Causes of Neck and Shoulder pain and How Yoga can help with pain relief
Practicing specific yoga poses for neck and shoulders can help relieve pain and tension. According to Healthline, neck and shoulder pain are extremely common and may be caused by several reasons. Below are a few common causes for neck and shoulder pain:
- Soft tissue injury
- Whiplash (often from car accidents)
- Pinched nerve
- Poor sleeping position and posture
- Shoulder separation
- Holding the neck in one position for extended periods of time
For full article on the causes of neck and shoulder pain written by Healthline, please click here.
Yoga can greatly help relieve the tension, compression and pain from the shoulders and neck, as it helps to stretch out the muscles in those areas. For best results, practice the following poses on a regular basis for approximately 1-3 minutes per pose.
Best 5 Yoga Stretches for Neck & Shoulder Pain Relief
Ear to Shoulder Stretch
How to get into this pose:
- Start in a comfortable seated position
- Take a deep inhale and bring your right hand right above your left ear
- As you exhale, drop your right ear towards the right shoulder
- Extend your left arm out, away from you. Begin to walk your finger tips away from your hips for a deeper stretch
- Keep both shoulders relaxed and stay here for 10-15 deep and grounding breaths
- Return back to center and do the same thing on the opposite side
Chin to Chest Stretch
How to get into pose:
- Start in a comfortable seated position
- Interlace your fingers behind your head, and place the palms on the back of your head
- Take a deep inhale, lengthen through your back and on your exhale, drop the chin towards the chest.
- Use your hands as an extra weight for your head
- Stay here for 10-15 breaths (or longer if you wish). This will give you a nice stretch in the back of your neck and along your spine
Thread the Needle
How to get into this pose:
- Start at table top position, ensuring that your wrists are right under your shoulders, and your knees are right under the hips
- Take a deep inhale, bring you right arm up towards the ceiling, and on your exhale, thread the right arm under the left arm
- Bring your right ear on the mat, and rest your right shoulder on the ground
- You may keep your left arm in front of you or place it on your lower back
- Stay here for 10-15 breaths and gently return back to table top and do the same thing on the opposite side
Standing Forward Fold
How to get into this pose:
- Start in a standing position, with your feet hips distance apart and your hands on your hips
- On your inhale lengthen through the back, and as you exhale fold forward
- Drop your arms on the mat in front of you and allow your neck and shoulders to fully relax
- Add a gentle bend in the knees and relax your shoulders
- Use your inhales to lengthen and exhales to go further into this pose
- Stay here for 10-15 breaths and whenever you are ready to come out, slowly roll yourself up one vertebrae at a time, head and chin come up last
Backward Hand Clasp
How to get into this pose:
- Start in a comfortable seated position
- Bring your hands behind you and interlace your fingers
- Take a deep inhale, lengthen through the back and on your exhale, squeeze the shoulder blades in together
- Try to keep the elbows parallel with one another and take 10-15 deep breaths
- If you can’t interlace your fingers, you can use a towel or a strap for extra length
Bottom Line
Yoga can greatly benefit with neck and shoulder pain. As mentioned above, for best results, practice these gentle yoga stretches several times a week. Please be sure to check out an article about lower back pain as well to learn about which yoga poses can help manage and reduce lower back aches.