PT-Approved Stretches to Try Next Time Your Neck Feels Stiff or Tight

This content is brought to you in partnership with OrthoCarolina, one of the nation's leading orthopedic practices with offices across the Southeast. 

Photo Credit: Love Sweat Fitness

Do you often wake up with a stiff neck? Or do you experience neck pain or tightness after a day of working at a desk? Or perhaps you experience text neck from regularly looking down at your phone?

Whatever might be causing your sore neck, we've got just the thing for you: four easy stretches recommended by OrthoCarolina PT Ken Breath that will help to melt away tension and stiffness.

Simple Neck Stretches You Can Do Daily to Ease Neck Pain

Hold each of these stretches for 30 seconds for maximum benefit.

1. Ear to Shoulder 

One typically tight muscle is the upper trapezius (UT). To stretch it, simply tilt your head to the side — think ear toward shoulder — in order to feel a stretch on the opposite side of your neck. For example, tilting your right ear toward your right shoulder will stretch the left UT.

"It is important to ensure the shoulder of the side being stretched does not elevate up," Breath cautions. "I will often cue my patients to squeeze the shoulder down or hold the seat of the chair they may be sitting on."

So, in the example above, you'd squeeze your left shoulder down (or grab the chair you're sitting on with your left hand) while tilting your right ear toward your right shoulder.

Feel that? Ahhhh. Much better. 

2. Chin to Armpit 

The second muscle to stretch here would be the levator scapulae. To stretch it, look down and towards the side — tilting your chin toward your armpit.

If you're tilting your chin toward your right armpit, you'll feel the stretch in your left levator scapulae. Once again, Breath emphasizes the importance of keeping the left shoulder squeezed down or grabbing the chair you're sitting on with your left hand. 

"This stretch should be felt from the base of the skull towards the top of the shoulder blade," he says, also warning, "This also tends to be a muscle that easily gets trigger points in it."

So, be sure to complete this stretch on each side!

3. Collarbone Up-and-Over

Another commonly tight muscle you'll want to stretch is the sternocleidomastoid (SCM), which is in the front of the neck. To stretch it, place your index finger over the top of your opposite clavicle (aka collarbone), then look up and over your shoulder.

"This stretch is generally a little more intense and should be felt from the clavicle up towards the back of the head," Breath says. "As an alternative, the SCM can be stretched laying on a foam roller by dropping the head slightly off the side, then rotating."

4. Chin Tucks 

You should end this neck stretching sequence with chin tucks, as a way of retraining the deep neck flexors to hold the neck in a better postural position (read: improving your posture).

"In the presence of tight suboccipital muscles — at the base of the skull: a sight of frequent tension or migraine headaches — a stretch may be felt while retraining," Breath adds.

What's The Difference Between Neck Tightness & Neck Stiffness?

"With stiffness, the person often still has full range of motion. The muscle is stiff, but after a few minutes of exercise or stretching, normalizes back out. This is what most people experience in the morning when they first wake up from being in one position for a prolonged period, or the day after hard exercise," Breath explains. "In true tightness, range of motion is generally limited — and it may take several weeks of consistent stretching to re-lengthen the muscle, as it has lost some elasticity."

How Can You Avoid Neck Stiffness, Soreness, and Tightness?

"My recommendation for anyone that experiences neck stiffness or pain would be to stretch the neck and chest muscles then focal strengthening of the upper back and scapular stabilizers like the rhomboid and lower/middle traps," Breath starts.

He also recommends taking frequent breaks when working on a computer for extended periods to perform a few chin tucks or stretches.

"Generally speaking, try not to sleep on your stomach, as this puts the neck in extremes of rotation with combined extension," he says. "If you’re a side sleeper, a firmer pillow tends to be better. Softer pillows are best for supine (back) sleepers but the shoulders should be on the pillow, not just the head and neck which would push the neck into flexion."

Learn More About Making Healthy Choices From the Experts at OrthoCarolina

Whether you've recently experienced an injury, need help with recovery after tough workouts, or are simply experiencing chronic pain and need help managing it, OrthoCarolina can help. Make an appointment at a location near you to start getting the treatment you need.