Neck exercise 1
Head Retraction in Sitting
This is the first McKenzie exercise for the neck. Again, if you are a back patient, you will find the McKenzie exercises for the back in Chapter 5.
Head retraction means pulling the head backward.
Sit on a chair or stool, look straight ahead, and allow yourself to relax completely. As you do this, your head will protrude a little Now you are ready to start the first and most important exercise.
Move your head slowly but steadily backward until it is pulled back as far as you can manage. As you do this, it is important to keep your chin tucked down and in. In other words, you must remain looking straight ahead and should not tilt the head backward as in looking up. When your
head is pulled back as far as possible, you have assumed the retracted head posture. Once you have maintained this position for a few seconds, you should relax, and automatically your head and neck will protrude again . Each time you repeat this cycle of movements, you must make sure that the backward movement of the head and neck is performed to the maximum possible degree.
As with all other McKenzie Method neck and back exercises involving multiple movements, remember to slowly think or say the words “pressure on, pressure off,” as you do the exercise. This helps you to hold each position just long enough and establishes a rhythm in which to do the exercise.
The exercise can be made more effective by placing both hands on the chin and firmly pushing the head even farther back .
This exercise is used mainly in the treatment of neck pain, as opposed to its prevention. When used in the treatment of neck pain, the exercise should be repeated 10 times per session, and the sessions should be spread evenly six to eight times throughout the day. This means you should repeat the sessions about every two hours. If you experience acute pains on attempting this exercise, you must replace it with Exercise 3, Head Retraction in Lying. When used in the prevention of neck pain, the exercise should be re-
peated five or six times as many times a day as required. That is, if you find you can prevent neck pain by performing two sessions of this exercise, then do two sessions a day, and if you can prevent it only by doing ten sessions a day, do ten.
