Reddit mentions of Backache: What Exercises Work

I get killer tension headaches from neck issues and sometimes they morph into migraines. In my case I have an old shoulder injury plus osteoarthritis and spinal stenosis. The muscles on that side go into spasm and then the pain goes right up into my head.

OK, so what to do. I was referred to a neurologist who did an MRI and diagnosed the spinal issues. She gave me a choice between surgery or physical therapy. I did PT for 3 months. There was a lot of heavy duty massage to break up knotted muscles and scar tissue, as well as lots of stretches and some weight training. I had to do more PT this year for my shoulder and that helped my neck enormously.

So first step would be look into PT. In addition to PT look into McKenzie neck exercises. These help stretch out sore muscles very effectively. There are YouTube videos and books. I like the books because they contain more info and more emphasis on posture, which is very important. You need to avoid the "head forward" posture and keep your ears aligned over your shoulders. I tend to go head forward while driving. Using a smartphone or a tablet or even a laptop is another way to screw up your posture.

Weight training can help a lot. You may have to start with 1 pound dumbbells. Your goal is to build up strength and endurance. If you feel pain while exercising then stop. It is preferable to work with a physical therapist rather than a trainer to avoid triggering pain. Also start with just a few exercises at low weight.

Here are some useful books:

• Been using this for years, very effective. It has a whole chapter of neck exercises. https://www.amazon.com/Backache-What-Exercises-Dava-Sobel-ebook/dp/B00CNTSVBQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1494855757&sr=8-1&keywords=what+exercise+back
  
  
• Mckenzie: https://www.amazon.com/Steps-Pain-Free-Life-Rapidly-Shoulder-ebook/dp/B00DMCPJ3Q/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1494855816&sr=1-2&keywords=mckenzie+exercises
  
  I also do yoga now. My teacher has serious neck issues and we do a whole neck series in every class. You do need to be careful tho, some yoga exercises might be contraindicated based on your condition. I am not supposed to drop my chin down towards my chest, my teacher has the exact opposite problem, she can't tilt her head back.
  
  Also consider that all this muscle tension is stress related. So learn meditation or guided relaxation. I love yoga nidra, again, YouTube is full of videos for this. There is also /r/meditation.