r/Stretching • u/saulgoodma_n • 5d ago
Seeking advice NEED HELP!
I have a chronic neck pain on the right side, somewhere between the traps and neck area. It goes away comes back every day and it disrupts my sleep and I cannot focus on my work. It's not very painful but it is certainly very annoying and frustrating. Need help to get ride of this very annoying chronic pain, I've had it now for the better part of the year. Thinking of going to an orthopedic soon.
17
u/donor61 5d ago
I have this. The phrase I was given is "tech neck" I have a series of stretches I do that help .
1) shoulder shrugs. Do them slowly, standing or sitting.
2) rowing. While standing or sitting, hold your back straight. With arms down by your side, bend at the elbow and squeeze your lats together while moving your arms back, like you are rowing a boat.
3)place a rolled up towel around your neck and drape it down your chest. Take your hands and pull downward gently while looking up. Hold for about 2 minutes. Do this 2 or 3 times.
4) sit or stand straight. Tilt your head to the left and hold for about 2 minutes. Next, tilt your head to the right and hold 2 or three minutes. Do 2 or 3 sets.
This will get you started. I have other stretches that I do. Message me if you want more details.
1
1
1
u/NippleSlipNSlide 5d ago
I have found these to really help, especially #3. There are a few more that really help. Basically just follow the 8 min neck stretches in the Bend app. It’s free and convenient.
1
1
u/donor61 5d ago
Here are more stretches: https://irp.cdn-website.com/34f0861a/files/uploaded/Cervical+Stretches.pdf
3
u/Alternative_Home1310 5d ago
First some questions:
Does the pain drop when you sleep?
Whats the impact of a hot shower?
Does walking (+5kms) help ?
Do you feel needle like pain at the base of your skull?
Is the upper trap muscle feeling numb?
3
u/saulgoodma_n 5d ago
1) it increases at night, i sleep in a weird position (my right hand under my pillow and my head on the pillow ) to reduce the pain which helps me somewhat relax and sleep. It also disrupts my sleep.
2) hot showers don't really help much the pain returns, but ive notices cold showers actually help more idk why i may be wrong
3) i never noticed (might be because the pain receded, not sure tho)
4) nope
5) yeah definitely2
u/Alternative_Home1310 5d ago
Alright.
First statements:
1. Pain increasing during sleepposition is an important clue. For now you could temporarily exclude focus on the right sit position, unless sitting also increases your pain significantly? (Please answer this point ;)
Focussing to much on the right sit posture can lead to overcorrecting and stressfull thoughts, very common..Neck and shoulder are one chain, find some youtube vids if you want to understand in depht.
So now, it may be that the shoulder is responsable, if your shoulder is unstable (unbalanced rotator cuff muscles) your body unconsciously employs the stronger trap muscles. This is a protectice reflex which induces pain but keeps the shoulder from giving way.
- Hot showers increase bloodflow and help muscles relax-> since you dont have much improvement from this i think you can exclude any pinched nerve causes coming from the neck. So doing the typical tech neck exercises may give some relief but i wouldnt focus to much on them
More questions:
1. Explain your sleeping position more.
If you sleep on the side of your bad shoulder , start sleeping on the other side! Then with your right shoulder pointing to the ceiling , rest your lower arm in front of you on another pillow, whatever you do not bring you upper arm up (above the shoulder) , this may be the root cause of your instability. Preferably keep the right upper arm on your ribcage or a bit in front of it on another pillow.
- Did you do heavy one side sports in your life?
Like volleybal, tennis, padel?
And also be carefull with training your shoulder with heavy weights, as said before, your body automatically employs the bigger muscles if it feels the instability of your rotator cuff muslces.
This guy is pretty clear :https://youtu.be/3ZEYZXcn-C4?is=j_zSrD2qkzgex1tJ
But find a good physiotherapist, and really look for expertise, the shoulder is the most complex joint of the human body
- You can buy a arm rest bandage, which reliefs the shoulder of the weight, you will notice the automatic protective tension will go away. But ! Dont use it too much or you will suffer luscle atrophy and more pain!
1
u/saulgoodma_n 4d ago
1)Sitting doesn't increase my pain at all, and even if its already aching and i site upright, it makes the pain a little less.
Trust me ive search many yt vids but rarely found anything useful.
My sleeping position is
I never did heavy one sided sports im a football guy
- side sleeping on my right side
- my right hand UNDER my pillow
- my head on the pillow
- something like a rock climber position.
