STABILIZATION FOR THE NECK

All the rage these days is doing stabilization exercises for the lower back.

Did you know that you can reduce headaches by strengthening the correct neck muscles? 

 The muscles at the front of the neck include: 

• Rectus Capitus Anterior  
• Lateralis Capitus
• Longus Cervicus

 

These muscles at the front of your neck lie deep along the spinal vertebrae. 

These are like your deep abdominal muscles. 

When you have poor posture (forwards head where your chin is poking forwards) the muscles at the back of the neck

get short and tight, compressing the back joints of the neck bones, while the muscles at the front of the neck get long

 and stretched. Both short and long muscles can be weak as they are not in the optimum position for working. 

Whiplash injuries may contribute to the improper use of the deep neck muscles.

The more superficial muscles, Sternocleidomastoid (SCM) and Scalenes will compensate for the weak, deeper

muscles. These muscles are the movers of the neck and are not great stabilizers.   

Over time, because of poor stabilization the neck joints can wear (often considered as arthritis).

 

 

Nerve impingements at the neck, either where the nerve comes out between the bones, or as the nerves pass

through the scalene muscles, under the collar bone and over the ribs, can cause symptoms into the shoulder, elbow

and wrist/hand. 

The neck often has a roll in conditions such as “tennis elbow,” “carpal tunnel syndrome,” and

“thoracic outlet syndrome.” 

 

Testing of the deep neck muscles is done by a physiotherapis with you lying on your back and the head

and neck in a neutral spinal position. A chin nod is performed. A Pressure Feedback Cuff (PBU) can be used to help

measure the force of the contraction (superficially). The therapist will monitor the more superficial muscles (SCM,

 Scalenes and Suprahyoid) to determine if you are using these more superficial muscles through 2/3^rds of the motion

 versus just the deep muscles. The ultimate goal is to be able to sustain the proper contraction during the chin nod

exercise 10 seconds for 10 repetitions before fatiguing. 

Research has shown people who suffer from headaches have weakness of the deep neck muscles. 

Supervision by a physiotherapist is required initially to determine if you are recruiting the correct muscles.  

There is no sense in doing the exercise incorrectly, as it will then only serve to reinforce the incorrect movement pattern

and may contribute to more discomfort.

More Information

Carol Kennedy of Treloar Physiotherapy (www.treloarphysio.com) is leading the way in the area of neck pain and

 exercises. It was Carol who instructed myself through my manual therapy levels and introduced me to the concept of

Deep Neck Flexion exercises.

Start Line Physiotherapy (250) 746-7463

wendy@wendybowen.com