On the bright side, you can ease the pain and soothe your neck in just one minute with the stretch below:
Lateral Neck Flexion with Arm Abduction
Passively dropping your head to the side (lateral neck flexion, Step 1) will provide some pain relief, while actively wrapping the opposite hand around your head and pulling down (Step 2) offers even more. For the most relief and deepest stretch, walk out your fingers on your lead arm (Step 3).
The key is doing these steps gradually and in order. Your neck is fragile, and those nerves don't take kindly to being pulled aggressively. That’s why we spend 10 seconds at a time in each step, gently intensifying the stretch.
Perform this one-minute stretch two or three times a day on any day your neck is feeling especially tight.
Step 1: Tilt your head to the side, taking your left ear towards your left shoulder. Hold here for 10 seconds before transitioning to Step 2.
Step 2: Wrap your left hand over your head to grip. Apply a little pressure. If that feels fine, apply a little more. Hold here for 10 seconds before adding Step 3.
Step 3: With two peace fingers on your right hand, walk your right arm out away from you. As you inch your arm away, be sure to keep your right shoulder dropped to relax your upper traps! Hold here for 10 seconds.
Repeat on the other side.
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