11 Effective Exercises For Cervical Lordosis and Reduce Neck Pain

Approximately 1 in 5 people over the age of 40 years old suffer from neck pain. This is caused by many factors, however one of the most common causes is loss of cervical lordosis. As you will see later in this article, exercises for cervical lordosis are typically the best conservative treatment for cervical lordosis.

This post will explore the most 11 effective exercises for cervical lordosis. These exercises will decrease neck pain and symptoms associated with cervical lordosis. These neck exercises can be done at home with very little equipment. By incorporating these exercises into your daily routine, you can improve your cervical lordosis and get back to the activities that you love!

What Is Cervical Lordosis?

Cervical lordosis refers to the natural inward curvature of your neck. The curvature of the cervical spine is shaped like a “C” with the convexity of the curve facing the front of the body.

Another natural curvature of the spine is lumbar lordosis which is the lower part of the spine. Both of these curvatures are normal and are crucial in supporting the weight of the head, providing shock absorption and maintaining proper posture.

However if either of these curves become exaggerated or flattened they can cause back and neck pain and injury. Exercises for cervical lordosis are the easiest way to treat cervical lordosis.

Technically cervical lordosis is a “good curve” in a normal neck. However, cervical lordosis is also commonly used to describe abnormal cervical lordosis, either excessive or lack of cervical lordosis. Most commonly it is used to describe a lack of cervical lordosis or “military neck.”

A military neck occurs when the cervical spine loses its natural curve and is flattened into a straight lie. When the cervical lordosis becomes flattened, it can lead to a range of issues, including chronic neck pain, headaches, and reduced mobility.

Fortunately, there are specific exercises that target the muscles around the neck that can improve these symptoms and create a healthy spine.

Physical Therapy Exercises: Cervical Lordosis Exercises With Pictures

The following exercises for cervical lordosis are general exercises that work for most people. Be sure to listen to your body and stop if you are feeling severe pain with any of these exercises. These exercises include 1. Chin Tucks 2. Upper Trap Stretch 3. Shoulder Blade Squeeze 4. Backwards Shoulder Rolls 5. Thoracic Extension Stretch 6. Rows 7. Shoulder Extension 8. Bilateral ER 9. Cat Cow 10. Prone Cobra 11. Wall Angels.

1. Chin Tucks

• This exercise can either be performed while sitting or lying down.
• To perform the seated version you will begin by sitting with your shoulders relaxed and your back straight.
  • Without tilting your head up or down, slide your chin straight back as if you’re trying to make a double chin.
  • Hold for a few seconds, then relax and repeat.
• The perform this exercise lying down you will begin in the supine position with a rolled up towel underneath your neck.
• Now slide your chin straight back while pushing your neck down into the towel roll.
• If you feel your chin tilting up or down then you are performing this exercise in the wrong direction.
• This exercise helps to strengthen the stabilizing muscles of the neck and decrease forward head posture.

2. Upper Trap Stretch

• Gently tilt your head to one side and down at an angle.
• If you are turning your head to the right side then use your right hand on your head to pull it further.
  • You will feel a stronger stretch when you do this.
  • Hold this stretch for 30 seconds each time.
• Your upper traps are the muscles that commonly get tight and overused when you have poor posture or are sitting or long periods of time.

3. Shoulder Blade Squeeze

• Sit or stand with your shoulders relaxed. Squeeze your shoulder blades together.
• Hold this for 3 seconds, then relax.
• The key with this exercise is to bring your shoulders back, not up. A common compensation is to elevate the shoulders while trying to squeeze the shoulder blades.
• This exercise is a great posture exercise and works to strengthen the back and shoulder muscles.
• This exercise can help to prevent the shoulder from becoming rounded.

4. Backwards Shoulder Rolls

• Sit or stand with your shoulders relaxed.
• Now slowly roll your shoulders backward.
• This is a good posture exercise and helps to decrease rounded shoulders. Keep your neck in a neutral position during this exercise.
• Focus on the shoulders rotating backwards instead of rising upwards towards the ceiling.

5. Thoracic Extension Stretch

• Sit with your hands clasped behind your head. Gently arch your upper back backwards.
• You should feel a stretch across your chest, upper back and shoulders.
• If you want a stronger stretch you can place a horizontal foam roller on the chair behind you and bend your back into it.

6. Rows

• Depending on your accessibility to gym equipment you can either perform this exercise with a cable column or a resistance band.
• Start by standing with your feet shoulder width apart and good posture. Start with your arms straight and hold onto the resistance band.
• Now perform a shoulder blade squeeze as you are bending your elbows to 90 degrees.

