Neck stretches can aid in the relief and prevention of pain along with proper exercises

An important part of the neck exercises in part 1 of this article are the stretches that follow.

After you have become familiar with the neck exercises you may begin to incorporate stretches as part of your rehab.

From the retracted/chin tucked in position look up and slowly extend the head back. You should feel a nice stretch in the front of the neck. Hold this position for 20 seconds then slowly rotate your head turning to the right, back to center and then to the left. Repeat the turning 5 times to each side then slowly return your head to a straight position.

It is important not to force these stretches. Let the weight of the head guide the neck stretch and do not use muscles to force the head back or to the sides.

Stop if you feel sharp pain or any dizziness. If you have any balance problems you may do the neck stretches while sitting in a stable chair.

Do not lean back or push the head forward; just tilt the head up and remember this stretch is done after the head retraction so that the ears are over she shoulders in the start position.

When rotating the head to the sides, think of your nose turning and pointing about an inch or two from center to the right and left depending on your comfort and experience level. You may experience some crackling or popping sounds in your neck while doing the rotation stretches and this is normal, especially when first doing them.

You may use heat to warm up the neck before exercising and stretching. You should feel a gentle pull with no strain anywhere else in the body. Relax into the position and after about 10 seconds you should be able to stretch a little further to the full 20 seconds. Breathe slowly and deeply to aid in relaxation. Don't overdo it. Start out doing 2 repetitions of the stretches twice per day and then increase to as needed.

Once these exercises are mastered we can begin to do strengthening exercises for neck pain to improve the function of some weak muscles associated with neck pain.

As part of a daily routine and along with neck posture considerations, neck stretches, when done judiciously with quality of movement more important than quantity, can help to relieve pain and help prevent it's recurrence.