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Neck Pain

Healing Neck Exercises in Yoga

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Neck Pain

There are a number of stretches in yoga which can help to balance tight neck and shoulder muscles.

There is also a number of strengthen yoga exercises that can help stability.

Causes for neck pain

1. Bad posture is a common cause of neck pain. How is your posture right now?

2. Tension and stress cause the neck muscles to contract sometimes for log periods of time. This is a major cause of neck pain.

3. Neck pain is quite common due to trauma or injury. Accidents involving whiplash neck injury may result in acute or chronic neck pain that takes months or even years to improve.

4. Prolonged overuse of muscles, tendons or discs in the neck area.

5. Pain that radiates down the arm is often a sign that a disc is herniated disc.

Neck Muscles Involved

Trapezius Muscles

Scalenus

Sternocleido-mastoid

Semispinalis Capitis

Spinalis Capitis

Splenius Cervicis

Levator Scapulae

Neck Pain Exercises

By Mark Giubarelli

Muscle strain occurs on anterior and posterior muscles during whiplash meaning muscles could be injured on the front or back of the neck. The posterior muscles are much more prone to greater damage during whiplash.

Areas that are most effected by whiplash are neck muscles as well as the mid-back muscles.

Shoulder pain is another very common symptom of whiplas

The Cat Flow in yoga can often balance the neck muscles when done properly. To do this come on to your hands and knees and inhale as you raise the belly up (tucking the chin to the chest) and exhale belly down (looking forward).

Lying on your back stretch your
arms out sideways (not over the top of the head as shown). Begin to move your head from side to side. Turning it gently. Repeat the motion until your neck feels relaxed and balanced.

Yoga poses to Avoid with neck pain

The Shoulderstand pose is a pose that causes tremendous weight and strain on the neck. You may want to avoid it in yoga classes if you have a neck injury.

Yoga Pose modification for neck pain

If you perform it halfway up it poses no danger to the neck. (The picture below shows the full shoulderstand. Halfway has a bend in the hips. The weight is transferred to the shoulders rather than the neck. This means the other benefits still occur from the pose)

The Fish Pose

The Fish pose is quite hard on the neck. It should be avoided if a serious neck issue is present.

It may be argued that this pose is a neck strengthening pose and strengthening the neck muscles leads to a healthier neck.

If you choose to perform this pose it may be better to do it with a cushion underneath your shoulders. This way the stretching benefits can be achieved without pressure on the neck.

The Fish Pose (Var.)

This version of Fish pose opens the upper back. It is easier on the neck than the fish above but is not recommended for those with a serious neck issue.

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