I’ve noticed that more people have started to ask about their neck stiffness and even clicking lately. Since they have had about a month and half of being back in the office full time, back in front of the classroom, or just sitting in the huge amounts of traffic that has returned with a vengeance. Everyone keeps asking me…
Why are my Neck Stretches not helping…
…even after you have Googled or YouTubed them hundreds of times?
There are three reasons why your stretching may not be helping at all.
1. You’re doing them all wrong.
Many people are not holding the stretch long enough. The research studies state that for stretching to make a permanent change and lengthen the muscle requires a hold of 30 to 60 seconds. So, if you are not holding the stretch long enough there may be no real lasting change in the muscles around your neck.
I have, also, seen many people who “fight” the stretch, where they continue to tense the muscle that they are trying to stretch. That tension does not allow the muscle to lengthen, causes the stretch to hurt, and limits the progress that can be made while stretching.
So, make sure that when you are stretching that you relax into the movement and hold for at least 30 seconds at a time, and perform 3 repetitions of each stretch.
2. You may be doing the wrong stretches
There are really 2 types of stretching that can be done for the neck…generic stretching to feel good and corrective neck stretching to fix a problem.
If your neck is feeling tight and achy because of stress or doing a lot of activity, generic stretching, like chin tucks or an upper trap stretch (below), can really feel good and make a huge difference for your soreness.
These are exercises that I do all the time to combat the computer use and bending over my patients that I do all week long, and they make a huge difference.
However, if you have a neck problem or numbness down the arm, generic neck stretches may not help or even make the pain worse. In this case, Corrective Stretching may be needed.
Corrective stretches are specifically prescribed to address your particular problems in your neck, and are may be very different from generalized stretches.
If you think you need corrective stretches for your neck, DO NOT GOOGLE THEM! If applied incorrectly, they will make you worse. You must see a specialist who can determine if they are needed and prescribe them for you.
3. You may not need to even stretch your neck at all
This is a very common problem that we see. People come in all the time with complaints of chronic tightness and discomfort in their necks, and no matter how often they stretch or get massages, that pain never goes away.
The deep stabilizing muscles in your neck help with posture and can become irritated by the overall amount of pressure on those deep stabilizing muscles. Those muscles become irritated by holding your head up for long periods of time and by fighting gravity.
Those muscles will need you to align your head correctly, and hold it there. So, we will need to improve your posture and endurance to decrease those pains.
If you’re dealing with chronic neck problems that are not responding to stretching, there is a good chance that you are not stretching correctly, the stretches are the wrong stretches for your problem, or maybe you shouldn’t be stretching at all!
If you would like to see if this neck problem can be helped by us, please Click on the link below to request a Discovery Visit.
I want a Discovery Visit to help me figure out if my neck pain needs PT
This is only for people who are serious about getting help with their longstanding neck problem. If you are looking to end the pain and frustration of your neck pain and avoid constant relying on pain meds or (worse yet) risky surgery, please click the link below to start to get the specialist help you need! AND…I just wanted to say feel free to forward this email to someone you know that might need your help.
That person you know could be someone you live with, work with, a friend, or an extended family member who is suffering with some ache or pain that we can fix.
Maybe you have a parent, a cousin, a brother or sister, an aunt or uncle, or friend who, every time you speak to, is in some type of pain or discomfort in their ankle, knee, shoulder, back or neck?
Simply, forward this email to that person or let them know about our Free Consultation offer and give them our phone number (604) 409.4463
Then, we can talk to them to see if we are the right fit for them, and hopefully we will be able to help that person get back to their activities and full health…all thanks to your help!
We’ve got limited Free sessions available, so make sure they are quick!