How to Straighten Your Neck and Back : Leaning your neck forward is an incorrect posture that can cause chronic pain, paralysis of the upper limbs, poor breathing, and even nerve compression. This is because the cervical spine is subject to an additional 4.5 kg of pressure every time the neck is tilted forward by 2.5 cm! Many people do not realize that their neck posture is incorrect. Let ’s do a test against the wall to see if using your computer for a long time, watching TV, or incorrect sleeping position affects your cervical spine. Then do specific exercises to stretch and strengthen the muscles to reduce muscle tension and other symptoms caused by the forward leaning of the neck.

How to Straighten Your Neck and Back : Best Remedies 2021

Method 1: Test whether the posture is correct against the wall

01: Stand against the wall.

Both heels and shoulders are wide, buttocks are tight against the wall. The scapula should also hit the wall, which is more important than whether the top of the shoulder is attached to the wall. Must Read : How to Treat Stiff Neck

You may need to pinch the shoulder blades slightly in the middle to get them into a more natural posture and stick against the wall. This action is sometimes referred to as opening the chest.
After posing your body, pay attention to your head posture. Pay attention to whether the back of the head touches the wall. If not, it means the neck is leaning forward, which is probably caused by the weakness of the neck muscles.

02: Hold the back of the head against the wall and pose with the correct head.

Pretend to have a rope running through the cervical spine from the top of the head. Lift the rope upward and extend the neck like a swan. As the muscles on the back of the neck extend, the chin tightens backwards and toward the back of the neck. This is the correct posture for the head and neck.

Don’t just lean your head back, increase the neck curvature to support your head. This posture is also incorrect. The neck and back muscles must be stretched.

03: Stay in this position for a minute.

This is the correct head posture, and let the body remember it firmly. Always stand against the wall and check your posture changes.

Method 2: Relax your tight muscles by Stretching

01: Use a massage ball to relax the occipital muscles.

The occipital muscle is a small muscle located at the bottom of the skull, just above the neck and head junction. Many times, the stiff neck and pain are caused by occipital muscle tightness, and sometimes headache and dizziness.

The best way to relax the muscles here is to massage them with balls. You can use tennis balls, squash, small foam shafts or other similar shapes. Lie flat on the ground, face up, and place the ball under the neck, on one side of the cervical spine, directly facing the bottom of the skull.

Swing your head left and right to make the ball roll back and forth in different parts. Do this for 5 minutes and massage on both sides.

02: Frequently pull the muscles on the back of the neck.

Stand up straight. Close your chin down to your chest. Cross your hands and fingers and put them behind your head. Do not pull the head down with force, but use the weight of the arm to gently press down to stretch the muscles on the back of the neck.

Hold for 30 seconds. Repeat 3 times or more.

03: Stretch the muscles on both sides of the neck.

Stand upright or sit upright. Keep your nose forward and your right ear close to your right shoulder. Put your right hand on the side of your head and gently stretch the left side of your neck by the weight of your arm. Do not pull the head down with force, but gently pull by the weight of the arm.

If you have hunched back and your shoulders are bent forward, you can bend your left elbow when your head is tilted to the right, and bring your left arm to your back with your palm facing outward.
Stretch each side for 30 seconds and repeat 3 times.

04: Relax the sternocleidomastoid muscles on both sides of the neck.

his strong muscle extends from behind the ear to the middle of the larynx and connects to the sternum end of the clavicle. The sternocleidomastoid muscles on both sides are exactly V-shaped when viewed from the front. This muscle is easy to feel. Find it, and then gently massage with your fingers. Massage up and down along the entire muscle. Must Read: How to Get Rid of Fat on Back of Neck

Do not push too hard inward during massage to avoid touching other painful areas. The massage should gently pull it outward, away from other structures in the neck.
Turning your head to the left or right makes it easy to find and relax the sternocleidomastoid muscle on the opposite side. For example, if you turn your head to the left and keep your nose forward, you can touch the sternocleidomastoid muscle on the right.

05: Stretch your chest muscles.

Go to the open door. The right hand is placed against the right side of the door, the palm is facing the door, the elbow is bent 90 degrees, and the forearm is against the door. Move forward a little with right foot. Keep your forearm against the door. You should feel the pectoral muscles near the armpits tighten.

Hold for 30 seconds, repeat the side change. Also read: How to Have Sex : Best Way to extend sex time 2021

06: Consult professional body muscle therapy practitioners.

