These are the neck exercises and neck stretches that I believe most people with neck pain should stop doing.
The subtitle of this article is “controversial thoughts about the neck” because we’re about to contradict some of common sense wisdom about caring for the neck.
In fact, this information may contradict some information you’ve received from some really great providers who you know and trust. And the point isn’t to cause you to distrust this person. It’s just to take a look at healing from a different perspective.
If you’re someone who has struggled with chronic pain, especially neck pain, this information may be very, very helpful.
Related: This is why you shouldn’t do crunches- and what you should do instead
It’s time to stop making big neck circles
If you believe you should move your neck in all planes of motions just because you can, including big neck circles, you should probably stop.
If there was one motion that I could stop all my patients from ever making, it would be the classic workout neck circle seen in all kinds of popular media and workout videos. The head is made to rotate like a gyroscope. This often involves exaggerated flexion (nose toward belly) and extension (nose toward sky).
This is the last neck stretch I would ever suggest to a patient.
This is why this motion (and some others) can be a problem. (The video below is what not to do.)
The neck has more motion than other areas of the spine
The neck has far more intersegmental motion (total motion between segments) than other areas of the spine. The shape of the neck is unique with its special joint arrangement at the top of the spine (trochoid joint) and joints called uncinate joints near the body. These uncinate joints (also called uncovertebral) allow for a movement called “translation.” This means there is some side-to-side and forward-back slide of the neck vertebrae.
The neck has coupled motion
The neck has coupled motion. The whole neck moves as a unit, and moving in one direction, will cause motion in another plane of movement.
So it’s impossible to isolate one area of movement in your neck without creating another complimentary motion.
For example, imagine you’re driving down the highway and decide to look toward the lane toward your right. For this rotation of your head to happen, upper neck segments rotate a lot while lower neck segments rotate a little. The whole neck tends to curve toward the side of rotation with a little bit of translation.
As you near the end of the turn of your head, your eyes should stay level. In order to do this, your third neck bone will often lilt up on the opposite side (left) while the skull drops in on the turning side (right).
This coupled motion exists to give the head as much motion as possible. This is absolutely necessary for a human infant to be born and for mom and baby to survive childbirth.
This freedom of movement also allows our major external senses (sight, hearing, taste, and smell) to perceive the environment quickly and efficiently. It also helps us achieve amazing hand-eye coordination, which allows for the tool-making ability that we have as humans.
But just because we have this kind of motion doesn’t mean we should explore it to its end ranges on a regular basis. This is especially important if we have had a neck injury in the past.
We need to be very specific and measured with any neck exercises or neck stretches.
Ligaments limit neck motion
And the reason is that that most motion in the spine is limited by ligaments. And ligaments have often been injured in the neck in those with chronic neck and head symptoms.
Big neck circles and deep side-to-side motion stretch and stimulate ligaments that are either in recovery or are weak due to prior injury.
And many ligaments are loaded with pain receptors, especially the joint capsules of the zygapophyseal joints.
In addition to capsular ligaments (among other ligaments), the outer third of the intervertebral disc is full of pain receptors. This area is often stressed in neck positions pushed to their end range of motion.
As a chiropractor, I know several different orthopedic tests where the patient’s head/neck are placed into these big neck circle positions to stimulate a pain response!
It’s time to stop any upper neck stretch
If the neck hurts, you should stretch it. That is the common wisdom of most neck practitioners and the instinct of many people with chronic neck problems.
If neck pain is largely coming from pain receptors in the large neck muscles (trapezius), it may be possible to stretch those muscles into some relief.
However, it is very difficult to actually stretch the small muscles of the neck (just below the head, for example) or the smaller muscles of the neck/shoulder. This is because moving them often involves shifting the sensitive joints of the upper neck into an extreme range of motion. In these extremes, we run into the problem outlined in the above section.
There are safe ways to calm neck muscles. These include a few, limited stretches of the neck, and a greater concentration on mobilizing the shoulders and upper back. Please see below.
It’s time to stop doing “chin tucks” neck exercises (cervical retraction)
In response to neck pain or tech-neck and forward head posture, many practitioners advise doing “chin-tucks.” Chin-tucks are a neck exercise and simultaneous neck stretch. You pull the head back, temporarily making a double chin, and then release.
This:
- engages the muscles at the front of the neck,
- stretches the muscles below the back of the skull,
- and helps the neck have proper ear-over-shoulder alignment.
Sometimes these neck exercises are called cervical retraction exercises, because they aren’t really a “tuck” of the chin.
(These can be confused with “chin-drops,” also called “chin-tucks,” which is a slight forward flexion of the head. This initiates a neck reflex that will tend to create neck stability when lifting.)
Whatever you call them, many people with neck and head symptoms often have a straight neck. This straight neck has a flattened neck curve and shortened muscles at the front of the neck.
Can chin-tucks actually hurt you?
Engaging muscles in the front of the neck with neck retraction actually makes this straightened neck worse. It also closes down and potentially compresses the sensitive area at the front of the neck, and behind the jaw where the internal jugular vein and vagus nerve leave the skull.
But what about stretching the muscles at the base of the skull? What about proper ear-over-shoulder alignment?
Neck extensions aren’t necessary for these either. The small muscles at the base of the skull are better released than stretched. Proper ear-over-shoulder alignment really begins with pelvic position and thoracic mobility rather than with the neck.
Does this mean that there isn’t any reason to do this exercise ever? There may be some situations where “chin tucks” are helpful. However, for most of the necks I work with, there are better options.
As an example, here is an actual case with x-rays from a chiropractic practice that showed the chin-tuck position making the patient’s neck worse.
What to do instead of chin-tucks, neck circles, and upper neck stretches
So, does this mean we should avoid most neck motions, most neck stretches, and most neck exercises?
No, moving the neck is an absolutely necessity for proper neck health. It just means we need to do it smartly. Here are some ways to avoid creating problems.
- Focus on slow movements with one plane of motion at a time.
- Don’t grip the jaw or pull on the head for leverage.
- Don’t side bend to the end range of motion.
- Focus more on shoulder mobility and thoracic mobility.
Safely stretch the neck with these how-to videos
We recommend these neck stretches, neck exercises, and other motions:
Current and past patients can access the following video sequence to help achieve the above.
- How two patients found help with arm nerve pain (radiculopathy), even with a bad MRI - February 13, 2025
- Three things you think are helping your neck, but aren’t – Some controversial thoughts about the neck - January 13, 2025
- This is why we use the neckcare device to improve patient outcomes - December 11, 2024
