
There was a time when I regularly woke up in the morning with neck pain. Once, on holiday, the pain was so bad I could barely lift my head off the pillow. I thought my acute neck pain was due to wrong pillows: too low, too high, going down during the night. I would do gentle neck stretches during the day and wait for it to pass. One time, during the first lockdown, I started to have nerve pain going down one arm and into my thumb. Since then I have researched neck pain more seriously. I am happy to say that even though I have to be careful, I don’t wake up with neck pain any more, not even on holiday. The nerve tingling and numbness in my arm and thumb have disappeared. In this blog I am sharing my insights and hope it will help you to prevent, manage and relieve acute or chronic neck pain.
Warmth
Firstly, especially when your neck hurts or feels fragile and you live in a cold climate, keep your neck warm. Tight muscles respond well to warmth. You can use heat pads, cherry pit cushions, or scarves to give this sensitive area some extra care.

Wrong pillow?
Although pillows were never the cause of my neck troubles, I have to admit that my ideal pillow now does help to support my neck during the night. For me, a memory pillow in a so-called ‘butterfly shape’ provides a better sleeping position. The best pillow will depend on your sleeping habits. When sleeping on your side, make sure to fill up the space between the mattress and your head, so that your head is not leaning downwards. If you sleep on your back, a thinner pillow will be best. Sleeping on your front is not good if you have back pain. However, if you do sleep on your front, it’s best not to use any pillow.
An awkward sleeping position is most likely just the last straw for the neck muscles. Having tightened during the day, they can go into spasm more easily during the night. Rather than blaming the pillow, however, we must take a close look at our posture.

Posture
The worst position for the neck muscles is a forward head posture. A head weighs about 4 to 5kg, which is no problem if the weight is well balanced on the neck. However, with every inch that the head is held forward, the neck and upper back muscles have to carry an extra 4 to 5kg. Just imagine how hard the neck and upper back muscles have to work when the head is habitually held a few inches forward, or slightly to one side. The neck muscles don’t only tighten up, but they will also compromise the cervical spine, possibly causing a disc herniation, arthritis or other painful conditions.
The cause of my neck pain was a forward head posture, a tendency that was caused by my work, looking at students on the mat and working on a laptop. I have written more about this in another blog: https://beneyoga.co.uk/prioritising-neck-care/.
To reverse a forward head posture involves more than just placing the head and neck in a better alignment. We have to work with the upper back and shoulders as well. Nevertheless, the #1 tip is to always feel like the crown of your head is being pulled upwards towards the sky. This lengthens your neck and relaxes the shoulders. Also make sure that your chin is relaxing downward towards the throat so the back of your neck feels long. Look in the mirror to see if your head isn’t slightly to the side or held forward. Keep imagining the string that pulls your head up throughout the day.

Stress
If you hold your head forward habitually, and your neck muscles have to work harder to carry your head, the neck can become a weak area, an ideal location to become even tighter with stress. This is where breathing techniques and relaxation come in, as they help us deal with mental and emotional stress.
To heal neck pain, we need a whole toolbox of movements, daily posture awareness and relaxation techniques. The stretches described below can be a good start, but they have to be supported by other yoga practices. If you would like to discuss how yoga therapy can help you, please contact me here: https://beneyoga.co.uk/book-a-free-consultation-call/.
Neck stretches for acute or chronic neck pain
Daily neck stretches can help you ease muscular tightness. It’s important to practise slowly and gently. If your neck pain is acute, be sure not to stretch into pain. If a stretch hurts it is counterproductive and this is never more true than for the neck. So always stop before you start feeling pain. Working within the comfort range will put muscles at ease and they will heal more quickly. Also stop before you feel numbness or tingling. These sensations are a sign that a nerve was touched and it’s important to avoid that.
Practising the exercises in front of a mirror is a good idea, because with chronically tight neck muscles we lose some sense of where our head is in space. For example, you may think that you stretch one ear down to the shoulder but if you look properly it’s more the chin that goes to the shoulder. I see this all the time in my classes.
Never, ever do neck rolls or half neck rolls. The cervical vertebrae are not made for this movement and it won’t heal your neck, on the contrary.
Sit straight and keep your shoulders relaxed while doing the following exercises. Imagine a heavy coat weighing the shoulders down.
Finally, breathe mindfully to get the most out of the stretches.
Neck Rotation
Exhale and look over to the right, inhale back to the centre, exhale turn the head to look left. Repeat slowly and let the length of your breath guide the movement.

Neck extension and flexion
Exhale and lower the chin towards the throat, focusing on the movement of the head. Inhale and lift the chin up. Repeat a few more times, and feel the back of the neck lengthen as the chin moves down. This may release chronically tight muscles at the back of your neck.

Lateral stretch
Exhale while bringing the right ear to the right shoulder, inhale back to the centre and exhale to the other side. Repeat a few times on each side. If it feels ok you can stay four to five breaths on each side.

The breath, the attention and carefulness are key for these practices. If you worry about doing them correctly, or about recurrent neck pain, yoga therapy sessions may be the answer. There are more movements that benefit the neck. Private sessions can determine which practices are right for you and how to do them correctly. Neck pain must be viewed in the context of the entire body and the alignment of the spine. You can contact me here for a free consultation: https://beneyoga.co.uk/book-a-free-consultation-call/.
Namaste