How to Relieve Text Neck Pain by Stretching
Stretch your neck at your desk., Do the "yes/no" stretch., Stretch the sides of your neck., Do neck rotations throughout the day., Do quick shoulder-motion stretches., Perform the corner stretch., Do the levator scapula stretch., Do a wall press...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Stretch your neck at your desk.
Take a work break! Push your chair away from your desk.
Place your hands on your knees.
Take a few deep breaths.
On an inhale, tuck your chin and rotate your shoulders forward.
As you breathe out, lift your chin and move your head back to straighten your neck, while rolling your shoulders back and down.
Continue to move back and forth with your breath for several cycles., Slowly nod your head “yes” and “no” 10-20 times.
Nod to your full range of motion
- as far forward and back as you can comfortably go.Then bring your chin to your chest, interlace your fingers behind your head, and allow the weight of your arms to gently pull your head into a deeper stretch., Bend your right arm and place it behind your back.
Keeping your eyes straight ahead, bring your left ear to your left shoulder.
Use your left hand to add gentle pressure to the stretch – don’t pull on your neck, just place your hand on your head and allow the weight of your arm to contribute to the stretch.
Hold for 20-30 seconds, then repeat on the other side., Neck rotations are quick and easy to perform, and should be done regularly throughout the day – at least every hour, and preferably every 20-30 minutes if you’re using a device.
Look gently to your left, keeping your chin level, and then to your right.
Do this 10 times on each side., Shrug your shoulders up to your ears, hold the pose for 5 seconds, and release.
Do this 5-10 times.
Now roll your shoulders forward in a circular motion 5-10 times, then roll them backwards 5-10 times., Face a corner of your room.
Stand with your feet together about 2 feet from the walls.
Place your forearms on the two walls in front of you, one forearm on each side of the corner seam.
Keep your elbows just below the height of your shoulders (in "goal post" arm formation).
Lean in as far as possible, so that you feel a stretch in your chest and the fronts of your shoulders.
Hold the stretch for 30-60 seconds.Don’t lean so far that it causes pain.
Do this exercise before doing any deep neck stretching or strengthening exercises, and at least 3-5 times daily. , Levator scapula is the small, strong muscle you use to lift your shoulder blades, or scapulae.
Start on your right side.
Raise your elbow above the level of your shoulder.
Rest your elbow against a door jamb.
Turn your head to the left (away from the side you’re stretching), and bring your chin down.
Hold the stretch for 30-60 seconds.
Repeat on the other side.You can do this while sitting or standing.
To increase the stretch, use the hand on the side you’re not stretching to gently pull your head forward. , Stand with your back against a wall, with your heels as close to the wall as possible.
Press your spine against the wall, including the spine in your neck, and the back of your head.
This aligns your spine and stretches the muscles in the back of your neck., Sit on the floor.
Place a rolled up towel or a foam roller on the floor beneath where your upper back will be when you lie down, at about nipple-level.
Interlace your hands behind your head, keeping your elbows wide.
Squeeze your shoulder blades together.
Tilt your chin down and in.
Don’t pull on your head, just let your hands support your head’s weight.
Lower yourself slowly to the floor as your middle spine arches, and lift your sternum (middle chest bone) to the sky.
Hold for 5 seconds or so, then lift yourself back up using your abdominal muscles.
Repeat this exercise three times.This is a dynamic, or moving, stretch.
Lower yourself on the inhale, and lift yourself back up on the exhale. , Stand upright with your spine straight.
Bend your elbows to 90° and rotate your palms upward so they’re facing the ceiling.
Keep your elbows tucked in to your sides and rotate your forearms back and forth from your midline to sticking out at your sides.
Do this 15 times., Stand with your back against the wall and tighten your core muscles.
Tilt your head downward and a little bit backwards.
Bend your elbows to 90° and squeeze your shoulder blades together, keeping them flat against the wall.
Without shrugging your shoulders, raise your arms upward over your head – keep the backs of your arms flat against the wall.Reverse the motion by squeezing your shoulder blades together and bringing your arms back down to a 90° angle.
