1Cervical 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.
2Cervical Rotation
- Sitting upright in a chair.
- Use the long edge of a towel or a pillow case and sit it across the affected level as indicated by your therapist, with one edge of the towel/pillow case in either hand.
- Apply a comfortable but firm pressure by pulling the ends of the towel/pillow case keeping the ends in-line with your eye level/height.
- Maintaining this pressure, lower one arm below your shoulder (this is the side you will turn to).
- Turn your head to look over your shoulder as far as comfortable, towards the side of the arm you just lowered – your other hand should follow your line of sight, always maintaining the same pressure.
- Repeat this exercise as instructed by your physiotherapist.
3Book Opening
- 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 your top arm up and over your body towards the floor behind you drawing a semicircle.
- 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.
4Row
- Secure the resistance band to a door handle or pole.
- Keep the resistance point in line with the belly button.
- With a proud chest and thumbs pointing towards the roof, pull the band. back maintaining the bend in the elbow.
- As you pull back, focus on squeezing the shoulder blades together.
- Control the return.
Can increase reps as tolerated. Regress to red band as needed
5Shoulder External Rotation
- Position yourself with the elbow tucked into the side body.
- Open through the chest.
- Thumb directed towards the roof.
- Position the affected arm furthest away from the resistance band.
- Maintaining the above position, move the forearm away from the belly button.
- Control the return to the belly.
- Repeat as per Physiotherapists guidelines.
Regress to yellow as needed. Progress to 12-15 reps as tolerated
6Serratus Anterior – Wall Push Up
- With bent elbows, place the forearm onto the wall slightly below the line of the shoulder joint.
- With a relaxed neck squeeze the shoulder blades together.
- Move in the opposing direction and round through the chest pulling the shoulder blades apart.
- Repeat as prescribed.