Cervical Retraction

Cervical Retraction _ 1st Video: Isometric cervical retraction with external load to teach positioning and to build endurance of the deep neck flexors and global cervical spine extensors. Also massive blue theraband tricep pump & gainz (kidding). _ 2nd Video: Another method to load the cervical spine and cervical retraction motions, a generally under-loaded pair of movements. Can incorporate different variations of scapular protraction and core engagement strategies as well depending on the patient. _ It's tough when your patients experience painful, stiff necks as a result of working 70 hour weeks, many of which are spent over a desk or computer. Although in some cases the ideal situation would be to remove or reduce the incriminating activity, to tell someone that they should simply just work less is often an impractical solution. I feel like this can potentially "pain-shame" patients because it downplays their hard work and livelihood as detrimental to their health. Sometimes this may very well be true and a tough-love approach is warranted, but I also believe the important priorities of work and health are not mutually exclusive even for the busy New Yorker. _ If you can't reduce the amount of stressors contributing to pain in your life, you can build your body's capacity to tolerate those stressors. Whenever possible...do both.

A post shared by PhysioStrength (@physiostrengthnyc) on Jul 28, 2017 at 7:12am PDT