Pain in the Neck?

Many of us suffer from chronic neck pain after sitting at a computer or hiking up our stressed-out shoulders all day. While gentle stretches for nagging neck pain are usually recommended to alleviate the problem, a recent study reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that strength training for neck muscles might be better. In the study, 180 office workers were randomly assigned to either a control group or one of two different neck-muscle-training groups. All three groups participated in regular aerobic and stretching exercises three times each week. After a year, the improvements in neck strength and range of motion were almost three times greater in the training groups than in the control group.

The authors of the study concluded that although stretching and aerobic exercises are commonly recommended for chronic neck pain sufferers, they prove to be much more effective when combined with muscular strength and endurance building. If you're looking to decrease neck pain, consult with your health care provider or personal fitness trainer before adding neck movements to your routine.