11/24/2023 0 Comments Chin tuck muscles![]() ![]() Some cues I use for this when teaching my patients in the clinic is to bring your shoulder blades “down and back” imagine putting your elbows into your back pocket – without bending your elbows of course (yes you read that correctly) Now for those of you reading this you are squeezing as hard as you can which is good, but we need to contract the right muscles so we don’t want to bring our shoulder blades up and cause more neck tension we want do the opposite.This movement should come from your back muscles and you should have some slight shoulder movement towards the back rest of your driver’s seat, no elbow flexion should occur. Straight arms, now Imagine there is a pencil in the middle of your back and the only way you can hold it is by squeezing your shoulder blades together.Two (2) hands on the wheel and eyes on the road.To do this we must perform proper SCAP Set: These are the muscles between the shoulder blades (also known as the scapula). Scapular setting: As mentioned previously, neck pain is usually accompanied by rounded or rolled in shoulders so other than stretching out our chest muscles (which I highly recommend), we need to strengthen the muscles that keep us in good posture. BUT DON’T GO BACK TO THE POOR POSTURE: Although this is an over exaggerated exercise this is the position we want to maintain throughout the day.Now your head should be in extension with your neck pressed back against the head rest of your drivers chair-slowly in this position press the back of your head into the head rest hold for 3 seconds then relax.Take your chin and bring it down as if you are nodding to say yes – this can also be thought of as creating a “double chin”.2 Hands on the wheel and eyes on the road.Chin tucks is an exercises to strengthen our neck flexors and lengthen our neck extensors. ![]() This poor posture is a big reason for recurrent neck pain. This cause the neck to go into extension causing our deep beck flexors to lengthen and our neck extensors to shorten. Due to technology along with other reasons, all patients with neck pain have rounded shoulders (which we will get to with our next exercises). Chin Tucks: Neck pain comes from many areas an exercise that I prescribe in the early stages of treatment for almost all causes of neck pain is Chin tucks.Which is fine, I get that, BUT in my profession we have to be problem solvers, so here are my efficient exercises to help reduce neck and back pain while driving. The usual reason I get from a patient who is not compliant “I don’t have time”. When seeing a patient on a follow up appointment I will always ask how the exercise program is going to ensure that they are doing it, and this gives them a chance to ask any questions (if they are doing it right, if they are feeling it in the right areas etc.). In order to reap the rewards of manual therapy, exercise is key. It’s nice that the pain goes away for a day or two but then the patient will fall into the same postures and patterns that got their back or neck all gummed up. Exercises are vital in the rehabilitation process as I am able to unlock joints, loosen muscles and make corrections, in order to maintain these benefits the patient needs to do their home exercise program religiously. Often I prescribe exercises at the beginning of my treatment plan to complement the manual work I perform on the patient. A lot of injuries and complaints I see at Apple Creek are back and neck pain.
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