If you have been suffering from recurring shoulder or neck pain, then you will want to consider the results of this study.

Reported in January 2008 in Arthritis & Rheumatism, women who performed hand-weight exercises for their shoulder and neck muscles decreased their pain 70-80%. And they only practiced the exercises three times per week.

Strength exercises using hand-weights, resistance tubing, and machines can reduce upper-body tension by several means. They increase blood-flow to tight, restricted muscles. They make muscles work in balance when poor posture and alignment causes imbalances.

Here are four simple hand-weight exercises that reduce tension in the neck and shoulders:

1) Shrugs- Holding a heavy weight in each hand, keep the arms straight, raise and lower your shoulders in a shrug. You can roll them back a bit as you raise them. This relieves a lot of tension in the upper-body and reduces neck stiffness.

2) Reverse flyes- Lean your torso over so that it is parallel with the ground. Your body should look like an L. Lift the chest forward slightly. Holding a light weight in each hand, lift arms straight out to your sides. Keep the arms mostly straight. Keep the torso still: avoid lifting the torso as you raise the weights.

3) Deltoid raises- Stand tall and hold a light weight in each hand. Lift the arms straight out to the sides. Keep the arms and hands just slightly in front of the body.

4) Rows- These will target the neck and shoulders if you focus on the muscles in the middle and upper back. Similar to the reverse flyes, lean your torso over so it is parallel with the floor. But use heavier weights than the ones you used for the flyes. Instead of keeping arms straight, bend the elbows up to your sides. Squeeze between your shoulder blades as you raise the weights.

Practice 12-15 repetitions of each exercise, two to three times. If you can raise the weight 15 times without feeling challenged, then you should use more weight.


In the study, participants felt as much as an 80% reduction in pain in only 10 weeks. When you start practicing targeted exercises, you may feel instant relief. Over months and years, you may feel complete, long-lasting relief.

By: Nina Schnipper