7. Shoulder Extension

• This exercise can also be performed with either a cable column or a resistance band.
• Start with your feet shoulder width apart and your arms straight with your palms down.
• Now keep your palms down and elbows straight throughout the entire exercise and pull down until your hands are at your sides.

7. Bilateral ER

• Sit or stand with feet shoulder width apart.
• This exercise can be performed with a resistance band or without, if the resistance band is too difficult.
• Start with your elbows at your side and your elbows bent to 90 degrees with your palms up.
• Now slowly rotate your shoulders outward.

8. Cat Cow

• This exercise can help to improve mobility in the spine and decrease tightness in the neck and shoulders.
• Start by getting down on your hands and knees, with your hands shoulder-width apart and your knees hip-width apart.
• Make sure that your hands are directly below your shoulders and your knees are directly below your hips.
• Arch your back up towards the ceiling, tucking your chin in towards your chest.
• Then, lower your back down towards the ground, lifting your head and looking up towards the ceiling.

9. Prone Cobra

• The prone cobra is an excellent exercise for improving cervical lordosis by strengthening and stretching the muscles of the upper back and neck.
• To perform the prone cobra: Lie face down on a mat or flat surface with your arms at your sides and your palms facing down.
  • Squeeze your shoulder blades together and lift your chest and arms off the ground. Keep your neck in a neutral position.
  • Hold for a few seconds, then lower back down to starting position.
• Focus on squeezing your shoulder blades together and lifting your chest, rather than using your neck to lift your head.
• Keep your neck in a neutral position throughout the exercise.

10. Wall Angels

• Wall angels are a great exercise for improving posture and mobility
• Begin by standing with your back against a wall, with your feet about 6 inches away from the wall.
• Place the back of your arms against the wall, with your elbows bent at 90 degrees and your palms facing forward.
• Slowly slide your arms up the wall, keeping your elbows and wrists in contact with the wall at all times.
• When you can no longer keep your elbows and wrists in contact with the wall, slowly lower your arms back down to the starting position.
• Make sure to keep your lower back and hips in contact with the wall throughout the exercise and avoid arching with your back or pushing out your ribs.
• Is this too difficult?
  • Try starting with a smaller range of motion and gradually increasing as your range of motion improves.
  • Still too hard?
  • You can perform this exercise while lying on your back, with your arms extended overhead and your elbows and wrists touching the floor.

Anatomy of Cervical Lordosis

The cervical spine is the upper part of the spine that includes the neck. Here is a quick anatomy lesson on the cervical spine and cervical lordosis. If you are only interested in the exercises for cervical lordosis then scroll down to the bottom of the page.

• Vertebrae
  • The cervical spine consists of seven vertebrae numbered C1-C7.
  • These vertebrae are bones that are stacked on top of each other and form the foundation of the neck.
  • When these vertebrae deviate from a neutral position, it can cause the cervical curve to either become exaggerated or flattened.
• Intervertebral Discs
  • These are the cushions located between the vertebrae that absorb shock and provide flexibility to the neck.
• Muscles
  • The muscles of the neck, including the sternocleidomastoid, trapezius, and scalene muscles, support the cervical spine and help with movement.
  • When these muscles are tight they can cause pain and decrease your neck mobility.
• Ligaments
  • The ligaments stabilize the cervical spine by connecting the vertebrae to each other and preventing excessive movement.
  • An injury to these cervical ligaments can cause a decrease in stability and in some severe cases can be fatal.
• Nerves
• The spinal cord passes through the cervical spine.
• Nerves branch off from the spinal cord and travel to different parts of the body.
• When these nerves become pinches or injured, it can cause pain and radicular symptoms such as tingling or numbness sensations.

Causes Of Cervical Lordosis

• Poor Posture
  • Poor posture, especially during sitting for long periods of time with a forward head posture and shoulders rounded, is the number one reason for loss of cervical lordosis.
• Trauma
  • Injuries such as whiplash from a car accident or a direct blow to the neck.
• Degenerative Disc Disease
  • The intervertebral discs in the cervical spine wear down as you age. This can result in them losing the ability to support the natural curvature of the spine.
• Spinal Conditions
  • Certain congenital conditions such as abnormal spine curves such as scoliosis or cervical kyphosis, which affect the overall curvature of the spine, can affect the neck. If you have scoliosis and are having shoulder or back pain you can find 15 Simple Scoliosis Shoulder Pain Treatment Exercises.
• Muscle Imbalances
  • Muscle weakness or tightness in the muscles of the neck, upper back, or even lower back, such as the upper traps and the deep cervical flexors can lead to imbalances that affect the curvature of the cervical spine.
• Obesity
  • Carrying excess weight can put stress on the cervical spine and alter the cervical curvature.