Do this 12 times. , Yoga combines stretching, strengthening, and improving your posture.Stand in mountain pose for 10-15 minutes a day, or alternate between mountain pose and forward fold – bend at your waist and let your head hang towards the floor.
Pilates also focuses on posture and can be a helpful technique to stretch and improve neck pain. , Lie on the floor on your back.
Put two tennis balls beneath your shoulders, between your shoulder blades.
Put your feet flat on the floor and push yourself into bridge pose to roll the balls back and forth on your shoulders and neck.
You can make small movements into and out of bridge pose for a thorough massaging and stretching action.Move the balls around beneath you to massage and stretch the areas at the backs of your ears.
Try flipping onto your stomach and placing the balls beneath the front of your chest and below your collarbone.
You can also use lacrosse balls, racquetball balls, or myofascial release (MFR) balls. , Hold your phone level with your eyes as much as possible to minimize how often you’re looking down.
Arrange your laptop and tablet on tabletops rather than setting them in your lap.
Aim for the search bar to be level with your eyes.Prop your device up on a stand, or use a book, backpack, or heavy object as a prop.Set up your office or home workspace so that it has healthy ergonomics. , If you’re going to spend a long time with your device, be sure to take frequent breaks.
Get up and walk around, and do your neck stretches.If you need a reminder, set an alarm on your device to go off every 20 or 30 minutes. , Spend a couple of days paying careful attention to the position your head is in.Notice if your head and neck jut forward when you drive, type, or use your device.
Work to correct your forward head posture, and keep your chin parallel to the floor., To avoid looking down at your phone all the time, use a talk-to-text function like Siri or OK Google.
Going hands-free whenever possible can minimize how much time you spend looking down at your phone. -
Step 2: Do the "yes/no" stretch.
-
Step 3: Stretch the sides of your neck.
-
Step 4: Do neck rotations throughout the day.
-
Step 5: Do quick shoulder-motion stretches.
-
Step 6: Perform the corner stretch.
-
Step 7: Do the levator scapula stretch.
-
Step 8: Do a wall press.
-
Step 9: Perform the thoracic extension stretch.
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Step 10: Perform external rotation.
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Step 11: Do some wall reaches.
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Step 12: Do mountain pose.
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Step 13: Use tennis balls to massage and stretch your neck.
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Step 14: Keep your device at eye level.
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Step 15: Take a break every 20-30 minutes.
-
Step 16: Pay attention to your forward head posture.
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Step 17: Go hands-free whenever you can.
Detailed Guide
Take a work break! Push your chair away from your desk.
Place your hands on your knees.
Take a few deep breaths.
On an inhale, tuck your chin and rotate your shoulders forward.
As you breathe out, lift your chin and move your head back to straighten your neck, while rolling your shoulders back and down.
Continue to move back and forth with your breath for several cycles., Slowly nod your head “yes” and “no” 10-20 times.
Nod to your full range of motion
- as far forward and back as you can comfortably go.Then bring your chin to your chest, interlace your fingers behind your head, and allow the weight of your arms to gently pull your head into a deeper stretch., Bend your right arm and place it behind your back.
Keeping your eyes straight ahead, bring your left ear to your left shoulder.
Use your left hand to add gentle pressure to the stretch – don’t pull on your neck, just place your hand on your head and allow the weight of your arm to contribute to the stretch.
Hold for 20-30 seconds, then repeat on the other side., Neck rotations are quick and easy to perform, and should be done regularly throughout the day – at least every hour, and preferably every 20-30 minutes if you’re using a device.
Look gently to your left, keeping your chin level, and then to your right.
Do this 10 times on each side., Shrug your shoulders up to your ears, hold the pose for 5 seconds, and release.
Do this 5-10 times.
Now roll your shoulders forward in a circular motion 5-10 times, then roll them backwards 5-10 times., Face a corner of your room.
Stand with your feet together about 2 feet from the walls.
Place your forearms on the two walls in front of you, one forearm on each side of the corner seam.
Keep your elbows just below the height of your shoulders (in "goal post" arm formation).
