Beaver Falls Chiropractor | Beaver Falls chiropractic care | | Therapeutic Exercise - Stability - "Top To Bottom"

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NECK EXERCISES FOR STRENGTH/STABILITY

1 & 2. NECK FLEXION/EXTENSION
1. Put your hands on your forehead and apply gentle resistance to your forehead as you move your chin toward your chest. Keep your hands on your forehead and apply gentle resistance as you move your chin back up to the start position. You can do this in several sets of 10.

2. Place your hands on the back of your head and apply gentle resistance as you move your chin toward your chest. Keep your hands on the back of your head and apply gently resistance to the back of your head as you bring your head to the upright position (make sure your hands are on your head and not on your neck). You can do this in several sets of 10.

3. DEEP NECK FLEXORS
1. Lie flat on back on bed/floor
2. Tuck chin straight back
3. Lift head off bed/floor while holding chin tuck
4. Hold position for 5 secs (please remember to breath)
5. Perform one set of 5 morning and evening

*VERY IMPORTANT - head is only lifted a very small amount, just enough to feel the weight of the head leave the surface
*Work should be felt deep in the throat, not in the chest

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Low Back Exercises for Stability

Anyone who has worked with Sue knows how to hold their "brace".  The brace must be held in order for the following exercises to be fully effective.  In addition, please remember it isn't how much motion is achieved, but rather how much control that is maintained through the stable range.

1. BRIDGES
1. Lying on your back with knees bent
1.a. Bring feet as far back toward butt as possible, but still comfortably
1.b. Place feet square with hips

2. Tighten brace
3. Lift lower back and buttock off floor together - do not curl up off the floor - only go as high as you can still holding your brace
4. Lower the back an buttock down to the floor

*Work should be felt in lower abs mor than in legs and buttock
*Try to hold the brace tight throughout the whole set to gain endurance of the stabilizers

2 & 3. DEAD BUGS
1. Lying on your back with knees bent
1.a. Tighten brace
1.b. Lift one leg off floor so knee is pointing straight up toward ceiling
1.c. Keep brace tight and lift second leg to same position as first (both legs should now be in the air)
1.d. Put your arms in the air as if on a roller coaster ride

2. Keep brace tight - bring knee gently toward chest and lower arms to meet knees
3. Return to upright position
4. When finished with set return one foot to floor, followed by second foot

*Goal is to keep lower back 'flat' on floor (neutral), don't allow back to arch with each movement - use brace to hold
*Try to hold the brace tight throughout the whole set to gain endurance of the stabilizers

4. SIDE ABS
1. Lie straight as an arrow on your side (Draw an invisible straight line from your shoulder to your hip to your ankle)
2. Balance on your hip that is resting (digging into) on the floor
3. Hold your brace tight
4. Raise both legs off the floor together
5. Lower legs and repeat
6. Repeat on opposite side

*Work should be felt in side abs on top away from floor
* Objective of this exercise is not to lift the legs higher. but instead to be able to maintain balance on the hip.