Do you find that sometimes your cervical spine is very heavy in your life, and you feel very unstretchable when you move around? This means that your cervical spine mobility and flexibility is decreasing! The cervical spine is a very small but flexible segment of the spine with a high frequency of activity. The reason for the high incidence of cervical spine disease is the gradual degeneration of the human cervical spine due to constant exposure to various loads, strains and even minor injuries. Therefore, it is also necessary to strengthen the training of cervical spine mobility. Cervical spine mobility check method: Sitting or standing position, head in the middle, both eyes flat in front. (1) Flexion with the chin to touch the chest, the normal cervical spine can be flexed 35 ° ~ 45 °. (2) stretch to tilt the head as far as possible, normal can be posteriorly extended 35 ° ~ 45 °. (3) Touch the right shoulder with the right ear and the left shoulder with the left ear. The normal distance between the two ears to the peak of the ipsilateral shoulder is equal, and the lateral flexion is about 45°. The two shoulders should be equal and the shoulders should not be lifted during the action. (4) Rotation goes to touch the left and right shoulders respectively, but the shoulders should not be raised to touch the chin. The normal rotation is 60° to 80° per side. The following describes two ways to improve the mobility of the cervical spine: stretching therapy and self-exercise I. Stretching therapy Goal: To improve the mobility of the specific tissues involved that affect the movement of the neck Note: Usually, stretching techniques are contraindicated in some inflamed areas. However, if some positions are difficult to reduce symptoms due to tissue restriction or poor synovial fluid, stretching and repetitive training of the restricted tissues is more appropriate. There is also a situation where the acute nerve root is stimulated to relieve symptoms. Stretching needs to be continued for a period of time. Critical judgment of the intensity and duration of stretching depends on the degree of tissue repair as well as tissue integrity and endurance. 1.Improve neck retraction – stretching of the oblique muscles Functional anatomy of the oblique muscles: the oblique muscles are divided into three bundles, anterior, middle and posterior, starting from the transverse process of the upper cervical vertebrae and ending at the 1st and 2nd ribs (the anterior and middle bundles end at the 1st rib). The oblique muscles contract on one side, causing lateral flexion of the cervical vertebrae to the same side and rotation to the opposite side, and contract bilaterally to flex the cervical vertebrae or elevate the 1st and 2nd ribs. Stretching method: The patient is seated. The patient’s chin is tucked in and the head is placed on the ceiling, allowing the cervical spine to be fully extended, then flexed laterally to the healthy side and rotated to the affected side. The therapist stands behind the patient and fixes both the head (keeping the patient’s head close to his or her body) and the thoracic roof (the point of pressure is posterior, as there is a clavicle in front). The oblique muscles do an isometric contraction, hold the breath for 6 seconds and then breathe. The oblique muscles relax after the contraction and get a good stretch with the descent of the thorax. This is a gentle, controlled and relaxed stretching technique. 2, improve the flexion of the upper cervical spine – stretch the suboccipital muscle Sitting position. Touch the second cervical spinous process and hold the thumb or second metacarpophalangeal joint in place. Have the patient nod slowly, causing the head to move slightly in the upper cervical spine. Place the other hand on the patient’s forehead and lead him/her in this movement. 3.Cervical spine manual traction The main method is extraction and extension, which is flexible and versatile. It is used to stretch the muscles, joint capsule and enlarge the intervertebral foramen. The therapist can freely control the strength, angle stretching, head position, etc.; with a small manipulation, the maximum stress response can be obtained. The patient is placed in a supine position, as relaxed as possible. The therapist stands behind the patient’s head and supports the weight of the head with his or her hands. The hands are positioned as comfortably as possible. The following is recommended: A. Place both hands under the occipital bone B. Place one hand on the forehead and the other under the occipital bone C. Place the index finger around the spinous process above the level of the vertebral body. The traction belt is tied around the therapist’s hip to increase the strength of the large hand during traction. Procedure: Rotate the patient’s head in different directions (flexion, extension, lateral deviation) to feel the muscle tightness; then use traction, fixing the stretch in a posteriorly controlled manner. If a traction band is used, the force is transmitted through the band. The control of force is usually silky and continuous. Second, self-exercise In addition to the above passive treatment, we can usually do self-treatment at home. Let’s hurry to learn about the treatment chart that can exercise the flexibility of the cervical spine. 1, shrink the neck and shrug the shoulders Purpose: to enhance the muscle strength of the cervical pinch muscles, head and half-spine muscles, rhomboid muscles of the neck and enhance the stability of the cervical spine. 2.Cervical forward flexion and backward extension training Purpose: To stretch the ligaments and muscles in the front and back of the vertebral body, enhance the muscle strength of the cervical flexor and extensor muscles, and increase the front and backward direction of the cervical vertebrae. 3.Left and right lateral flexion Purpose: stretch the ligaments and muscles attached to the left and right side of the vertebral body, improve the muscle strength of the muscles around the cervical spine, and increase the lateral mobility of the cervical spine. In addition to doing lateral flexion independently, you can also do stretching: upper trapezius stretching and pulling the neck. 4.rotation Purpose: stretching the ligament muscles around the vertebrae, slipping the intervertebral joints and improving the mobility of the cervical spine in all directions. My point is that while doing cervical spine flexibility exercise, we need to pay attention to combining strength exercise and flexibility exercise together in order to move the cervical spine more effectively.