Author: Dr. Colin Butler, DPT, ATC
In this article, we are going to discuss what other movements to consider if you are dealing with movement related neck discomfort and chin tucks have not helped.
If you are not sure what a chin tuck is or whether it might be useful for you, refer back to the previous article in this series to see if your neck pain solution might be that simple.
At the end of Part 1, we discussed how chin tucks are an exercise that extend the lower cervical spine while expanding the back side of the upper cervical spine. This relationship is shown in Picture 1.
A key concept introduced earlier is that this position is not harmful. In fact, it is commonly used by individuals who are producing large amounts of force. When the goal is to be strong or generate force, the body often limits available movement to improve output.
Think about the last time you helped someone move a couch. If you tightened your body and lifted straight up and down, the task likely felt easier. If you lost tension, twisted, or had to reposition yourself mid lift, your strength and leverage were reduced.
When the body moves away from positions that limit rotation, it becomes harder to generate force efficiently.
This is why strength athletes such as powerlifters compress certain regions of their body during lifts like the bench press. They pinch their shoulder blades together and extend the lower back to reduce unnecessary movement and improve force production. For them, this is a performance adaptation.
Over time, however, this adaptation can contribute to a reduced ability to rotate or turn the head.
To move into any position, the body must be able to expand into that space. Chin tucks extend or compress the lower neck. To turn your head to the right, the right side of the lower neck must expand while the left side compresses. The opposite must occur to turn left.
If your head and neck naturally sit in a chin tucked position even when you are not lifting or producing force, and you struggle to turn your head in either direction, chin tucks are unlikely to improve your neck mobility.
In these cases, exercises that promote expansion of the lower neck are often a better starting point.
An Alternative: The Alternating Frog Crawl
A great movement to begin restoring this ability is the alternating frog crawl, shown below.
A video of the alternating frog crawl exercise.
This exercise offers several benefits for individuals who have difficulty turning their head or who have experienced neck pain for an extended period of time.
First, it teaches you how to create pressure through the ground to expand the space between your shoulder blades and the base of your neck.
Second, it challenges you to maintain that expanded position against gravity, which helps build endurance in the muscles that support your neck and head.
As you step one arm and the opposite leg forward, one side of the neck experiences compression while the other side expands. These are the exact biomechanical demands required to rotate the head side to side.
Key Takeaways
There is nothing inherently wrong with the chin tuck position. It can be helpful in specific situations, but it is not a universal solution for neck pain.
The goal is to have a neck that can move into positions that resist motion when strength is required and positions that allow movement when rotation and flexibility are needed.
If you have been relying on chin tucks without improvement and still feel limited by neck stiffness, it may be time to try a different approach. Focus on exercises that restore your ability to expand, rotate, and adapt so your neck can move freely again.
