The scalene stretch is for the muscles down the side and front of your neck that attach to your upper ribs (scalenes). Sit with one arm tucked behind your lower back, then tilt your head away from it and tip it a little back until you feel the pull.

How to do the scalene stretch

Sit up tall on a chair with your feet flat on the floor.
Bring the arm on the side you want to stretch behind your lower back. Rest your other hand on your thigh.
Staying tall, slowly tilt your head away from the arm behind your back, bringing your ear toward the opposite shoulder.
Now tip your head slightly back, so your chin points a little upward, until you feel a stretch down the front and side of your neck.
Hold, then bring your head slowly back to the middle before you relax the arm.

What you should feel

A stretch along the front and side of your neck on the same side as the arm behind your back. Some people feel it reach down toward the collarbone.

Common mistakes

Letting the shoulder on the stretching side creep up. The arm behind your back is there to keep it down.
Tipping the head far back. A slight backward tilt is enough.
Slumping in the chair, which changes the angle and takes the stretch away.

How often

Often 2 to 3 holds of 20 to 30 seconds on each side, once or twice a day. Ask your physio how long your own holds should be.

Stop and check with your physio if

You feel dizzy, faint or unsteady. Stop and get medical advice the same day. If you faint, it does not settle within a few minutes of sitting still, or you cannot stand or walk steadily, call emergency services.
Things look double, your vision suddenly blurs or goes, your speech slurs or becomes muddled, swallowing becomes hard, your face or lips go numb, one side of your face droops or one side of your body goes weak or numb, you suddenly become so dizzy or unsteady that you fall or cannot stand or walk, your legs suddenly give way but you do not black out (a drop attack), or you get a sudden severe headache. Stop and call emergency services, even if it goes away.
Your arm or hand starts to tingle, go numb or hurt.
The pull at the front of the neck becomes a sharp pain.

From the clinic

The nerves that supply the arm pass between these neck muscles. That is why tingling into the hand during this stretch matters. If it happens, ease the head back toward the middle, and if it does not settle quickly, stop and tell your physio.

The video shows one side only. Small changes in how far you tilt and tip back will move the stretch around, so find the angle where you feel a clear pull without strain, then keep it there. Without the backward tip, it is much like the upper trapezius stretch. Tipping the head back is what moves the pull toward the front of the neck.

After neck surgery or a broken bone in the neck, check with your surgeon or physio before you start.

Reviewed by the PocketPhysio by VirtueLife expert physiotherapy team. Last reviewed 2026-09-25.

This page is general education, not a diagnosis or a personal treatment plan. If you have pain, an injury or a health condition, see a physiotherapist or doctor before starting new exercises.

Scalene stretch