Learn What Does. The 4 Easiest Neck Exercises to Fix Neck Pain

Stretching the tight muscles in your neck does not work because it doesn't address the underlying imbalance. In this video Dr. Brant Pedersen (DC) will teach you how neck pain is related to a pattern of tight vs. weak muscles and how both must be addressed to get lasting neck pain relief.

Most neck pain has one root cause. When that underlying cause is understood and addressed then a lasting solution can usually be found. The neck pain relief exercises taught in this video bring lasting balance to the neck and upper back.

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Links for products noted in this video (affiliate link):
Trigger Point Ball: https://amzn.to/49Jx5rr
CLX Exercise Band: https://amzn.to/3wph1wA
Foam Roller: https://amzn.to/42OapnE

Chapters
00:00 Introduction
00:30 What Causes Chronic Neck Tightness?
03:00 What is Upper Crossed Syndrome?
03:57 Exercise #1: Deep Neck Flexor Strengthening
07:00 Exercise #2: Brugger's Exercise
09:28 Exercise #3: Trigger Point Ball Massage at Pectoralis Muscles
12:08 Exercise #4: Static Thoracic Spine Extensions over a Foam Roller
15:35 Bonus Exercise: Trigger Point Ball at Upper Trapezius

Dr. Pedersen talks through the underlying imbalance, called Upper Crossed Syndrome, that is the cause of most neck pain and poor posture. He then gives two novel ways to stretch those tight tissues.

The tight muscles are paired with weak or inhibited muscles. In the case of upper crossed syndrome those are the deep neck flexor muscles and the scapular retractor / extensor muscles of the back. Dr. Pedersen teaches how to strengthen those muscles at home.

The first neck pain relief exercise demonstrated is strengthening the deep neck flexor muscles while lying on your back. The chin is brought in as the head is slowly lifted off the mat as if looking down towards your feet. That motion is slowly reversed as the head is gently brought back down to the mat, making sure to keep the chin tucked throughout the entire motion.

The second exercise to fix neck pain is Brugger's exercise. This home exercise utilizes an elastic band (Theraband CLX band) to strengthen the extensor muscles of the mid back, posterior shoulder, tricep, wrist extensors, and finger extensor muscles. It is performed slowly with a focus on activation of these often overlooked postural extension muscles.

Next, Dr. Pedersen teaches a stretch for the pectoralis muscles. These powerful arm and trunk flexor muscles get tight and shortened with today's flexion-biased postures, like working on the computer and spending time on your phone. A trigger point ball is used to gently massage the entirety of the pectoralis major and minor muscles first pushing the ball with your hands and progressing to using a wall against the ball o increase the pressure.

Dr. Pedersen then teaches how to use a foam roller to help improve spinal joint motion into extension to help improve posture. This exercise that uses a foam roller also helps the upper back position to improve scapular biomechanics.

Lastly, Dr. Pedersen teaches a bonus exercise using a trigger point ball at the upper trapezius muscles to work on this common myofascial trigger point. The exercise is done at the corner of a wall to help get a release of this often overly tight neck muscle.