Neck exercises at home for neck pain

Why the neck gets sore

Your head weighs about as much as a bowling ball, and the muscles at the back of the neck and the top of the shoulders hold it up all day. When you spend hours looking down at a phone or forward at a screen, those muscles work in one position without a break. They don't get injured so much as tired and guarded, and the joints stiffen because they're not moving through their range.

Stress plays a part too. Many people hold tension in their shoulders without noticing, which keeps the upper trapezius switched on. Poor sleep, a new pillow, or a long drive can all set off a sore neck. Most of the time, none of this means anything is damaged.

That's why the usual home approach is movement first, then strength. Gentle range of motion reminds the joints they're allowed to move, and strength work for the deep neck muscles and upper back makes it easier to hold your head up without strain.

Before you start

• Move slowly and stay in a range that feels like a stretch or mild ache, never sharp pain.
• Sit or stand tall with your shoulders relaxed down, not hunched up.
• Breathe normally. Holding your breath tends to tense the shoulders.
• If you get pins and needles, numbness or pain going down an arm, stop and check with your physio.

Stage 1: gentle range of motion

These can be done several times a day, especially as a break from sitting. A few minutes at a time is enough.

1. Chin tucks. Sit tall. Gently glide your chin straight back, as if making a double chin, keeping your eyes level. Hold 2 to 3 seconds and relax. 10 reps. This is the single most useful neck exercise for people who sit a lot.
2. Rotations. Turn your head slowly to look over one shoulder as far as is comfortable, pause, come back to centre, then turn the other way. 8 each way.
3. Side bends. Tip your ear towards your shoulder without lifting the shoulder. Pause, return to centre, then go the other way. 8 each way.
4. Shoulder blade squeezes. Draw your shoulder blades gently back and down, hold 3 seconds, relax. 10 reps. This takes load off the neck by waking up the upper back.

Stage 2: stretches and deep neck holds

Once the range of motion work feels easy, add gentle stretches for the muscles that tend to get tight, and start strengthening the deep neck flexors.

1. Upper trap stretch. Sit on your right hand to anchor the shoulder. Tip your left ear towards your left shoulder until you feel a stretch on the right side of the neck. Hold 30 seconds. Repeat on the other side, 3 times each.
2. Levator scapulae stretch. Turn your head about 45 degrees to the left and look down towards your left pocket. You'll feel a stretch at the back right of the neck. Hold 30 seconds, 3 times each side.
3. Deep neck flexor hold. Lie on your back with your head on a thin pillow or folded towel. Do a small chin tuck and lift your head just off the pillow, a centimetre or so. Hold 10 seconds, lower, rest. 5 reps. If your chin pokes up or you shake, make the lift smaller.

Stage 3: strength for the neck and upper back

Strength is what makes the improvement last. These build endurance in the muscles that hold your head and shoulders in a comfortable position.

1. Longer deep neck holds. Build the lying hold up to 10 reps of 10 seconds, or fewer reps of 20 to 30 seconds.
2. Isometric presses. Sitting tall, put your palm on your forehead and press gently into it without letting your head move. Hold 5 seconds. Repeat with the hand on the side of the head and the back of the head. 5 each direction, at about a third of your full effort.
3. Prone Y raise. Lie face down with arms overhead in a Y. Lift your thumbs off the floor by squeezing between your shoulder blades, keeping your forehead down. Hold 3 seconds. 2 sets of 8.
4. Band rows. Anchor a resistance band at chest height and pull your elbows back, squeezing the shoulder blades. 2 to 3 sets of 12. Any rowing movement helps the upper back support the neck.

Daily habits that help as much as the exercises

• Raise your screen so the top of it is around eye level, and bring your phone up instead of your head down.
• Set a reminder to move every 30 to 45 minutes. Three chin tucks and a shoulder roll is plenty.
• Check your shoulders during the day. If they're up near your ears, let them drop.
• Try a pillow that keeps your head level with your spine when you lie on your side.
• Keep walking. General activity eases neck stiffness more than people expect.

How often and how hard

Range of motion and chin tucks: daily, little and often. Stretches: once or twice a day. Strength work: every day or every other day, 2 to 3 sets.

Mild discomfort that settles within an hour or so is usually fine. Pain that builds while you work, headaches that get worse, or a neck that's sorer the next morning means you did too much. Ease back to the previous stage for a few days.

Common mistakes

• Cranking the head into a stretch. Neck stretches should be gentle; pulling hard with the hand can irritate things.
• Only stretching and never strengthening, so the relief doesn't last.
• Doing the exercises once and then sitting for six hours straight.
• Fast, jerky rotations. Smooth and slow wins.

Stop and get checked if

• Pain started after a fall, car accident or blow to the head
• You have numbness, tingling or weakness in the arms or hands, or trouble with balance or walking
• Neck pain comes with fever, a severe headache, or a stiff neck that makes it hard to touch your chin to your chest
• You feel dizzy, see double, or have trouble speaking or swallowing
• Pain is severe, constant, worse at night, or not improving after a few weeks

Keeping it going with Apex One

Apex One has a guided neck program for stiffness and tech neck, plus a desk posture program, both for between physio sessions. In Apex One+, the program talks you through each exercise out loud, times your holds, and asks you to rate pain before and after each session, so you have something concrete to show your physio. The voice counts reps at a steady pace; the camera isn't used for rehab exercises.

Count every rep with your phone

Questions

Keep exploring

• Neck pain exercisesApex One
• Desk posture exercisesApex One
• Upper back and posture exercisesApex One
• Posture exercises for desk workersGuide
• Shoulder rehab exercises at homeGuide