Many people suffer from neck pain. I encounter men and women weekly who complain about chronic neck pain and stress. Whether it be a mom who is constantly having to pick up her small child, the artist who is working with his hands all day or the executive who is sitting at her desk for 12 hours daily, neck pain is an all too familiar ailment. It is often exacerbated when performing exercise.
There is still very little research in the area as to why people experience musculoskeletal disorders. It is often considered to be a strength issue from living a sedentary lifestyle. It is always best to get a physical before pursuing any path of self-diagnosed treatment.
I stumbled up on a research document earlier this year from the National Research Centre for the Working Environment, a Danish organization. The NRCWE carried out an investigation on the rehabilitation of neck muscle pain. Individuals, who were otherwise healthy but complaining of severe pains from the neck/shoulder region and who were still actively working, participated in the study.
The results of the investigation have proven positive. The participants were given a series of exercises and a protocol to follow daily. I have not only reviewed the exercises but I have used them. They are effective for pain relief and strengthening the affected area, but only if you adhere to the program. It is worth sharing.
You say goodbye to neck & shoulder pain with 5 Exercises.
1. Shoulder elevation/ Shrugs
2. 1-arm row
3. Upright row
4. Reverse Flye
5. Shoulder Abduction/ Lateral Raise
Optimally, these exercises should be performed 3 times per week, alternating between
a. exercises 1, 2, and 5 on one day
b. exercises 1, 3, and 4 on another day.
You can alternate the third day on every other week.
At the beginning, you should perform 2 sets of each exercise with 12 repetitions and stay with same weight. You then increase, as you feel ready, to 3 sets.
After 4 weeks, you can reduce the number of repetitions on the last sets to 8-10 repetitions, in order to further increase the weight.
In general, you increase the weight as soon as you feel it is manageable to execute all 3 sets with the given number of repetitions.
I highly recommend you go on the site and take a look. There are videos for you to view the exercises both from the front and side profile. Movement is best learned when you can see the motion and not a still capture. On a personal note, I don’t love the form demonstrated but I think it is fair enough. There is also a detailed breakdown of each exercise and a diary in the form of a Microsoft Excel spread sheet you can download to chart the exercises and record your progress.
Holistic remedies I believe are the best route to follow before we consider medication or surgery. If you have an opportunity to heal yourself why not take it? By the way, you don’t have to be in pain to adhere to the above exercises. You can consider incorporating this into your routine as a form of prevention.
EXERCISE CONSCIOUSLY.
Erwin R. Gonzalez
Workout Source: Rehabilitation of neck/shoulder muscle pain (RAMIN)
