Your neck and shoulders have a big job to do. They have several muscles responsible for stabilizing and supporting your head, neck, upper spine and shoulder joints and assisting arm movement.

Everything from poor posture and whiplash to overuse can cause tension on these muscles, resulting in muscle strain and soft tissue sprains. We may slough it off as a stiff neck or stiff shoulders, but ultimately, it restricts our movements and causes pain while doing everyday activities.

Is this something we have to just live with? Fortunately, there are ways to alleviate the pain and gain movement. Start by seeking physiotherapy treatments regularly. Next, complement these treatments with exercise routines. Let’s go over several effective exercises for stiff necks and shoulders:

Stretching Exercises

Levator Scapula Stretch

Sit upright in a chair, keeping both hands at your side and raise your right arm over your head to grab your right shoulder blade. Push downward as you rotate your head to the left and look down towards your left knee until you feel the stretch on the right side of your neck. You can also grab under the seat with your left hand and use the right hand to pull the head gently down towards the knee.
Hold for 30-60 seconds and release. Move to the other side and do the same maneuver. Repeat this process three times for a great stretch.

Posterior Capsule Stretch

You can do this one standing or lying down on your side. Bring your shoulder blades together and raise your arm in front of your chest for standing. Use the opposite arm to pull it across your body with your elbow turned in until you feel the stretch. Hold for 10 seconds and repeat each side ten times. Laying down, you make the same motion but in a more comfortable position.

Prayer Stretch

The prayer stretch is similar to the child’s pose in yoga, where you kneel and stretch your arms forward with your hands on the floor. Go down and reach as far as you can and hold the stretch for 30-60 seconds as you breathe deeply to relax the shoulders. Repeat this pose five times.

Doorway Chest Stretch

This is an easy one where you use a doorway to hold tension. Stand in front of any open doorway and put your palms and forearms against the door’s jamb. Take a slow step forward, led by your pelvis, until you feel it stretching your shoulders and hold the position for 30-60 seconds. Repeat this five times.

Retraction Exercises

Cervical Retraction

To regain good neck-to-head alignment, try this retraction exercise for your neck. From either standing or sitting, bend your chin towards your chest. Now direct your head up and out in a diagonal to perform the stretch, and you will feel it in the back of your neck. Hold for 10-15 seconds and repeat 5-6 times. You can even do it while lying on your back.

Scapular Retraction

Scapular retractions strengthen the muscles around the shoulder blades by squeezing them together and moving them downwards while you are backed against a wall. Hold this position for 5-10 seconds for three sets. Tucking your chin to the chest is helpful during this exercise, and it can be performed with a band around an object as well.

Extension Exercise

Theraband Shoulder Extension

You can use a resistance band for this extension exercise. From a standing position with the band anchored overhead, hold both ends of the band with your arms bent and pull down until your arms are locked at your sides. Hold this position for 5-10 seconds and slowly release. You can also perform this extension while lying face down on a bed with your arm hanging off. Have your hand facing forward and arm straight, raise it back towards the ceiling. Repeat 3-5 times.

You can turn this into a theraband row by adjusting the band to chest height and pulling back with bent arms. In a prone position on the bed, pull back the arms with bent elbows.

Next, put together a neck and shoulder routine that you run through in sequence for 2-3 sets.

Focused Neck Routine

  • Neck Extension: Tilting neck back by looking upward
  • Neck Flexion: Lowering chin forward to chest.
  • Lateral Flexion: Bending the head slowly side to side
  • Neck Rotation: Turning the head side to side and work your way up to fully rolling the head around.

Focused Shoulder Routine

  • Shoulder Raises: Lifting shoulders to your ears and down while arms are by your side.
  • Shoulder Rolls: Rolling your shoulders up, back, down and around in a fluid motion
  • Chin Retraction: Extending your chin forwarding then pulling it back into your neck.
  • Cross Arm Stretch: Cross each arm, one at a time, across your chest and use your other arm to support and pull it over.
  • Standing Arm Swings: Swinging your arms slowly with a full extension around your torso without raising your shoulders. Repeat backwards and forwards.
  • Standing Arm Lifts: Lifting your arms from your hips to the sky, moving forward while elbows are locked and repeat lifting from the sides out and up.

These are all great exercises to alleviate a stiff neck and shoulders over time when you consistently perform them. Be patient and regain your youthful mobility.