Chiropractors and massage therapists are experts in this area. They understand how wrong body postures can cause pain and how to solve these problems. Receive a treatment from a massage therapist or chiropractor and ask them what exercises and stretching you can do at home.

Method 3: Exercise to build muscle

01: Do chin-shrinking exercises.

This action is a bit like nodding, but it is not the head that moves, but the nose. Lie flat on the ground with your face up, bend your knees, and lay your feet flat on the ground to prevent straining your waist. The nose faces the ceiling and is perpendicular to the ceiling.

While keeping the neck still, nod slowly forward. Imagine drawing a small arc with the tip of your nose. The movement should be kept very slow.

Slowly return the nose to the vertical position. Repeat 10 times. Slowly increase to 20 times within a few days. Start one to two groups after one week. Once you are accustomed to this action, you can try standing against the wall or not.

02: Practice clamping the scapula.

Sit on the chair. Neck stretched, knees bent 90 degrees, feet flat on the ground. Clamp the shoulder blades on both sides, as if to touch them. Hold for 3 seconds, imagine they are trying to sandwich a tennis ball. Slowly loosen the shoulder blades and return them to a relaxed position.

If your muscles are tight and your shoulders rise in the direction of your ears, you need to lower your shoulders. Let your arms hang naturally on your sides.
Repeat this exercise 10 times slowly and orderly. When the muscles around the scapula are getting stronger and stronger, increase the holding time to 10 seconds and do 2 to 3 groups per day.
People who sit at a desk for a long time or work at a computer often have chest tightness and weak back muscles. This will cause a hunchback and lean your shoulders forward. Clamping the scapula can correct this bad posture.

03: Do advanced narrowing bar exercises to improve joint mobility

Sit in a chair or stand upright. Practice shrinking your chin or tapping the tip of your nose several times so that your nose sweeps down slightly. Don’t move your chin after it contracts, just keep it at the same distance from your neck, only move the top of your head back.

Hold for a few seconds, then move slowly to return the head to its original straight posture. Afterwards the chin and nose also return to the starting position. Repeat 10 times. As the muscles gradually become stronger, increase the number of repetitions and the number of groups.
In this sport, remember not to increase the curvature of the neck. Try to move your head backwards in a natural and correct way. People who lean their necks forward for a long time may find this movement difficult at first.

Method 4: Start from daily habits to improve posture

01: The placement of the computer should be ergonomic.

Raise the screen so that the top third of the screen is flush with your eyes. The distance between the eyes and the screen should be maintained between 45 and 60 cm. You may need to use several books to elevate the computer screen, use a higher or lower table, or adjust the height of the chair. Confirm the distance between the face and the computer screen with a tape measure, and then adjust the chair height appropriately.

02: Don’t mention heavy bags or handbags.

Try to use small shoulder bags or handbags, and the lighter the better. If you need to bring a lot of things, it is better to use a backpack that can evenly distribute weight, rather than a shoulder bag. Do not always use the same shoulder backpack, this will cause high and low shoulders. Change your backpack frequently.

03: When sitting in front of a desk, computer or TV, do stretching exercises every 30 minutes.

If you have been sitting at a desk or working at a computer, you should always get up and walk around to reduce the pressure on your neck and back. Taking a break every half an hour, walking around is good for you. Stretch your neck for 30 seconds or 1 minute every 2 hours. You can Do this while watching TV and sitting on sofa. Also read: How to Have Sex : Best Way to extend sex time 2021

04: Purchase a neck pillow with good support performance.

If you often feel sore neck when you go to sleep, it is likely that your sleeping position is not good. The neck pillow with good support performance allows the head to be naturally placed in the middle, and the bottom of the pillow that contacts the cervical spine has a certain curvature, and it is also very strong and can support the neck well.

05: Maintain a good standing posture.

When walking, shoulders hang down and stay aligned. Contract the abdominal muscles to make the whole body more straight. The knees flex slightly to help relieve some pressure on the hips. Buy a pair of shoes with good support at the arch area, which is very helpful for improving posture.

06: The walking posture should also be correct.

When walking, the chin must be parallel to the ground, the heel should touch the ground first, and the center of gravity should shift from the heel to the arch of the foot, and finally to the toes. Don’t keep staring at your feet or arching your back while walking. The buttocks and abdomen should be in line with the rest of the body.

07: Use corrective braces.

Studies have shown that using corrective braces can push the shoulders back, keep the head and spine in line, and help improve posture. Daily use not only helps maintain the correct posture, but also pulls the shoulder back to the correct position. Also Read: How to Reduce Belly Fat on your Body

Method 5: Stretch the neck

01: Apply heat to the neck.

