It seems like I can’t write enough about neck pain! This is the most common pain area in the body and everywhere I look I see people with bad necks!
You might do neck stretches on a regular basis to alleviate neck tension, but if you don’t decompress and build strength in your neck, all the stretching in the world will only provide temporary relief!
When your head is stuck in Forward Head Posture, your upper cervical vertebrae and muscles are in too much extension and your lower cervicals are in too much flexion.
One of the most effective postural exercises for combating neck pain is the chin tuck. This exercise not only helps strengthen the muscles that pull the head back into alignment over the shoulders, but it also stretches the scalene and suboccipital muscles.
The chin tuck can be done numerous times throughout the day, such as while sitting in the car or at your desk at work. The repetition of this exercise throughout the day also helps develop good postural habits. It is especially important to perform this exercise when the neck and shoulder blades first begin to hurt.
The chin tuck can be done numerous times throughout the day, such as while sitting in the car or at your desk at work. The repetition of this exercise throughout the day also helps develop good postural habits. It is especially important to perform this exercise when the neck and shoulder blades first begin to hurt.
First, take a look at the image below. A shows forward head position, B shows a retracted head (chin tuck)
When you practice the chin tuck:
- be sure not to tilt your head back
- keep your eyes on the horizon, don’t look up towards the ceiling
- feel that your head is gliding back, like a turtle’s head
- retract your head and feel the muscles in the front of the neck squeeze and tighten
- repeat chin tucks 10 times, 3-5 times a day
If you suffer from neck pain and you’re tired of living with it, we need to talk, because I can HELP you! I freed up some time on my schedule this Thursday, just so I can answer your most burning questions and I can help you come up with a solution!
Schedule a complimentary phone consultation here!