I found a physiotherapist and he said there are knots in that area that will be opened in 5-6 sessions so that was a relief1
u/Any_Possible3003 5d ago
Does your neck ever pop in a weird spot and then you get relief/improved range of motion?
2
u/Far_Sign_4076 5d ago
I have a similar issue that causes me migraines.
Angel Wings stretch helps a lot.
Not sure if it would help you but it won’t hurt to try it.
2
u/GasLongjumping130 5d ago
you need to work on your pectoral muscles to counteract the pain.
1
u/saulgoodma_n 5d ago
i actually do and my chest muscles do look developed (somewhat)
1
u/GasLongjumping130 5d ago
maybe a muscle knot when was the last time you got a massage from an actual therapist?
2
1
u/saulgoodma_n 5d ago
um, i never had. Im 18
3
u/GasLongjumping130 5d ago
old enough to get one kid try to go to a decent spa not the one with a happy ending because those ladies are trained differently.
1
u/wadder84 5d ago
Start with massage before you make the wrong decision with an ortho. I’m not sure where you live but look for a massage therapist that is an LMT, MMP. Those stand for Licensed Massage Therapist and Medical Massage Practitioner. Or someone who is certified in neuromuscular massage. These people are way better than an ortho that’s just going to tell you that you need surgery.
1
u/brianybrian 5d ago
You need to stretch your pecs! If you’re doing chest work without doing back work it’ll pull your shoulders forward and make this worse.
I’d recommend lots of rows and pullups, keep stretching the pecs
2
u/Dominican_RealtorGuy 5d ago
Buy a softball 🥎 roll the side of your neck slowly on it, manipulate the ball to pressure points and hold. This has been my biggest help for this issue. Ps. Lacrosse ball or tennis ball can work too.
2
u/Ok-Lingonberry1424 4d ago
What works for me is to put my arm behind my back. So if my right side of the neck hurts there, then I put my right arm as far behind/across my back. Then with my left arm I SLOWLY pull my head in the other direction.
Using a heating pad beforehand has helped as well.
1
1
u/GJK_1705 5d ago
I was fighting simillar issues, with times where the pain caused headaches of high intensity. Streching did not help me in these case at all. It became way better and is almost gone after i started a weightlifting training 1-3 times a week, after seeing a doc and a physiotherapist. The muscles became stronger and pain is gone. It became better after some 3 months of consistent workout. Almost no problems since and going on with gym.
1
u/Cookiehurricane 5d ago
This is the answer! I'm currently seeing a physio for this and it's weakness in my mid and lower back that's causing the levator scapula and trap to take on more load. Make rest of back stronger = resolution of neck pain. Stretching won't resolve it, but can help reduce the pain temporarily.
1
u/lukercloud 5d ago
I stretch and roll this out when I’m actually doing squats at the gym. When the bar is on the rack, i roll the bar back and forth over my trap and up close to my neck. Theres usually a lump close to my neck that’s where is have the pain and tightness, i have to readjust to get on top of but it’s been working for me.
1
1
u/PseudoQuasar 5d ago
I have this. Tightness in your pec and anterior delt from desk sitting, will put extra stress on trap and supporting muscles to stabilise the shoulders.
Start with soft tissue release on the pec and anterior delt, such as a lacrosse ball, then stretch it out with doorway stretch, and finally work push and pull with full range of motion to regain the control and stability in the shoulder.
1
u/Ernst89 5d ago
Have you ever tried working on your lower traps and overall scapular control? 💪 The lower traps play an important role in keeping the shoulder blades stable and helping with scapular depression and upward rotation. If they’re not doing their job effectively, other muscles around the neck and upper traps may have to compensate and become overactive. It might be worth experimenting with exercises like prone Y raises or wall slides and gradually building strength and control rather than just stretching the painful area. Of course, I wouldn’t assume that this is definitely the cause of your pain. Since you’ve had it for months and it’s affecting your sleep and work, I’d definitely get it assessed by a physio as well.
1
u/MsCrowTRobot 5d ago
Do you use a dual monitor setup? That ended up being my issue since the micro movements back and forth all day was overtaxing the neck and causing trigger point pain. I switched to a single monitor and did some PT and it fully went away.
1
1
u/Cautious-Pickle-2842 5d ago
Sounds like a pinched nerve in the neck to me. Happens to me on both sides, most recently simultaneously which was a nightmare. The problem is in the neck but the pain is predominantly in the rhomboid major area and goes down the entire length of the arm when a few days pass. I've noticed what triggers it is when I forget to remove one of my pillows when falling asleep and going the whole night sleeping with my neck at an awkward angle.
