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3.4.1.    Non-specific techniąue to increase

ventral flexion with rotation to the right and lateral flexion to the left.

P supine.

Starting Position: P: Supine; head and neck beyond end of couch; shoulders and thorax stabilized with a belt. T: Standing at head of couch.

Grip: T’s right hand grips P's occiput, wrist and forearm supporting P’s head. Ts left hand grips P’s chin (without pressing on the larynx).

Procedurę: Using this grip, T applies traction, and then maintaining this traction, moves his/her body with P’s head to gradually and fully ventrally flex, rotate to the right and laterally fiex to the left P’s cervical spine.

Stimulation of Antagonists: T retains grip, and pulls against the right side of P's chin. T then asks P to look and move his/her head further in the direction just stretched. T resists that movement to stimulate P’s antagonists.

Notes: The finał position may move the vertebrae into a locked position.

Therefore, T must cautiously use successively smaller forces and movements in approaching the finał position.

This starting position and grip may be used for all non-specific techniques for stretching muscles around the cervical spine.

Fig. 28 a. Starting Position.

Fig. 28 b. Finał Position.

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