Neck pain and stiffness is so widespread. As a massage therapist, it's one of the most common reasons people come in to see me. And massage therapy can help a lot--especially in relieving the excruciating pain when your neck goes into spasm. (I speak from personal experience here.)

But the relief is often only temporary, unless you correct the things that are causing the neck pain in the first place.

Neck exercises are one important thing you can do to help yourself. (Assuming your neck issues aren't caused by serious injury, nerve damage, or any of the other neck pain red flags that you can learn about here. )

Of course, don't try any of these exercises if they make you feel worse, or if they conflict with the advice of your doctor, chiropractor, or physical therapist.

Neck Pain Exercises

Neck Circles
Slowly roll your head in circles, taking it only as far as you can go in each direction without causing yourself pain. A tiny bit of discomfort will probably be OK (unless you're having an acute flare-up of neck pain), and may help you regain lost range of motion. If your neck feels worse after the neck circles, be less aggressive. Perform neck circles often during the day. For example, try doing 12 circles each way 3-5 times a day as prevention--and even more if you feel a stiff or sore neck coming on.

Gentle, pain-free neck circles are also very helpful in speeding up healing after an injury. (Just make sure they're gentle and pain-free.)

Back of the Neck Muscle Exercises
For many if not most of us neck-pain sufferers, a forward head posture is a contributing factor. We hold our heads out in front of us, sort of like a turtle, instead of balanced upright over our shoulders, with our ears directly in line with our shoulders.

Our neck muscles adapt to this posture as it slowly develops: the muscles at the back of our neck get weaker, while the muscles at the front of our neck get overworked.

Strengthening the muscles at the back of the neck helps to pull the neck back into alignment, and give us the strength to hold it there, instead of sliding right back into forward head posture despite our best intentions. (Stretching the muscles at the front and sides of the neck is also often important to do, too.)

While for some folks, there may be other neck exercises that are needed, the back of the neck is by far the most common area needing work.

Fortunately, there are some very easy back of the neck exercises. Here's one:

Resisted Neck Retraction

1. Interlace your hands behind your head (not your neck).
2. Tuck your chin
3. Press your head back into your hands for a count of ten, resisting this action with your hands.
4. Repeat five times.
5. Do this several times a day, and especially when you feel neck pain.

More Neck Pain Resources

• In addition to neck exercises, you may need to try other things as well to achieve lasting relief for your neck. Get information on other neck relief techniques at this site's Neck Pain main page.

• If you're considering neck surgery, you owe it to yourself to spend $14.95 for Paul Ingraham's e-book, "Save Yourself from Neck Pain." It's chock-full of great, scientifically based information about neck pain causes and treatments. Who knows, you might just avoid surgery. And wouldn't that be nice!

I wish you ease and comfort in your neck, and I am confident that you will be able to help yourself feel better.

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