It’s easy to forget that your body needs a break, even if you sit at a desk all day for work. The reality is that even sitting for long periods of time can bring a ton of harm to your body. Simple acts like looking down at a screen or being constantly hunched over at a desk can cause extreme discomfort in your neck, for instance. While sometimes it can’t be helped, there are affordable and effective tools that can ease the constant aches over time. That’s where the $19 RestCloud Neck Stretcher comes in. More than 53,000 Amazon shoppers swear by it for soothing neck pain — and chiropractors recommend it, too.
RestCloud Neck Stretcher
Amazon
“When we’re seated, especially slouching, we lose the natural curvature of the neck,” Dr. Matt Tanneberg, chiropractor and owner of the Body Check Chiropractic and Sports Rehabilitation based in Arizona, tells Shape. “Neck stretchers help to maintain the curvature of the cervical spine by encouraging extension of the neck, which the majority of us don’t do enough throughout our days.”
The Restcloud Neck Stretcher, in particular, offers support by gently stretching the cervical spine to alleviate pain and tension, increase flexibility, as well as improve posture. The tool also features six massage nodes to further relax muscles in the neck. Another chiropractor, Dr. Dustin DebRoy, D.C., tells Shape that neck stretchers are especially beneficial for those with tech neck, a pain and stiffness caused by forward head posture from long-term sitting or screen use.
“The device works by passively placing the neck and upper back in the opposite position of tech posture, which may help to restore natural curvature and decompress overstressed joints and muscles,” Dr. DebRoy explains. He adds that the stretching should not feel forced. Instead, start with the convex side for a gentle pulling that “feels supportive and relieving, not painful.” Additionally, Dr. DebRoy suggests flipping the device so the concave side is under your head only if you need additional support and after you become comfortable with the initial setting.
Amazon
This neck pain-relief tool from RestCloud is made with a dense foam material designed to offer a comfortable and sturdy base. Dr. Debroy recommends using it on a firm, quiet surface — ideally a floor, firm bed, or yoga mat — for 10 minutes a day. In addition to this, Dr. Tanneberg tells Shape that a common mistake when using this device is placement. Don’t use a neck stretcher as a pillow where the neck “is rested on the device instead of placed into extension like its intended use,” he says.
Instead, he explains that a good indicator that your neck is in extension is when your eyes are looking slightly back (behind you) once you open them. “The neck stretcher itself should be flush to your shoulders so that there is no gap between your upper back and the device,” adds Dr. Tanneberg. Make sure to also lay flat on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor with arms rested at your sides, per Dr. DebRoy.
Reviewers found this neck stretcher to be effective for all types of neck aches. A shopper with tech neck pain felt “noticeable relief,” so much that their “tension [is] easing up” in just a few minutes. A second customer similarly noted that their “chronic tightness in [their] neck felt less intense,” while another user raved that their “years of tension melts away” thanks to this device. Other fans agreed that they’re “insanely relaxed” and “pain-free” for days.
Manage your neck pain with the Restcloud Neck Stretcher for $19 at Amazon. Shop this cervical traction device and more pain relief treatments for your neck, below.
Mirakel Shiatsu Back and Neck Massager
Amazon
Penetrex Joint and Muscle Therapy Cream
Amazon
Cozyplayer Ultra Pain Relief Cooling Pillow for Neck Support
Amazon
