6 Simple TCM Neck Exercises to Help You Get Rid of Neck Pain Forever

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1 6 Simple TCM Neck Exercises to Help You Get Rid of Neck Pain Forever Article by Ruth Liu, Ambassador of traditional Chinese medicine, In this article Causes of Stiff Neck or Neck Pain Treatment for Stiff Neck, Neck Pain or Neck Tension Neck Exercises to Help You Get Rid of Stiff Neck or Neck Pain What Are The Causes Of Stiff Neck or Neck Pain? Many people have neck problems such as stiff neck, neck muscle tension or pain. This is usually identified by pain close to the shoulders and radiating to the back, up into the neck toward the base of the skull. There are many reasons that could cause neck and shoulder pain, such as pillow design, coldness, stress or sitting in front of computer with improper posture for too long time. Whatever the causes, it is interpreted as the stagnant Qi and blood flow from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) point of view. Leaving untreated, it could cause sleeping issue or headaches. For more TCM health tips, please visit How to Treat or relieve Neck Pain or Neck Tension? A lot of people go to physiotherapy or massage for neck pain relief. While such treatment might help relieve the pain or tension temporarily, the problem normally comes back very soon. In addition to finding yourself the best pillow for neck pain, to permanently get rid of this problem, first you need to make sure your sitting posture is correct, with your back and head straight as much as possible, legs naturally hanging and touching the floor (please refer to the picture below).

2 The following X-ray picture depicts the difference of your skeleton which is closely related with your nerve and neck muscle from western medicine point of view, or affects the Qi and blood flow from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) point of view. Nowadays, due to the popularity of computer, tablets and cell phones, not only the adults but also the teenagers are getting neck tension or pain. Whenever you read a book, work in front of computer or even browsing through your cell phone, try to maintain a proper posture as much as you can, just like the person in the picture below. 6 Simple Yet Very Effective TCM Exercises to Help You Get Rid of Neck Pain Forever In addition to the proper sitting posture, the best way to get rid of neck pain is to do exercises. The following 6 simple neck exercises have helped thousands of Chinese people with neck issue and have been proven working effectively if you can practice constantly. These exercises are especially useful for chronic neck issue, not recommended for new neck injuries or

3 dislocation. Certain neck stiffness is not chronic and is normally caused by temporary coldness with mixed tension. There are mainly two types of neck stiffness: If you feel the pain on the back along the spine and cannot bend forward or backward, it is due to Bladder Meridian problem. If you cannot turn your head around, it is due to the Small Intestine Meridian, San Jiao Meridian, and Large Intestine Meridian problem. The treatment is different. If your pain is preventing you from doing such simple exercises, it means your problem might be more serious. You can go to our website to find the acupressure remedy or cupping therapy related with neck stiffness or neck problem. (Exercise demonstrator: 70-year old XiuYing Zhou) Frequency: At least 1 time per day. You can do whenever you feel a bit tense on neck or back area, e.g. after you are in front of computer or in one position for long time. You can also pick any one of the steps if time is constrained. If you also suffer from shoulder issue, you can combine some shoulder exercises which are discussed in another article. Please check our website for more information. Preparation: Either in standing or sitting position. Separate your feet at shoulder width. Both arms relax naturally. Relax whole body. Looking straight forward. Breathe naturally. Body remains still and in neutral position throughout the exercises. Best results will be achieved when proper breathing is combined. Step1: Take a deep breath in, as you breathe out, turn your head left as much as you can- try to look at the back corner shoulder level as far as you can. Breathe naturally and hold for 30 seconds. Coming back to neutral position and take another breath. Then as you breathe out, turn your head right as much as you can. Hold for 30 seconds. You can feel the stretch. Coming back to neutral position and take a deep breath. Repeat and do 8-10 times on each direction.

4 Step2: Take a deep breath in. As you breathe out, turn your head left toward the sky as much as you can different from step 1 which is to look at shoulder or even a bit lower level. Hold for 30 seconds. Coming back to neutral position and take a deep breath. Then turn your head right toward the sky as much as you can. Hold for 30 seconds. Coming back to neutral position and take a deep breath. Repeat and do 8-10 times on each direction. Step3: Take a deep breath in. As you breathe out, bend head forward, chin on chest, with back neck stretching as far as you can. Hold for 30 seconds. Coming back to neutral position and take a breath. Then let your head bend backward, with front and side neck stretching as much as possible. Hold for 30 seconds. Coming back to neutral position and take a deep breath. Repeat and do 8-10 times on each direction. Step 4: Head in neutral position. Try to stretch your head toward the ceiling as if a rope is pulling your head up, while your shoulder should remain still or even slightly pushing down. Hold for 30 seconds. Relax and take a deep breath. Repeat and do 8-10 times.

5 Step 4: Pulling head up towards ceiling Step 5: Head pushing back against hands Step 5: Put both hands interleaved on the back of your neck. Take a deep breath. As you breathe out, push your head back against your hands as much as you can and hold for 30 seconds. Relax with hands still interleaved and take a deep breath. Repeat for 8 times. Step 6: Move your head slowly clockwise, then move it counter-clockwise. Rotate and do 8-10 times. Now you are done with these 6 step TCM exercises. Take some deep breath and relax. Simple, right? These TCM exercises sound easy and simple, but they can help relieve neck muscle very effectively and promote Qi and blood flow through. There is an old Chinese saying: Pain means Qi and blood is not through ( 痛则不通 ), If it is flowing through, there will be no pain ( 通则不痛 ). When you follow the instruction and try it, you will definitely feel the stretch. After you have repeated the whole 6 neck exercise steps even just for 3 or 4 days, you will for sure notice the big difference. Keep doing these TCM exercises, it costs you nothing but it could keep your neck pain or tension away forever. You can also check another article from me regarding shoulder pain relief. As they are closely related, you can combine them together to stay away from neck and shoulder pain for ever. I hope you find these neck exercises helpful. If you like it and want to share with your friends or on social media, please make sure no content can be modified and the original author Ruth Liu and website link have to be included. You are also invited to visit our website to get more TCM health tips or home remedies. Keyword Neck pain, neck exercises, neck, neck muscle, neck stretches, neck pain relief, stiff neck

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