5 Effective Ways to Relieve Neck and Shoulder Pain

Todd Heslin
2016-08-08T13:15:00+10:00

You should really be aware of how you move and take care of your body. Here are some ways that you can be more aware of your body and why you’re feeling pain.

Reach For Objects In Front Of You

People constantly reach for things outside of their physical comfort zone. This is basically the area directly in front of and to the side of you without the need to twist or turn your body.

If you need to reach for something behind you then you should get up out of your chair or spin your chair around. You should never reach directly behind you and twist your arms behind you.

Think about where you leave the things you use the most. Where do you leave your phone, binders and pens? Do you keep them on your desk or are they behind you? Do you always reach behind you or shift out of your chair to get them?

When you pull out your phone do you need to twist your body to do so? Is it possible for you to just bring everything closer to you?

Take a step back and consider how you can make things easier for you. Making small changes to your desk makes the day go by easier and leaves you feeling productive and gives you a real sense of freedom. Of course the extra comfort is an added bonus.

Massage

The tension that builds up in your neck and shoulders can be alleviated with a good massage. Because the body is like a machine where all the individual parts work together you should get a professional full body massage every so often. In today’s world it’s more of a necessity to get a great massage.

You can also massage yourself if you’d like. Make your own massage oil by mixing essential oils and sesame oil and rub it into the areas you want to massage. This oil makes a muscle massage easier and more effective. There are also a number of massage tools you can use.

Neck Stretches

Just stretching your neck to the left and right can help get rid of built up tension and encourage oxygen to flow through your neck again. You should massage your neck first if it’s particularly tight before doing a gentle stretch. It’s best to stretch in a warm room because it works best on warm muscles. If your neck is tight then avoid stretching in a cold or drafty room.

Let Your Arms Hang By Your Side

You should take a 10-15 second break every 10-15 minutes. You need to take time to let your shoulders recover several times an hour for a few seconds rather than doing it a few times a day for several minutes. This makes it easier for your shoulders to recover after a day of non-stop computer work.

Stand Up

Take a short break every hour or so to give your body a chance to rest. Working on a computer takes a bigger toll on the body that you’d expect. Walk around the house or office. Take a little bit of water. Shrug your shoulders a few times to get rid of the tension. Chat to one of your co-workers. There’s a good chance they could do with a short break themselves!