The shoulder blade squeeze is a simple home exercise for your neck. Stand tall with your elbows bent at your sides. Squeeze your shoulder blades back and down, as if holding a pencil between them. Hold 5 seconds. Do it 10 times.
Do this exercise only if your physician checked it on your home exercise handout. Unless your provider writes something different, do your checked exercises two times a day, every day.
How do you do the shoulder blade squeeze?
- Start: Stand tall with your elbows bent at your sides.
- Do: Squeeze your shoulder blades back and down, as if holding a pencil between them.
- Repeat: Hold 5 seconds. Do it 10 times.
What does the shoulder blade squeeze help?
It wakes up the muscles between your shoulder blades. Strong shoulder blades take strain off your neck, especially if you sit a lot.
What mistakes should you avoid?
- Shrugging up instead of squeezing back and down.
- Arching your low back.
- Holding your breath.
When should you stop and call?
A gentle stretch, mild discomfort or feeling a little sore the next morning is normal. Stop and call (314) 887-5866 if you have:
- Sharp or stabbing pain
- Pain 2 points higher than before that lasts more than an hour
- New numbness, tingling or weakness
- Dizziness, or any change in vision
For chest pain, trouble breathing or fainting, call 911.
Bring your log to every visit
Check a box each time you do your exercises and write your pain number once a day. At each visit, your technician counts the days you did them and watches you do one exercise to make sure your form is right.
More neck exercises
This exercise is part of our physician-directed physiotherapy program, where a physician orders and supervises every treatment.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Gurpreet Singh Padda, MD, MBA, MHP. Board Certified in Anesthesiology, Pain Medicine, Interventional Pain Management, Addiction Medicine, and Obesity Medicine. Last reviewed October 18, 2026.