autostretching0166

THE NECK 10.

Yourdifficulty is: Tight Muscles: Equipment: Starting Position:

Stretching:

Stimuiation:

Common Errors:

Bending backward between first and second vertebrae.

Muscles that bend atlas forward on axis.

Chair with firm back.

Sit firmly in to back of chair with neck slightly bent. Place right hand on back of neck, with little finger on 2nd cervical vertebra (axis), the knobb\ bump (marked with a smali x on the skeleton drawing) at the lower enć of hollow in back of neck. The rest of right hand supports neck. Cup left hand on left forehead. Elbows forward.

1.    Look up; relax jaw and bend head backward so that stretch is felt high up along front of neck. Movement only above little finger of right hand.

2.    Look down and press forehead against left hand; hołd for 5 seconds.

3.    Relax; look up; bend head backward to limit, assisting with slight left hand push.

4.    Repeat until you feel you can stretch no further and muscles feel tighL Hołd this finał stretch from 15 seconds to a minutę or morę.

1.    Retain right hand grip; place left hand on back of head.

2.    Look up.

3.    Open mouth slightly, relax jaw and bend head backward to limit. Move-ment only above little finger of right hand.

4.    Resist backward movement with left hand on back of head.

5.    Hołd position a few seconds.

*    Right little finger slides off 2nd vertebra.

*    Jaw not relaxed.

Notę:

Normal Mobility:

Stretch should be felt only along uppermost front of neck. If you fee', discomfort or pain in your head, throat, shoulders, arms, or any other pan of your body, stop stretching immediately.

With neck ’long\ you should be able to bend your head noticeably backward without moving the neck.

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