Neck Stretches September 3, 2016
By Taylor Norris RMT at unionwellness.ca
Stretching disclaimer: stretching should not hurt, you may feel some discomfort, tension, or gradual release, but there should never be pain. If there is pain, reduce the amount of pressure being used or leave that stretch for another day.
Muscles should be warm prior to stretching, i.e. either right out of a warm shower or 1-2 min. of gentle self-massage to the area about to be stretched or after gentle exercise warm up. Try to hold stretches for at least 30 seconds to 1 minute and to do each stretch at least three times a day, either all at once or spaced throughout the day.
Sub occipital stretch, aka ‘chin tuck’
The sub occipital muscles lie at the back of the head where the skull meets the spine. They are small, but often need a good stretch just the same. Tucking in the chin, and if possible, a bit of forward flexion of the neck is an excellent way to stretch and relieve strain from these often tired and overworked tiny but mighty muscles.
Upper traps stretch aka ‘chin to chest’ stretch
One other stretch to accompany the chin tuck is an upper trap(ezius) stretch, aka ‘chin to chest’ stretch. Upper traps attach at the back of the skull as well and it too can become overworked easily, especially these days with all the time we tend to spend sitting and working with electronic devices. For this stretch simply try to bring your chin to meet the centre of your upper chest. If you see fit, a little over pressure to deepen the stretch created by placing one hand behind your head and gently guiding the head and therefore the chin closer down to try and meet the centre of the chest as best you can, without causing pain.
Next Saturday (Sept. 10) will either be more neck stretches or a surprise!
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