Warm the neck before doing stretching exercises to prevent neck muscle tension and pain. Turn your head and gently stretch your neck. First tilt your head to the right, then slowly lower your head forward. Then turn your head until your head is biased to the left.

Repeat the exercise, slowly turning your head from side to side.
Be careful when stretching your neck, not too hard. Move slowly and gently.

02: Try stretching the front of the neck.

This method is called neck bending and stretching. Moving your head back and forth can help you straighten your neck. Sit upright in a chair and look forward. Nod forward, close your chest with your chin for 15 seconds Lift your head and return to the original position.

Repeat this 10 times. Then tilt your head back and repeat it 10 times in the same way.

The movement must be smooth and gentle.
When tilting your head back, the movement must be slow. Once you feel resistance, stop looking up. Never force yourself to look back.

03: Stretch the neck from the side.

This movement is called neck side bending and stretching. Turning your head around can help you straighten your neck. Straighten your head with your chin parallel to the ground. Turn your head to the right for 15 seconds. Relax and then return to the original position. Repeat this 10 times.

After completing the exercise of turning your head to the right, proceed to the exercise on the left.
Even if your head is not fully turned to the right, as long as you feel resistance, stop turning your head.

04: Stretch your neck by hand.

Sit upright or stand upright. Turn your head to the right with your face toward the ceiling. Then look forward, and then head to the right. With your right hand, gently press your head against your right shoulder. Hold for 30 seconds.

Stretch the left side of the neck as described earlier.
Don’t press down hard. Just tilt your head slightly.

05: Squeeze the shoulder blades backwards.

Relax your shoulders and place your hands on both sides. Squeeze the scapula backwards for 5 seconds. Relax and repeat this 10 times.

Do 3 sets of exercises every day, repeat 10 times for each set.
Increased the time to squeeze the shoulder blade from 5 seconds to 10 seconds. This can increase the tensile strength.

Method 6: Change lifestyle

01: Maintain a healthy and balanced diet.

Be sure to consume more nutrients that are good for bone health, such as protein, calcium, iron, magnesium, vitamin K, vitamin C, and vitamin D3. A healthy, balanced diet can help maintain a healthy weight, thereby reducing the burden on bones.

Eat more lean protein, fruits and vegetables.
Consider taking multivitamin tablets.

02: Exercise regularly.

Moderate exercise can prevent neck and back injuries and pain. During exercise, the spine will expand due to increased water, which will help nutrients flow into the bones. Exercise also helps to control weight, so it can also reduce bone pressure.

03: Investigate the places where spinal acupressure treatment is provided.

Study the places where such treatments are provided locally, try to search for relevant information on the Internet, etc. Take a look at their reviews, ratings and websites, as well as the latest products.

Call about their services.
Ask them if you can use medical insurance.
Tell them you have a neck discomfort and want to correct it.
Some people suggest to try “Gesiqiu physiotherapy” (it was created by the world-renowned physiotherapist Pitt Geschiu). This method uses gravity to correct the neck and back.

04: Schedule treatment.

After selecting a satisfactory treatment site, make an appointment for treatment. You can make an appointment by calling or surfing the Internet.

Ask them if you need to improve certain information before going to treatment, and how long in advance you need to reach it.
Tell the doctor that you want to straighten your neck.
The doctor will diagnose you before treatment. The doctor will evaluate your condition and then recommend a suitable treatment plan. This plan includes not only multiple subsequent treatments, but also some autonomous care that can be operated at home.

05: Receive treatment.

Wear loose, comfortable, non-conjoined clothes on the day of treatment. The doctor will let you lie in bed, and may also ask you to adjust various postures to cooperate with the treatment. So you have to be mentally prepared.

Tell your doctor all your questions.

06: After the first treatment, all remaining treatments are scheduled.

To ensure results, you may need to perform multiple treatments. Before leaving the hospital, let the staff arrange all the treatment for you in the future, so as to ensure a reasonable treatment time. If you start the treatment halfway, it will do more harm than good.

Bring your calendar or schedule.
Consult your doctor about the time of the next treatment, and then receive treatment on time.

07: Understand the side effects.

Within a few days after treatment, you may experience some minor side effects. If the side effects have affected you, or if it has not improved after a few days, call the doctor. Possible side effects are:

Pain at the treatment site.
Tired.
headache.

08: Follow your doctor’s advice.

In addition to regular treatment, the doctor may give you some additional advice to help you straighten your neck. Be sure to follow the doctor’s instructions. They may ask you to: