Neck Stretches for a Herniated Disc: I Stopped When the Pain Eased, Then Started Again

Neck Stretches for a Herniated Disc: I Stopped When the Pain Eased, Then Started Again

1. Why I started tracking a 30-second habit again

When something hurts, we pay attention. Once we feel better, it is surprisingly easy to forget the things we were doing to get there.

That is what happened with my neck. I went to the hospital because of the pain and followed the stretching advice I was given. But as the discomfort eased, I slipped back into my old routine. Eventually, the pain returned.

When I started again, I decided to make it easier to keep going.

I started small, added it to something I already did, and wrote a short note afterward.

This is a personal account of how I tried to keep up with the care recommended to me. Thirty seconds was my starting point, not a treatment for a cervical disc condition. If you have neck problems, ask a healthcare professional which movements and level of effort are appropriate for you.

2. Once the pain was gone, I stopped keeping up with the stretches

About 13 years before writing this in 2026, I injured my neck during a Ju-Jitsu sparring session.

My work in design and drafting already meant spending long hours at a computer. Then came the injury, followed by a diagnosis of a cervical disc problem.

I visited several clinics and hospitals and was offered different treatments. I spent time and money, but I wasn't getting the improvement I had hoped for. The tingling in my arm and fingers was also getting worse.

Eventually, an orthopedic specialist at a university hospital gave me some advice about my daily routine: keep up with the neck stretches they recommended, spend less time looking down at my phone, and avoid activities that put strain on my neck.

I followed that advice and made an effort to do the stretches throughout the day. Over time, my neck felt much better—more than I had expected from something so simple.

Then I started skipping them.

On my commute, I went back to watching long stretches of YouTube on my phone. Eventually, the pain and tingling returned and worsened. I sought medical care again, and I remembered the daily routine I had let go.

Knowing what to do and continuing to do it turned out to be two very different things.

3. I added it to my morning workout

Connecting a new habit to something you already do is often called 'Habit stacking'. James Clear credits BJ Fogg's work on anchoring when explaining this approach: an existing action becomes a reminder to do the next one.[1]

Looking back through my journal, I could see how this worked for me. “I should do my neck stretches today” was easy to forget. Doing them during my morning workout was much easier to remember.

I started with 30 seconds. That was simply an amount that felt manageable to me, not a medically established exercise dose.

On May 1, 2026, I began recording the habit in MOAVO Habits. I wrote down what I did, when I did it, and what made it easier to fit into my day.

4. Three things I noticed over the next few months

A. I began looking for a specific time to do it

Some of my early entries mentioned stretching at lunchtime or while waiting in an elevator. I was looking for short, recurring moments in my day.

Writing these down helped me move beyond “I'll do it when I have time.” I began asking a more useful question: “Where could this fit into my usual day?”

B. It was easier to remember during my morning workout

One journal entry reads:

“Doing it during my morning workout seems to be the easiest way to keep it consistent.”

I was already exercising regularly in the morning. It occurred to me that I could do my neck stretches then, too.

That worked better for me than trying to set aside another time later in the day. I still missed days, but I forgot less often when the stretches were part of something I was already doing.

C. I could see what I had actually done

Some entries recorded 30 seconds. Others mentioned 40 or 50 seconds, or several short sessions throughout the day. It wasn't exactly the same every time.

I didn't take that to mean that longer was always better. The duration and intensity needed to suit how I was feeling and the guidance I had received.

What mattered to me was being able to look back at the details. Instead of vaguely remembering that I had been stretching “quite often,” I could see what I had actually done.

5. The dots on the calendar helped—but filling every day wasn't the goal

As the dots began to fill up my MOAVO Habits calendar, I didn't want to leave a gap. Honestly, that feeling reminded me to do the stretches on some days.

Still, I didn't want to push myself just to fill in the calendar. If I needed to rest, I could rest. If I skipped a day or felt discomfort, I could write that down, too.

Looking back, two questions mattered to me:

When was it easier to keep up with the routine? And after missing a day, how did I get started again?

Those were worth paying attention to alongside my streak.

6. My symptoms eased, and I had a record of what I'd been doing

After about three months, I felt that my neck pain and the tingling in my hand had eased.

Of course, I can't say that stretching alone caused the improvement. I had also received treatment, and other things in my daily life had changed. This was my personal experience, not a controlled study.

So I can't claim that 30 seconds a day treats a cervical disc condition, or that using an app reduces pain.

What I can say is that the journal helped me look back at how I had kept up with my routine. Without it, I would probably have remembered little more than “I did some stretches now and then.”

If pain or tingling worsens, or you develop new weakness, seek medical advice. Keeping a streak going can wait.

7. Add one small habit to something you already do

If a healthcare professional has recommended a routine for you, think of something that already has a regular place in your day. Could that become your reminder?

Afterward, leave yourself a short note. It doesn't need to be a long diary entry.

For example:

• “Did the routine I was shown. Adding it to my morning routine made it easier to remember.”
• “Missed it today. Tomorrow, I'll do it right after my usual morning activity.”
• “Stopped because it felt uncomfortable. I'll mention this at my appointment.”

After a few days, read back through your notes. Look for what helped you follow through. Notes about discomfort may also help you describe what has been happening when you speak with your clinician.

8. Keep a short habit journal with MOAVO Habits

You can use paper or a notes app. I use 'MOAVO Habits', the app I built, to write short habit entries and look back at them on a calendar.

You can also receive comments from AVO, the AI coach. For medical advice, though, your healthcare professional is the person to speak with.

Start with one thing you did today and one detail you want to remember.

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Source

1. James Clear, The Ultimate Habit Tracker Guide. Referenced for linking tracking to an existing action and the discussion of BJ Fogg's anchoring approach.
   2. JAE Dokgo's Personal rcord from MOAVO Habits.