New research finds weight training may ease chronic neck and shoulder pain. That's because the pain commonly stems from the upper trapezius muscle. That spans the upper back and shoulders and helps move the neck.
Repeatedly performing monotonous tasks such as computer operations or assembly line work can cause the muscle to become tight and tender.
The study found women who did weight training three times per week for 20 minutes showed a 70 to 80 percent decrease in their neck pain. The exercises were simple, such as slowly shrugging the shoulders while holding a weight in each hand, arms extended by the sides of the body.
The findings are published in the journal Arthritis and Rheumatism.