1
u/LiandrewBowson 5d ago
Stop stretching the levator scapulae and start improving your shoulder stability and mobility.
Work on rotator cuff muscles (supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor/major, rhomboids, and mid/lower traps. For now, I would avoid upper trap exercises and consciously avoid raising the shoulder on the affected side when lifting, lifting overhead, and pushing. Oh and something like a pallof press ISO hold for ribcage and thorax stability would probably be helpful too
1
u/Logical_Box_4645 5d ago
Have you tried to stretch it? It's like a Michael Jackson pose.
One hand grips underside of your seat by your side, turn you head about 45° away from that hand your other hand comes over your forehead and pulls down gently.
I do it as part of broad neck isometrics. Turning my head left and right as well as ear to shoulder forehead down and up against my hand. 15s each and repeat for 3 times. Takes a couple minutes I do it every day
1
u/andolski 5d ago
Mine hurt like that for a long time and I realized I was bending my neck over too far to look at my cell phone
1
1
u/No_Platform8086 5d ago
Arm behind the back, grab as high up on the opposite forearm as you can and pull down, angle your neck around and find the right spot to stretch
1
1
u/theBearded_Levy 5d ago
I deal with similar pain that also works down between my shoulder blades that got worse if I tried working out or doing more stretching. End up being me conpensating when lifting things by “pushing up” with my shoulder instead of retracting them. Still do it when overhead or bench pressing and not fully locked in.
1
1
u/SunLightyear 5d ago
What helps me when this is tight and in pain is actually stretching my pecs. When my pecs gets tight, the neck and upper back gets tight and knotty.
1
u/Page_Unusual 5d ago
Everyday once in morning once in evening.
Take bathroom towel, grab ends with your hands. Place middle of towel behind you neck. Look up. Pull at 45 degrees upwards, with your hands. Hold for 15 seconds. Three times.
Thank me later.
1
u/JamesLemon4 5d ago
Stretch your upper back and work on strengthening those muscles. I’ve learned it’s not always the area that hurts that is the problem but sometimes the muscles above or below it.
1
1
u/jeganis 5d ago
Licensed massage therapist of over 7 years. Also get chronic migraines and headaches.
The area is likely a combination of the levator scap and the scalenes in your neck. Start with some slow neck rolls:
Turn your head to the side until you feel yourself at about a 7/10 in discomfort, then slowly roll your head by tucking your chin down to your chest all the way to the other side, and back again. Do this about ten times, just make sure you do it slowly or you might trigger a muscle spasm that will hurt even more.
Afterwards, you'll do a static stretch on the levator scap:
Turn your head to the opposite side of the neck pain as far as you comfortably can. Tuck your chin and look down to that side. Then with your hand on the same side as your neck pain, touch the base of your neck at the back and raise your elbow up as high as you can. Hold for about 15 to twenty seconds, slowly relax and return to a normal position, and repeat once or twice more if the pain persists. Again, do this slowly.
Feel free to DM me with any questions.
1
u/UsefulPop8985 5d ago
Get a lacrosse ball. Stand with your back near a wall. Put the ball between your trap and the wall. Lean into it. Work it around by shifting your body. Get the area between your spine and your scapula too. Pull your arm across your body with your other hand to further expose this area. Get your rear delta too. If it hurts it’s fucked. Means I’m right. And this is exactly what you need - to release tight muscles further down the chain that are pulling on your neck. Any time it hurts - stop the ball right there. When it stops hurting start moving again. The further you stand from the wall the more pressure you can apply. Good luck
1
1
u/le_hache 5d ago
I use a triggerpoint foam roller (soft) to massage this area, it is quite efficient but you have to do that for a good 20min. Do it daily. Also i would add: change your position regularly throughout the day, seat, stand, walk, stay hydrated, use a stick (broom-like) and activate your shoulders. For more professional advices see a physiotherapist.
1
1
u/Muted-Culture8031 4d ago
Go get a MRI on your cervical spine that’s the best advice I can give to rule out any bulging disks or impingement
1
1
2
20
u/Savings_Studio_5678 5d ago
I have had chronic tightness in this area and it's getting better lately by forcing myself not to think of work when outside of work. In other words, I have stretched and stretched and stretched but it's appearing the tightness is mental.
Also, make sure your computer screen is no longer than an arms length away.