Easiest: Top Left – Deep Neck Flexor Motor Control
This is the most basic exercise we all know and love. It can be made progressively harder utilizing a blood pressure cuff. Click the link HERE for the protocol.
Moderate: Bottom Left – Deep Neck Flexor and Anterior Neck Strength and Endurance
Partial get-ups are great because they incorporate deep neck flexor training while working the scapular musculature simultaneously. For most of my patients this step is imperative because they’re mostly all trying to get back to high level training (pressing things overhead, handstands, handstand pushups). I think this is often a step we miss as therapists attempting to bridge the gap back to performance.
This exercise I got directly from Gwen Jull. The idea of this exercise is to keep your eyes on your hands throughout the movement. This allows us to selectively train the deep neck extensors and minimize the more superficial extensors.
Moderate: Bottom Right – Plank Variations
Once athletes are tolerating the first variation well I generally like to progress toward plank variations. In this way we train the cervical extensors while simultaneously working the core and serratus anterior.
Advanced: Bottom Left – Crawl Variations
Lastly are crawl variations. Crawl variations are excellent because they simultaneously train the core, neck extensors, serratus anterior and posterior scapular musculature. They’re also nice and challenging for athletes to perform.
I’ve always felt that there aren’t very good rehab progressions out there for people with neck pain trying to get back to high levels of fitness. Here are some of my favorites. Give them a shot and let me know what you think.
