(Photo: Andrew Clark) Gomukhasana ( Cow Face Pose) Repeat as many times as needed (10–20 inhales and exhales is a good number to go for), following the pace of your breath. Release your head toward the floor, but don’t force your chin to your chest.

Lift your head to look straight forward.Īs you exhale, round your spine toward the ceiling, making sure to keep your shoulders and knees in position. Center your head in a neutral position, eyes looking at the floor.Īs you inhale, lift your sitting bones and chest toward the ceiling, allowing your belly to sink toward the floor. Make sure your knees are set directly below your hips and your wrists, elbows, and shoulders are in line and perpendicular to the floor. Start on your hands and knees in Tabletop position. If you have neck pain, ensure that you keep your head in line with your torso and broaden across your shoulder blades to keep your shoulders drawn away from your ears. Clothing: Calia) Marjariasana / Bitilasana (Cat-Cow Pose)Ĭat-Cow is a great way to warm up your spine at the beginning of your practice while stretching your neck, front torso, and back. 7 Poses to relieve neck and shoulder pain (Photo: Andrew Clark. Start with a few neck stretches and then move on to these poses to help improve your posture, balance muscles, and release tension. Asana has been shown to improve chronic neck pain and can help reduce stress and strain on shoulders. Yoga can help regardless of whether your pain originates in your neck or shoulders. If you don’t properly strengthen and protect them, they can become unstable and prone to injury.

Your shoulders are your body’s most mobile ball-and-socket joints. So when neck and shoulder pain strikes, it isn’t always clear if the problem is in your neck or your shoulders. Your neck and shoulders are connected through several nerve pathways as well as through tendons and muscles. looking down at a phone)-you can get headaches, pain, nerve pain in your arms and limited range of movement. When your cervical spine’s natural curve is flattened-either from repetitive movements or from continually being in a certain position (i.e. Your cervical spine protects your spinal cord, supports your head movements, and allows arteries to carry blood to your brain, which is why your neck needs to be able to flex and move naturally.

C1 connects to your skull and C7 connects to your thoracic spine at the top of your shoulders. Your neck is made up of your cervical spine, or vertebrae C1 through C7. Not working all of your muscle groups while strength training can also cause imbalances and pain. For example, hunching over a computer or cell phone can cause poor posture and put stress on your neck, shoulders and upper back. But more often than not, the discomfort is a result of movement (or lack of movement) in your daily routine. Plenty of things can cause neck and shoulder pain, from medical conditions to lifestyle factors (think: your sleeping position). It’s true: one study found up to 70 percent of adults will experience neck pain severe enough to interfere with daily activities at some point during their lifetime. But constantly looking down and tensing your muscles while scrolling can cause neck and shoulder pain and stiffness, and throw your posture out of whack. We depend on our phones, tablets, and laptops for work, connecting with family and friends, even getting dinner the table. Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members!

Desk yoga for neck and shoulders