If you regularly find yourself rubbing your neck, rolling your shoulders, or shifting in your chair just to get a bit more comfortable — even for a moment — you’re not alone. Modern life makes neck strain almost inevitable.
At Transform Chiropractic in Toronto, we see this pattern every day: people who try stretches or the latest youtube exercise, but still find themselves each day feeling tight, stiff, or sore. The issue isn’t that the stretches are wrong — it’s that they’re fighting against joints and muscles that aren’t moving properly to begin with.
That’s why chiropractic care combined with the right exercises is such a powerful approach.
These exercises help reinforce the motion restored during treatment, retrain stability muscles that protect the neck, and improve posture so your results last longer.
Key Insight
Most neck pain exercises don’t work long-term unless the cervical joints are moving properly first.
Chiropractic adjustments restore motion — exercises help your body keep it.
Why Exercise Is a Key Part of Neck Pain Recovery
Movement is what keeps the cervical spine healthy and responsive.
When the joints in your neck lose normal mobility — whether from posture, previous injury, or daily micro-stresses — the surrounding muscles tighten to protect the area. Over time, this can lead to:
Stiffness from reduced joint motion
Muscle fatigue as postural muscles work harder to support your head
Recurring tension through the upper trapezius, levator scapulae, and deep neck flexors
Discomfort that keeps returning after work, driving, or poor sleep posture
Chiropractic adjustments help restore motion to the restricted joints — but the muscles need to relearn how to support the neck in a healthier, more efficient position.
The right exercises help you:
Reinforce the motion restored through chiropractic adjustments
Rebalance tight and weak muscles that pull the neck out of alignment
Improve posture and spinal stability
Reduce recurrence of neck pain over time
In short:
Adjustments get things moving. Exercises help keep them moving and stabilized.
How Chiropractic and Exercise Work Together
There’s a helpful analogy we sometimes use in our clinic:
Trying to stretch a spine that isn’t moving properly is like trying to tug on a chain that’s still bolted down — you may feel something shift momentarily, but it rarely creates meaningful or lasting change.
Chiropractic adjustments unlock restricted cervical joints.
Once motion improves, targeted exercises:
strengthen the deep stabilizers
improve proprioception
help the spine maintain better posture naturally
Together, they create a powerful sequence:
Adjustments restore normal motion and reduce nerve irritation.
Exercises retrain posture and stabilize the spine.
Mobility + stability = long-term improvement.
If you want a deeper look at how we diagnose and treat mechanical neck pain in our Toronto clinic, see our neck pain treatment guide.
The 5 Best Neck Pain Exercises to Support Chiropractic Care
While there are many neck exercises, these particular movements are gentle, safe for the vast majority of people, and are designed to complement chiropractic care. These are some of our favourite exercises in our clinic for patients.
If any exercise causes sharp pain, worsening numbness, or symptoms radiating into the arm, stop and consider a thorough chiropractic assessment before continuing.
1. Neck Retraction (Chin Tuck)
Why it helps:
This exercise activates the deep neck flexors — crucial muscles that counteract forward head posture and reduce stress on irritated upper-cervical joints.
Improving deep flexor strength helps unload the areas responsible for many neck tension and headache patterns.
How to do it:
Sit or stand tall with your shoulders relaxed
Gently draw your chin straight back (like making a small double-chin)
Hold 3–5 seconds
Repeat 10–12 times, ideally for 2-3 sets.
Full detailed instructions:
See the Neck Retraction / Chin Tuck Exercise.
2. Neck Retraction with Extension
Why it helps:
This progression focuses on the all-too-common loss of the normal neck curve, helping to reverse hours of forward-head posture and improves mobility in the mid- and upper-cervical spine — the regions that routinely stiffen with desk work.
How to do it:
Start by tilting your chin gently back approximately 30 degrees, so you chin points upwards.
Hold this retracted position for 2-3 seconds.
Return to neutral, but maintain the 30 degree chin angulation
Repeat 8–10 times, for 2-3 sets.
Full walkthrough:
See the Neck Retraction + Extension Exercise.
