The phase of yoga therapy for neck pain would include asana to address specific muscle tightness and weakness as identified during the initial intake. In general, yoga therapy should aim to strengthen the muscles of the neck and middle and upper back, the area below the pain, while stretching the front of the chest. Postures should be done dynamically with the breath to reduce vata. If postures are done statically, guard against increasing heat or moving into rajasic practice.
Helpful asanas from the twenty-four asanas in Structural Yoga Therapy are:
- Camel with the neck upright, not hanging backward, to strengthen SCM, upper trapezius, teres major and minor, and latissimus and stretch anterior deltoid and pectoralis major.
- Downward facing dog to strengthen the anterior deltoid and stretch the posterior deltoid, pectoralis major and teres major.
- Bridge with knees and shoulders in a line so as not to flatten the neck. Bridge pose strengthens the middle and lower trapezius and stretches the upper trapezius.
- Stick to strengthen latissimus and middle and lower trapezius and stretch pectoralis major and anterior deltoid.
- Spinal twist to strengthen SCM and latissimus and stretch middle deltoid and teres major and minor.
- Abdominal twist to strengthen the SCM.
- Warrior II with palms facing up, inhale fingertips to shoulders, exhale straightening arms to open the brachial plexus
- Cobra to strengthen upper trapezius and posterior deltoid and stretch pectoralis major.
- Extended triangle with dynamic neck rotation to strengthen the SCM and upper trapezius.
- Face of Light arms with dynamic movement of the upper arm back and forth and up and down to open the brachial plexus.
Other postures that can be helpful are:
- Bow with neck kept neutral to strengthen posterior deltoid and teres minor and stretch pectoralis major and anterior deltoid.
- Wall-hang from Mukunda Stiles to stretch the erector spinae and neck.
- Cat with shoulder blades coming together on inhale to strengthen middle and lower trapezius and with shoulder blades moving apart on exhale to stretch those muscles.
- Sphinx to strengthen lower trapezius and pectoralis major and stretch upper trapezius.
- Boat with neck kept neutral to strengthen the middle and lower trapezius, latissimus, triceps brachii, posterior deltoid, and teres major and minor and stretch anterior deltoid and pectoralis major.
- Eagle arms with dynamic movement up and down to strengthen pectoralis major and anterior deltoid and stretch posterior deltoid.
- Cat bows from Mukunda Stiles to strengthen the middle and lower trapezius and triceps brachii.
- Yoga mudra arms to strengthen latissimus, posterior deltoid, triceps, teres major, and middle and lower trapezius and stretch pectoralis major and anterior deltoid.
- Supine neck strengthener from Mukunda Stiles to strengthen SCM.
- Locust variation to strengthen erectors in the upper back, middle trapezius, posterior deltoid, latissimus, and triceps brachii and stretch pectoralis major and anterior deltoid.
