It is a good exercise for neck pain relief or to reduce neck stiffness. Step 1 – Sit up straight with both arms at the sides. Step 2 – Raise the right arm forwards and reach over the back with the hand grasping the right shoulder blade and applying downward pressure. (This step rotates the shoulder blade downward, which helps lengthen the levator scapulae muscle even more before it is stretched. If raising the elbow above the shoulder is too complicated at first, this step can be skipped.) Step 3 – While keeping everything else still, rotate the head to the left about 45 degrees (about halfway toward the shoulder). Step 4 – Tilt the chin downward until a good stretch is felt on the back right side of the neck. To increase the stretch further, the left hand can be brought up to the back of the head to pull down a little more gently. Hold for 30 to 60 seconds, or as tolerated. Repeat 8-10 times for each side 3 sets in a row Once-daily 5 days a week
Wisler Saint-Vil, MD
Sports Medicine Physician
Marietta Memorial Sports Medicine
department medical director