7 stretches for neck pain a physical therapist recommends Gentle moves to do at home, and when to see a doctor

Most neck pain comes from tight, tired muscles and stiff joints, often from long hours at a desk, behind the wheel or looking down at a phone. The neck stretches for pain and stiffness below are the ones our physical therapists teach most often. They are gentle, need no equipment, and take about ten minutes.

Before you try these stretches for neck pain: a safety note

• Move slowly. Stretch to a mild, comfortable pull and hold it. Do not bounce or force the range.
• Stop if a stretch causes sharp pain, or if you feel numbness, tingling, weakness or pain running down an arm, dizziness, or changes in your vision.
• Skip these stretches and see a doctor first if your neck pain started after a car accident, a fall or a sports collision.
• Pain that is a little worse during a stretch but settles within a few minutes is usually fine. Pain that is worse the next day means you did too much; ease off.

Hold times below are a common starting point. Your physical therapist may change them for you.

1. Chin tuck

This is the stretch in our video above. Sit or stand tall with your back straight and your shoulder blades back. Gently draw your chin straight back, as if making a double chin, without tipping your head down or up. Hold for 10 seconds, then relax. Repeat 5 to 10 times.

In the video, our therapist explains the goal: to loosen the top of the neck so the lower neck carries less pressure. "You should feel the stretch right in the upper neck," our therapist tells the patient, and the motion should be small and level. "You don't want to bring the head down."

2. Side bend (upper trapezius stretch)

Sit tall and hold the edge of your chair with your right hand to keep that shoulder down. Slowly tip your left ear toward your left shoulder until you feel a stretch along the right side of your neck. Hold 20 to 30 seconds. Repeat 2 to 3 times on each side.

3. Levator scapulae stretch

Turn your head about halfway to the left, then gently look down toward your left armpit. You should feel a stretch at the back of the right side of your neck, near the shoulder blade. Hold 20 to 30 seconds, 2 to 3 times on each side.

4. Neck rotation

Sitting tall, slowly turn your head to look over one shoulder as far as is comfortable. Hold 5 to 10 seconds, return to center, and turn the other way. Repeat 5 times each side. Keep your chin level.

5. Shoulder blade squeeze

With your arms relaxed at your sides, squeeze your shoulder blades back and slightly down, as if tucking them into your back pockets. Hold 5 seconds and relax. Repeat 10 times. This works the muscles that help you hold good posture without strain.

6. Doorway chest stretch

Stand in a doorway with your forearms on the frame, elbows at about shoulder height. Step one foot forward slowly until you feel a stretch across your chest. Hold 20 to 30 seconds, 2 to 3 times. Tight chest muscles pull the shoulders forward, which adds load to the neck.

7. Shoulder rolls

Lift your shoulders up toward your ears, roll them back, then let them drop down. Repeat 10 slow circles. This is a good reset during a long day at the computer or on the phone.

Fix the position that causes the pain

Stretching helps, but lasting neck pain relief comes when you also change what strains your neck. In one of our videos below, a clinician shows the slumped, head-down positions most of us fall into and warns that the "added weight onto your neck could cause a lot of extra pain." In another, a therapist gives her biggest tip: "phone to face, don't bring your face to your phone."

• Raise your phone or tablet toward eye level instead of looking down.
• Set your computer screen at eye level and keep the keyboard close.
• Take a short movement break every 30 to 60 minutes.
• Use a pillow that keeps your neck level with your body when you sleep on your side.

When to see a doctor

See a physician or physical therapist if your neck pain:

• Started after a car accident, fall or sports injury (read about whiplash after a car accident)
• Comes with numbness, tingling or weakness in an arm or hand
• Has not improved after one to two weeks of gentle stretching and activity changes
• Wakes you at night or keeps getting worse
• Comes with frequent headaches

Go to an emergency room or call 911 for neck pain with a fever and severe headache, trouble walking or loss of balance, loss of bladder or bowel control, or chest pain, shortness of breath or pain spreading into the jaw or left arm.

How we treat neck pain at Precision Care

An evaluation looks for the cause first: muscle strain, stiff joints, a disc pressing on a nerve, arthritis or a whiplash injury. Our physical therapy at the Brooklyn and Staten Island offices combines hands-on manual therapy, exercise, kinesiology taping and, when it fits, cervical traction (here is how mechanical traction works). In one of our videos, a therapist works on a tight upper trapezius muscle "nice and slow," so a patient can drive without shooting pain.

When pain does not settle, our physicians evaluate and treat at all three offices. Depending on the cause, that can include EMG and nerve conduction testing, trigger point injections or a cervical epidural injection. Our neck pain page covers the options in more detail.

Related care at Precision Care

Where to get neck pain treatment near you

For physical therapy for neck pain, our Brooklyn office, serving patients from Bensonhurst, Coney Island and Brighton Beach, has physical therapists Zoya Reznik, DPT, OCS and Maggie (Yi) Zhang, DPT, with physical therapist assistants Dennis Furman, PTA and Leila Nahmoud, PTA. Our Staten Island office, serving patients from New Dorp, Great Kills and Midland Beach, has physical therapists Victoria Lynn Kain, DPT and Nicholas “Nick” Ursini, DPT. Physical therapy is not offered at the Midtown Manhattan office.

If you need a neck pain doctor, Ashley Marcus, MD sees patients in Brooklyn, Jake Stephen, DO on Staten Island, and Yuri Gordin, MD at the Precision Care Spine & Pain Center in Midtown Manhattan, serving patients from Spanish Harlem, Washington Heights and Turtle Bay. Request an appointment or call the office closest to you.

Questions patients ask

Educational only, not medical advice. These videos and this article explain common problems and treatments in general terms. They are not a diagnosis or a treatment plan for you. Results vary from person to person. See a qualified clinician about your own symptoms, and call 911 or go to an emergency room for an emergency.

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