Shoulder Shrugs:
Inhale and gently squeeze your shoulders up toward your ears and hold for 10 seconds. Exhale and release. Repeat as often as you’d like.
Strengthen the Rhomboids
In a standing position, raise your arms in front of you so they are parallel to the ground. Make a fist with both hands and pull back to bring your elbows to your sides. Squeeze the shoulder blades together for 5 seconds. Repeat at least 10 times, 3 times a day.
Stretch the chest:
In a standing position, gently squeeze your shoulder blades together behind your back and hold for at least 2 minutes. You can keep your hands apart or interlace your fingers behind your back.
Slacken the chest muscles:
Give yourself a hug by placing each hand on the opposite shoulder, stacking your elbows on top of each other. Lower the elbows down and relax and breathe. Hold for two minutes.
In addition to the above techniques, you also want to make sure to adjust your lifestyle so that you remove the habitual poor positions you create in your body. A few of these reminders include:
Check sitting, driving and computer positions
Sit with a pillow placed at your lumbar curve, which is right above the belt line. Every chair and body will need a different thickness. It should be thick enough to bring your head back over your shoulders and open the chest. You should feel very comfortable as your skeleton is now supporting your body.
When at your computer desk, along with the pillow at your lumbar curve, keep your elbows by your sides and should be bent at 90 degrees. The computer monitor should be eye level and straight in front of you. And your feet should be flat on the floor.
When driving, all the same principles apply and your hands should be at the 4:00 and 8:00 positions on the wheel, with the elbows bent and close to your sides.
Walk or stand with your hands behind your back
Instead of keeping your hands down by your sides or folded in front of you, bring your hands together behind your back when you are walking slowly or standing. This will ensure you have good posture and reduce or prevent neck pain.
So there you have it! You now know the poses and lifestyle changes you can do to correct the muscle imbalances that are causing your head and neck pain! I’m so grateful to the teachings of Lee Albert and his book, Live Pain-Free. If you are interested in learning more about reducing or eliminating chronic pain with Integrated Positional Therapy, you can purchase Live Pain-Free at Serenity Yoga or learn more about Lee at www.leealbert.com.
And if you are new to yoga, or simply want to start a home-practice, check out our FREE 10 Yoga Postures for Beginners Guide! This 5-minute guide is designed to balance out your physical body, reduce stress and improve your overall health.