You may feel neck pain during abs exercises. This primarily is due to the strain placed on the neck when the exercise is done with improper form. All abdominal exercises must be performed with correct form to avoid injury to any muscles, including those in the neck.
Causes
The posterior neck muscles, called the semispinalis and the multifidi, go through a high degree of strain when the head is pulled forward during abs exercise. When you lace your hands behind your head and pull forward during the move to make the exercise easier, you place immense strain on the posterior neck muscles. This can lead to neck pain and potential injury.
Prevention
To avoid strain on the neck muscles during abs exercise, do not put your hands behind your head. Keep your hands on your upper abdominal region, just below your rib cage, or on the floor against your sides. Keep your neck in a neutral position, as if you are holding an apple between your chin and your upper chest. Perform the movement in a smooth and controlled manner. This helps avoid neck strain and increases the effectiveness of the exercise.
Treatment
When you suffer from neck pain due to strain in the muscles, the best home therapy is heat. Place a heating pad against your neck once an hour for up to 20 minutes at a time. Apply heat before doing neck-stretching exercises to help warm up your muscles. After performing the neck exercises, apply cold therapy -- an ice pack or ice cubes wrapped in a piece of cloth -- to your neck muscles. This helps reduce inflammation. If the pain continues for more than a couple of days, see your doctor to rule out injury.
Exercises
Neck exercises can help loosen your muscles. Stand facing a wall and place a medium-size soft ball between your forehead and the wall. Nod your head up and down and in circular motions to make the ball roll around. Do this slowly for 20 to 30 seconds and repeat. Do the exercise two to three times a day.
References
- ChiroSport: Abdominal Exercises
- Neck Solutions: Treatment for Chronic Muscle Strain of the Neck
- Neck Solutions: Neck Exercises: A Key to Posture Correction and Neck Pain Relief
- Nova Feel: Abdominal Muscle Exercises: Tension in the Neck Muscles
- Wellness Springs; Simple Home Exercises for Head and Neck Pain; Craig Liebenson
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