3. Thoracic Spine Traction Exercise
Why it helps:
A stiff upper thoracic spine forces the neck to compensate by shifting foward.
Restoring extension through the mid-back decreases load on the neck, improves breathing mechanics, and reduces upper-trap / levator scapula tension.
How to do it:
Place a foam roller or rolled towel under your mid-back horizontally, at the area of greatest apex of your curve.
Support your head with your hands or put a small towel or pillow under your neck/head.
Gently lean back over the roller, allowing your shoulders to all back and open.
Hold this position for as long as is comfortable, gradually increasing the duration over time.
Aim for 10-15 minutes daily.
Full instructions:
See the Thoracic Spine Traction Exercise.
4. Wall Angel Exercise
Why it helps:
One of the best movements for improving shoulder mobility and strengthening the postural stabilizers that support the neck — including the rhomboids, lower traps, and serratus anterior.
How to do it:
Stand with your head, ribcage, and hips against a wall
Raise your arms to 90° with your arms best, forearms up.
Keep elbows and wrists as close to the wall as comfortable, without forcing them.
Slowly slide your arms up and down the wall, aiming for 2-3 seconds up and then down.
Avoid arching your lower back – try to keep it in contact with the wall as much as possible.
More details:
See the Wall Angel Postural Exercise Guide.
5. Scapular Retraction
Why it helps:
Rounded shoulders shift load directly onto the cervical joints in your neck.
Strengthening your mid-back stabilizers helps reposition the shoulders and reduces chronic neck strain.
How to do it:
Lay down face down on the floor, ideally on a mat or carpet.
Gently squeeze your shoulder blades together behind you, and raise your neck/upper back slightly off the floor.
Hold for 3–5 seconds
Repeat 10–12 times
Further stability training details:
See the Neck & Scapular Retraction Exercise.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Avoid these common pitfalls that reduce exercise effectiveness:
Forcing through pain – a little discomfort/achiness is okay, sharp pain is not.
Stretching only — without strengthening. Try to do both.
Moving too quickly or with jerky motions, keep it smooth.
Trying to hold a “perfect posture” instead of taking micro-breaks regularly throughout the day.
Skipping thoracic mobility exercises, which are so helpful for your posture and neck pain.
Small adjustments done consistently can make a huge difference over time.
When to Stop and Seek Professional Help
If your symptoms:
persist without improving for more than a few weeks
radiate into your shoulder, arm, or hands
include tingling, numbness, or weakness
worsen with exercise or movement
…it’s likely time for a proper thorough assessment.
To understand what’s driving your symptoms — whether posture, joint stiffness, nerve irritation, or muscular imbalance — learn more details in our neck pain treatment guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do these exercises fix neck pain on their own?
These exercises can help significantly, but lasting improvement often requires restoring normal joint motion in addition to stretches and exercises. Exercises work best once the cervical spine is moving normally again.
Should these exercises hurt?
Mild stretching or slight achiness is normal.
Sharp pain, increasing tingling, or symptoms radiating into the arms or hands are signs to stop the exercises and have your neck assessed in more detail.
How often should I do these movements?
Ideally, shorter, more frequent sessions work the best.
Most patients improve with 2–3 brief sessions per day, rather than one longer workout.
How long until I feel improvement?
Many people feel better once joint mobility improves and stabilizer muscles begin activating — often within days to weeks.
Deeper postural changes naturally take longer.
Can chiropractic care and exercises be done on the same day?
Absolutely. In fact, exercises often work better after an adjustment, because the joints are moving more freely and the supporting muscles can activate more effectively.
When Chiropractic and Movement Work Together
At Transform Chiropractic, our approach is simple:
Restore joint and global motion through gentle, specific chiropractic adjustments
Reinforce these improvements with targeted specific exercises
Support your long-term spinal health through consistent movement habits
If your neck pain keeps returning — no matter how much you stretch or massage it — it’s time to get a clearer understanding of what’s actually going on.
Book a posture and movement assessment at Transform Chiropractic in Toronto — and take your first step toward moving and feeling better again.
Written by Dr. Byron Mackay, Chiropractor – Transform Chiropractic (Toronto)
Updated 2025
