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Variation 1: Chin Tuck Activation

Instructions:

  • Lie down on your back.
  • Using the small, deeper muscles in your neck, draw your chin downwards.
  • Hold this position for 5 seconds.
  • Repeat 10 times, or as prescribed by your Physiotherapist.
  • Try not to use the large superficial neck muscles. Watch the video at the bottom of this page to know what this feels like.

Precautions:

  • Make sure your head can touch the ground and is supported.
  • This should not be painful, if it is worsening your pain then stop and contact your Physiotherapist.

Variation 2: Chin Tuck with Head Lift

Instructions:

  • Lie down on your back.
  • Using the small, deeper muscles in your neck, draw your chin downwards.
  • Whilst maintaining the position of your chin, lift your head slightly off the ground.
  • Hold this position for 5 seconds.
  • Repeat 10 times, or as prescribed by your Physiotherapist.

Precautions:

  • Between repetitions, make sure your head can touch the ground and is supported.
  • This should not be painful, if it is worsening your pain then stop and contact your Physiotherapist.

Variation 3: Chin Tuck with Head Lift and Turn

Instructions:

  • Lie down on your back.
  • Using the small, deeper muscles in your neck, draw your chin downwards.
  • Whilst maintaining the position of your chin, lift your head slightly off the ground and add a turn to look to each side.
  • Repeat 10 times, or as prescribed by your Physiotherapist.

Precautions:

  • Between repetitions, make sure your head can touch the ground and is supported.
  • This should not be painful, if it is worsening your pain then stop and contact your Physiotherapist.

Checking for Superficial Muscle Activation

  • Put your fingers below the side of your chin.
  • Lift your head off the ground.
  • You should feel the large superficial muscles contract under your fingers.
  • These are not the muscles that we want to train when completing deep neck flexor training.
  • You should not feel the activation of these muscles when completing the above chin-tuck exercises, however you may when adding the head-lift and turns.
  • If you are having trouble completing these exercises, contact your Physiotherapist.