1Chin Tuck
- 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.
2Cervical Retraction
- Stand or sit with an upright posture.
- Draw the chin slightly down and back.
- The movement you are aiming for is a horizontal translation, like a lollypop on a stick.
- A prompt which may be helpful is “imagine giving yourself a double chin”.
- You will feel a gentle activation of the muscles in the anterior aspect of the neck.
Position change – optional, don’t need to do both
3Thoracic Extension [Wall]
- Stand with your back against the wall.
- Link your fingers together and take your arms up above your head.
- Reach to the sky with your arms while trying to flatten your lower back against the wall.
- You should feel a stretch/movement through your upper back.
4Book Opening [Short Lever]
- Lie on your side with your head supported and your knees bent up to 80-90 degrees.
- Place your arms in front of you in front of your chest with hands together.
- Lift the back of hand of the top arm to the forehead.
- Rotate with the breastbone and ensure the pelvis remains still.
- Hold at the end of movement for a breath.
- Lift the arm up and reverse the semicircle movement until back at the start.
- Complete as per Physiotherapist guidelines.