Stretching, self-massage... Here are four tips to relieve neck pain

Romain Rouillard 5:27 p.m., November 09, 2022

Almost everyone knows this unpleasant feeling of stiffness in the neck and cervical.

Common pains that are explained by the large number of muscles and nerve connections that pass through this part of the body and that attach to the base of the skull.

They are used in particular to support the weight of our head and are therefore used very frequently. 

What lead to a certain muscular fatigue which results in pain.

This Wednesday, in the program

on Europe 1, the sports columnist, Anouk Garnier, offers four tips to combat this discomfort on a daily basis.

Exercise the rib cage

Anouk Garnier recommends in the first place this "long-term solution" which consists of "putting the chest forward" and "inflating the abdomen" before releasing.

All while slightly arching his back before rounding it.

An exercise that acts directly on the neck, according to the columnist.

"It will allow you to relax and work on the mobility of this area", she adds to Mélanie Gomez and Julia Vignali.

Rotate your upper body

Anouk Garnier then suggests rotating her upper back.

"We will try to create rotations to the right then to the left. You can do it in a seated position", she specifies.

A trick that ensures muscle strengthening that is necessary to apply regularly. 

Self-massage 

The sports coach continues with a solution to relieve pain "immediately".

“In particular, you have small devices that automatically massage you and that you put on your neck,” she underlines.

The use of a "massage roller" may also be relevant.

"You can lie on your back, put your neck on the roller and move," she describes. 

>>

- Running regularly, strengthening your muscles... Three tips for gaining endurance

If you do not have any tool of this type, it is quite possible to locate muscle tension in the neck with your fingers.

"Once you find it, you press it with your fingers. It hurts but at the same time it feels good. And while holding it down, you will turn your head and move your shoulders and it will help you relax" , she says.

A manipulation to be performed "one to two minutes on each side". 

A stretch to repeat regularly 

Finally, Anouk Garnier evokes the idea of ​​a "little regular stretch" that can be repeated several times during the day.

"You're sitting down and you're going to tilt your head to the side. So you pull your ear in the direction of your shoulder. And if you feel it's not pulling enough, you can put your hand behind it and press gently without creating too much weight ". 

>>

- Stretching, sport and good position: how to fight (simply) against back pain?

Finally, the columnist advises not to wait for the pain to develop to perform these exercises.

"Often we wait to be stuck, to have a stiff neck and not be able to move. So don't wait," she concludes.