Clinically reviewed by A closer look
Most neck pain is mechanical. It comes from holding one position for hours, long spells on a phone, sleeping awkwardly, driving, or carrying weight on one shoulder. Wear and tear on a neck X ray after the age of forty is normal and does not by itself explain pain.
Some neck problems involve a nerve root. The clue is pain that travels into the shoulder blade or down the arm with pins and needles in particular fingers, often worse when you tilt the head towards that side. Those necks need a different approach, and any exercise that increases the arm symptoms should be stopped rather than pushed through.
See a doctor promptly if arm weakness is getting worse, if you have pins and needles in both hands, or if your hands have become clumsy and your walking unsteady. Go to hospital if neck movement brings on dizziness, fainting, double vision or difficulty swallowing, or if severe neck pain follows a road accident or a fall. Those are not exercise problems.
These are general exercises, and the right ones depend on what is causing the pain. Mild stretching discomfort is fine. Pain that keeps worsening, or that lasts more than an hour after exercising, means stop and do less. See also our pages on neck pain treatment and cervical spondylosis.
The exercises
What helps
- Chin tuck. Sitting tall, draw the chin straight back to make a double chin without tipping the head down. Hold five seconds, ten repeats, three or four times a day.
- Gentle rotation. Turn slowly to look over one shoulder, then the other, going only as far as is comfortable. Ten repeats each way, two or three times a day.
- Side bend stretch. Sit on a chair, hold the seat with one hand, and tilt the opposite ear towards the shoulder. Hold twenty to thirty seconds, three times each side.
- Shoulder blade squeeze. Draw both shoulder blades together and down, keeping the shoulders away from the ears. Hold five seconds, ten repeats, three times a day.
- Isometric holds. Place a palm on your forehead, then on each side of the head in turn, and press gently at about a quarter of your strength with no movement happening. Hold five seconds, five repeats each direction.
What to avoid
- Rolling the head in full circles, and any fast or jerky neck movement.
- Letting anyone crack, pull or jerk your neck, including a bone setter. The neck is not the place to take that risk.
- Heavy shrugs, overhead weights and push ups while the neck is irritated.
- Any stretch that sends pins and needles into the arm, and holding a stretch until it hurts.
Urdu / Roman Urdu
Choose your reading script / اپنی پسند کا رسم الخط منتخب کریں
اردوUrdu script
گردن کا عام درد زیادہ تر ایک ہی پوزیشن میں لمبے عرصے تک رہنے سے ہوتا ہے، جیسے موبائل یا کمپیوٹر پر جھک کر بیٹھنا۔ ٹھوڑی ٹک، گردن کو آرام سے دائیں بائیں گھمانا، کان کو کندھے کی طرف جھکانا اور کندھے کے پتے پیچھے کھینچنا روزانہ کریں، تھوڑی تھوڑی دیر کے لیے کئی بار۔
گردن کو تیز تیز گھمانا یا کسی سے چٹخانا خطرناک ہے، اس سے بچیں۔ اگر بازو میں جھنجھناہٹ بڑھ جائے، ہاتھ کمزور ہو رہے ہوں، یا گردن ہلانے سے چکر آئیں تو ورزش روک کر ڈاکٹر سے ملیں۔
Roman Urdu
Gardan ka aam dard zyada tar ek hi position mein lambe arse tak rehne se hota hai, jaise mobile ya computer par jhuk kar baithna. Chin tuck, gardan ko aaram se dayen bayen ghumana, kaan ko kandhe ki taraf jhukana aur kandhe ke patte peeche kheenchna rozana karen, thori thori der ke liye kai baar.
Gardan ko tez tez ghumana ya kisi se chatkhwana khatarnak hai, is se bachen. Agar baazu mein jhunjhuni barh jaye, haath kamzor ho rahe hon, ya gardan hilane se chakkar aayen to warzish rok kar doctor se milen.
Questions people ask
What exercises help neck pain and stiffness?
Is cracking my own neck harmful?
Can neck exercises cause arm tingling?
What pillow should I use for neck pain?
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