Johns Hopkins Health Alerts | Back Pain - Osteoporosis | Exercise Tips To Relieve Neck Pain

This Health Alert is intended for readers interested in learning about the prevention, diagnosis, and management of back pain.

A new study from Finland shows that endurance and resistance exercises can help soothe chronic neck pain.

Treatments for chronic neck pain include medication, spinal manipulation, improvements in posture and ergonomics, and relaxation techniques. Now a study from Finland shows that neck endurance and resistance exercises are also effective options for neck pain.

In the study, researchers randomly assigned 180 women with chronic neck pain (25 to 53 years old) to endurance training, resistance training, or a control group. Participants in the endurance- and resistance-training groups were assigned to five 45-minute sessions a week. Endurance training consisted of neck exercises such as repeatedly lifting the head while lying face up and then face down. Resistance training involved wrapping a specialized elastic band (such as the Thera-Band, available from a physical therapist or a sporting goods store) around the head while bending the neck forward, backward, to the left, and to the right. Both groups also used free weights to strengthen the shoulders and arms and regularly engaged in aerobic exercise. The control group performed aerobic exercises only.

After one year, all groups had less neck pain and disability, but the greatest improvements in neck pain were seen in the endurance- and resistance-training groups. These two groups were also taking less pain medication than the control group. Benefits in the endurance- and resistance-training groups were seen even in those who attended only two sessions per week. Whether these results would also apply to men is uncertain, the study’s authors note.

If you have chronic neck pain and are interested in endurance and resistance training, you may want make an appointment with a physical therapist who can design and teach you an individualized exercise program. Once you are able to perform the neck exercises independently, you can continue on your own without a physical therapist.

Johns Hopkins Health Alerts | Back Pain - Osteoporosis | Exercise Tips To Relieve Neck Pain