Neck Extensors - Hold You Head Up
What are the neck extensors?
No, they are nothing to do with making your neck longer or stretching you to make you taller.
They are the muscles that tilt your head back (neck extension) or more practically, prevent your head from tilting forward.
They are made of the suboccipital and the erector spinae.
Suboccipital
These are 4 pairs of muscles that connect the top of the neck spine to the base of your skull.
Erector spinae
These are a group of muscles throughout the spine that also help with posture and neck rotation.
What causes tight or weak neck extensors?
You guessed it, sitting. And lots of mobile phone use.
Some studies have found that we spend about 5 hours everyday look at our phones and 7/10 of us will have neck pain.[i][ii]
When our head is tilted forward, over time, muscle imbalances are created and the suboccipital muscles get short and tight while the erector spinae becomes long and weak.[iii]
Do I have tight or weak neck extensors?
https://www.elliehermanpilates.com/ellies-blog/2017/8/11/pain-in-the-neck-try-this
One of the best ways to check this is through a simple posture check. In your ‘natural’ position, get someone to look at your side on. Is your chin jutting forward?[iv]
So I have tight or weak neck extensors, what can I do?
Firstly, if you are suffering pain, there are many medical causes, so please consult your health professional for advice. Additionally, here are some things you can do to help prevent tight SCMs.
Suboccipital Stretch
Start with your head upright.
Tuck your chin down (rotating the head down not the neck).
You can use your hands to help.
Self-Myofascial Release / Self-Massage
Neck Roll
Lie on your back with your roller under your neck like a pillow (sort of).
Turn your head left and right.
Ball on the Neck
Use the massage ball / tennis ball / lacrosse ball to make small circles on the rear of your neck.
Remembering to only roll on muscle (and not bone).
You can do this against the wall.
If you find a trigger point, gently push down on it for about 30-45 seconds.
Yoga
Savasana
Lie on your back and put a folded pillow or folded blanket beneath your head.
Let your legs rest in a natural position and your arms comfortably at your side with the palms facing up.
If comfortable close your eyes and relax for 5+ minutes
(This takes the load of those continually firing sub occipital muscles and helps you relax them).
[i] https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/text-neck-treatment
[ii] https://www.health.harvard.edu/pain/neck-pain-a-troubleshooting-guide-to-help-you-relieve-your-pain
[iii] https://www.spine-health.com/conditions/neck-pain/forward-head-postures-effect-neck-muscles
[iv] https://www.spine-health.com/conditions/neck-pain/forward-head-postures-effect-neck-muscles
Conclusion
Our neck extensors tilt our head back but also stops our head from dropping forward. As such, staring down at our phones and laptops makes our neck extensors tight and weak causing muscle imbalances and discomfort. Here are some mobility, self-massage and yoga exercises that may help.
You can also get your FREE 2 week Recharge trial and we’ll go through these techniques with you.
The EVERYDAY can lead to tight neck extensors.
Come to Recharge and Move BEYOND the EVERYDAY.
[I] https://www.healthline.com/human-body-maps/tensor-fasciae-latae#1
[ii] https://www.healthline.com/human-body-maps/tensor-fasciae-latae#1
[iii] http://www.kinfolkwellness.com.au/blog/2015/11/26/get-to-know-your-muscles-tfl
[iv] https://reachphysio.com/tfl/
[v] http://www.kinfolkwellness.com.au/blog/2015/11/26/get-to-know-your-muscles-tfl