Video Transcription
Hi everybody, Dr. Ryan here. Today we are going to be going over some exercises that help reduce that forward head posture and help with the pain that you’re having between that neck and upper back.
Let’s get into it.
Chin Retractions With Shoulder Roll
In this first video for the upper back posture here, we are going to be doing chin retractions with a shoulder roll. So we’ll have Caitlin demonstrate by getting into a bad posture. Head’s going to kind of roll forward, and shoulders roll forward as well. From this point, we’re going to have her chin retract. We don’t want it to go down or up, just straight backward. And then the shoulders are going to roll up and back. That sensation will feel like you’re tucking the shoulder blades into the back pockets, and then she’s going to relax, and she would repeat again. That is your chin retraction with shoulder roll exercise.
Chin Retraction & Head Lift
This next exercise that we’re going to demonstrate has very small and precise movements but is very effective. So we’ll have Caitlin demonstrate by lying down here. And the first thing she’s going to do is push her head into the ground. It’s going to feel like you’re just barely, barely moving, but the head is going to squish into the mat there. And then she’s going to lift off about one inch or two and then relax back down. And then you’re going to repeat one more time and relax back down. That is your chin retraction and head lift exercise.
Behind-the-Head Elbow Retraction Exercise
This last exercise we’re going to show is a behind-the-head elbow retraction exercise. It’s a little complex, so we’ll have Caitlin demonstrate it here. We’re going to start with our hands on the back of the head, slightly lift off, and then push the elbows back and squeeze those shoulder blades. So the two most important things are your head staying in a good position and your shoulder blades squeezing together. So we’ll have her show from the other side here. Hands on the back of the head slightly. Lift off, pull the shoulder blades backward, and you’ll see that squeeze right through the middle there. And that is your behind-the-head elbow retraction.