Lean in as far as possible, so that you feel a stretch in your chest and the fronts of your shoulders.
Hold the stretch for 30-60 seconds.Don’t lean so far that it causes pain.
Do this exercise before doing any deep neck stretching or strengthening exercises, and at least 3-5 times daily. , Levator scapula is the small, strong muscle you use to lift your shoulder blades, or scapulae.
Start on your right side.
Raise your elbow above the level of your shoulder.
Rest your elbow against a door jamb.
Turn your head to the left (away from the side you’re stretching), and bring your chin down.
Hold the stretch for 30-60 seconds.
Repeat on the other side.You can do this while sitting or standing.
To increase the stretch, use the hand on the side you’re not stretching to gently pull your head forward. , Stand with your back against a wall, with your heels as close to the wall as possible.
Press your spine against the wall, including the spine in your neck, and the back of your head.
This aligns your spine and stretches the muscles in the back of your neck., Sit on the floor.
Place a rolled up towel or a foam roller on the floor beneath where your upper back will be when you lie down, at about nipple-level.
Interlace your hands behind your head, keeping your elbows wide.
Squeeze your shoulder blades together.
Tilt your chin down and in.
Don’t pull on your head, just let your hands support your head’s weight.
Lower yourself slowly to the floor as your middle spine arches, and lift your sternum (middle chest bone) to the sky.
Hold for 5 seconds or so, then lift yourself back up using your abdominal muscles.
Repeat this exercise three times.This is a dynamic, or moving, stretch.
Lower yourself on the inhale, and lift yourself back up on the exhale. , Stand upright with your spine straight.
Bend your elbows to 90° and rotate your palms upward so they’re facing the ceiling.
Keep your elbows tucked in to your sides and rotate your forearms back and forth from your midline to sticking out at your sides.
Do this 15 times., Stand with your back against the wall and tighten your core muscles.
Tilt your head downward and a little bit backwards.
Bend your elbows to 90° and squeeze your shoulder blades together, keeping them flat against the wall.
Without shrugging your shoulders, raise your arms upward over your head – keep the backs of your arms flat against the wall.Reverse the motion by squeezing your shoulder blades together and bringing your arms back down to a 90° angle.
Do this 12 times. , Yoga combines stretching, strengthening, and improving your posture.Stand in mountain pose for 10-15 minutes a day, or alternate between mountain pose and forward fold – bend at your waist and let your head hang towards the floor.
Pilates also focuses on posture and can be a helpful technique to stretch and improve neck pain. , Lie on the floor on your back.
Put two tennis balls beneath your shoulders, between your shoulder blades.
Put your feet flat on the floor and push yourself into bridge pose to roll the balls back and forth on your shoulders and neck.
You can make small movements into and out of bridge pose for a thorough massaging and stretching action.Move the balls around beneath you to massage and stretch the areas at the backs of your ears.
Try flipping onto your stomach and placing the balls beneath the front of your chest and below your collarbone.
You can also use lacrosse balls, racquetball balls, or myofascial release (MFR) balls. , Hold your phone level with your eyes as much as possible to minimize how often you’re looking down.
Arrange your laptop and tablet on tabletops rather than setting them in your lap.
Aim for the search bar to be level with your eyes.Prop your device up on a stand, or use a book, backpack, or heavy object as a prop.Set up your office or home workspace so that it has healthy ergonomics. , If you’re going to spend a long time with your device, be sure to take frequent breaks.
Get up and walk around, and do your neck stretches.If you need a reminder, set an alarm on your device to go off every 20 or 30 minutes. , Spend a couple of days paying careful attention to the position your head is in.Notice if your head and neck jut forward when you drive, type, or use your device.
Work to correct your forward head posture, and keep your chin parallel to the floor., To avoid looking down at your phone all the time, use a talk-to-text function like Siri or OK Google.
Going hands-free whenever possible can minimize how much time you spend looking down at your phone.
About the Author
Evelyn Roberts
Dedicated to helping readers learn new skills in creative arts and beyond.
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