Many people are glued to a computer all day at the office just to follow that up with more logged-in hours at home in the evening.
And even those that don't sit at a computer during their work day are likely hunched over it at other times throughout the week.
As a result of prolonged sitting, coupled with stress, poor posture, not enough water intake, etc, it is common for neck tightness and even tension headaches to become an issue at some point.
You have likely felt it before...
that tightness in the neck or base of the skull that continues to progress into a higher level of pain from there.
This progressing pain is essentially a signal that you've been working too long in a poor posture or just sitting in the same position for too many hours period.
The next time your neck pain starts to flare, give this stretch a try to get the building tension back under control.
The Stretch Slip your right hand under your thigh to help pin your right shoulder down.
You will be pulling your neck to the left in this stretch and you will get a better result if your right shoulder isn't just elevating when you do.
Now rotate your neck slightly to the left.
Place your left hand on the back of your head.
Your left arm to head position should be such that you are essentially looking into the crease of your left elbow.
From there, you will begin to slowly pull down with the left arm so that you feel a gentle stretch in the back right side of your neck.
Now that you are in the stretch, hold it for about 30 seconds to ensure your muscles and tendons get a good steady pull.
After the time is up, repeat the stretch to the opposite side.
If you would rather stand while doing this stretch, make sure you have your head up with your shoulders back and stomach tight.
Rather than sitting on your hand, hold onto something heavy that will help hold the shoulder down such as the bottom of your desktop.
As before, while your right shoulder is prevented from rising up, you will pull down with your left arm while the neck is rotated slightly left.
It's important to ensure your neck is rotated (about 30 to 40 degrees) before you begin to pull to stretch it.
Caution Don't go overboard on this stretch by pulling to hard, you don't want to cause any pain or damage.
And if you already have existing neck problems that may be agitated by this stretch check with your local chiropractor before attempting this exercise.
If during the course of this stretch your back muscles begin to tighten up due to fatigue or if you feel pain in your shoulders or neck, back off from the intensity of the stretch.
It doesn't mean you must stop it entirely, rather just back off until the pain goes away.
How Long Whether you do this stretch sitting or standing, repeat this stretch 3 times on each side and make sure you hold the stretch for the full 30 seconds each time.
Only a prolonged stretch and repetition throughout the day will get the tendons and muscles stretched to a degree that will have a lasting impact.
Make sure you are holding the stretch nice and steady as well.
Avoid short bouncy stretches as these do not help improve the flexibility as quickly and can lead to pain.
During or after your stretch, or both, you should feel the neck and shoulder areas begin to relax as the blood flow increases and the muscles loosen up.
This stretch can prove very effective for relieving your neck pain and even preventing one of those nasty tension headaches from coming on; but only if you do it often enough to make a difference.
If you feel neck and/or head tension beginning to mount an attack, perform this stretch every hour at a minimum and fight back before it's too late and you find yourself having to reach for the Ibuprofen.