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Learn the Towel Exercise That Helps Relieve Neck Pain!

We all suffer from painful neck muscles from time to time, a problem that results, among other things, from high stress, lack of proper posture and extreme changes in the weather. Apart from the great aggravation and negative impact it can have on our lives, these pains can also radiate to other areas and result in frequent headaches and other similar effects that further impair quality of life.

 

The good news is that thanks to the next exercise you don’t need to suffer. All you have to do is take a towel and follow the simple instructions in the article below.

Neck pain towel exercise

Neck and back pain - why is it important to treat the problem?

The neck is known for its sensitivity, and for this reason, many tend to suffer from frequent pain in this area and even in the adjacent head area. The neck is composed of many muscle groups and ligaments that can become strained very easily.

We’ve all experienced turning our head too quickly and feeling the warmth of a stiff neck start to spread in the area. The pain usually disappears after a few days, but it is recommended not to wait so long because failure to treat the problem may lead to a worsening of the current injury. In addition, the unpleasantness of the affected area causes many people to change their posture unconsciously, leading to the appearance of other symptoms such as back pain.

Releasing neck tension with a towel

Today there is a wide range of simple and easy home exercises with which we can significantly ease neck pain, especially those that result from strained muscles. An excellent example of this is the following exercise, and all you need to do it is a medium sized kitchen towel. The purpose of the towel is twofold, on the one hand, it provides support and stability to the sensitive area, and on the other hand, it applies moderate pressure on the contracted muscle allowing the exercise to ease the pain.

Neck pain towel exercise

How to perform the exercise

The exercise should be performed immediately with the onset of pain, however, as this isn’t always possible, the recommendation is to incorporate the exercise into your weekly exercise routine at least 2-3 times a week. If you feel that the pain isn’t going away or that there is discomfort resulting from the injury, you should consult a doctor to prevent further aggravation.

 
  • Hold the towel on opposite ends so that the towel folds diagonally
  • Wrap the towel around your neck, just below the hairline, and bring your hands close together so that the two ends are parallel to each other.
  • Pull both ends of the towel forward and try to resist as much pressure as possible while maintaining a steady head.
  • Perform the exercise for a minute - it can be repeated several times a day.

For more information, see the following demonstration video by physiotherapist Nick Schuster of the Scarborough Physio and Health Clinic in Australia.

In conclusion

Pain in the neck and head area is a fairly common problem. However, the fact that this is a common phenomenon doesn’t mean we just need to accept it. Instead, the next time you feel pain in this area, take a few minutes from your day to apply moderate pressure to the painful area with a towel as instructed in the video, and you’ll begin to feel the improvement in no time!

image source: Aidan Jones

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