Symptoms of Cervical Lordosis

It is important to remember that cervical lordosis is a normal part of a healthy cervical spine, however, when the cervical curvature becomes too pronounced or is flattened, it can lead to a variety of symptoms, including:

• Neck pain
  • When the cervical spine becomes misaligned or altered in any way, it can put additional stress on the neck muscles and ligaments, which can lead to pain.
  • Since the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine are all connected, often times neck pain can result in mid back or lower back pain as well.
  • You can find 7 Miraculous Exercises For Lower Back And Hamstring Pain here.
• Limited mobility
  • Limited mobility is typically due to a loss of range of motion in the neck.
  • This may feel like a stiff or tight neck.
  • This will make it difficult to move the neck, especially when trying to rotate your head to the side or look up or down.
• Headaches
  • The strain on the neck muscles and ligaments can also lead to tension headaches.
• Sensory Symptoms
  • Sensory symptoms such as tingling and numbness may occur if the curvature of the cervical spine is altered.
  • This can put pressure on the nerves that pass through the neck, leading to numbness or tingling sensations down the arms, hands, or fingers.
• Weakness
  • In some cases changes in the cervical lordosis can decrease strength in the arms, hands, or even grip strength.

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, it is important to see your healthcare provider to determine the underlying cause of your symptoms.

Treatment

The good news is that cervical lordosis can be treated in a variety of ways. Physical therapy and lifestyle modifications are the most preferable treatment options for relief of neck pain in most cases unless the symptoms are severe.

• Physical Therapy:
  • Strengthening and stretching exercises can help to improve posture and reduce pain.
  • This article covers the most important physical therapy exercises for cervical lordosis.
  • For best results, you should see a physical therapist for a physical examination in order to address your specific deficits.
• Pain Management:
  • Over-the-counter pain medications, as well as prescription medications, can help with pain relief.
  • You should seek medical attention if you need pain medication.
  • Although pain medication can help to make the pain more manageable, typically pain medication will not solve the lordosis long term.
• Bracing:
  • Sometimes a cervical collar or brace may be recommended to help support the neck.
  • These are rarely used except in severe cases due to the weakening of the cervical stabilizers from long term use of the brace.
• Surgery:
  • In severe cases, surgery may be necessary to correct significant changes in the cervical lordosis or to relieve pressure on the nerves in the neck.
• Lifestyle Modifications:
  • Maintaining good posture, avoiding prolonged periods of sitting, having a good work setup, and exercising regularly can help to improve cervical lordosis.

Physical Therapy

The best way to treat cervical lordosis is through physical therapy. This will include a mix of the following depending on your conditions and severity of the curve.

• Stretching Exercises:
  • Stretching the muscles of the neck and upper back can help to reduce the pain and tightness in the neck and improve range of motion.
• Strengthening Exercises:
  • Strengthening exercises will be the most important part of the treatment plan for cervical lordosis.
  • Strengthening exercises can help to improve posture, reduce pain, and stabilize the neck.
• Manual Therapy:
  • Techniques such as massage, joint mobilization, and myofascial release can help to reduce tension and improve mobility in the neck and upper back.
  • Depending on your physical therapist and your condition, typically you will have a mix of manual therapy and stretching and strengthening exercises.
• Postural Education:
  • A physical therapist can give you tips for how to improve your work set up and how to have better body mechanics in order to avoid exacerbating your symptoms.
• Modalities:
  • A physical therapist may recommend using modalities such as a hot pack, ice, or electrical stimulation to help reduce pain and inflammation.
  • Typically electrical stimulation for the neck is used to decrease short term neck pain. It is not a long term solution, however it can be helpful on a bad flare up day.
  • Although these is not a lot of evidence showing the effectiveness of neck corrector pillows, many people swear by them. You can buy a neck corrector pillow here.

It is important to work with a licensed physical therapist who can develop a customized treatment plan based on your specific diagnosis.

Summary of Exercises For Cervical Lordosis

Exercises for cervical lordosis can improve neck pain, overall posture and mobility. Incorporating these 11 exercises will improve your symptoms and get you back to the acidities you love.

Before starting any new exercise program, it is important to consult with a healthcare professional. They can help you determine which exercises are appropriate for you based on your current health status and any existing medical conditions.

So, give these exercises a try and make them a part of your daily routine to improve your cervical lordosis, reduce neck pain, and improve your overall posture! You can find the Best 10 Daily Posture Exercises For Seniors With Pictures here.