Cervical Retraction Neck Exercise

Cervical traction is one of the the physical therapy exercises which your physical therapist may suggest you as a part of your home exercise program in case if you are suffering from spinal Arthritis or you need to strengthen your neck and back muscles

 it is also good for strengthening the muscles at the back of your neck and your spinal muscles

If you are suffering from different neck conditions which cause pain or other symptoms and it is going down your arm or if you are just unsure what you should do and how you should do it be sure to ask your physical therapist and take directions from them before trying to do any exercise by yourself

Prepare

Start the exercise program  with review of  the neck exercise for forward head posture this is preparatory step that will help you to gain an experience on exactly what to do without loading your joints while you are learning the exercise

 this part of the exercise probably won’t feel like a work out but it will help you to find the correct action of the head as it moves on your neck

Once you are successful performing this step and moving your head accurately in alignment with your neck then it is time to work with cervical retraction as a full exercise

Because performing this exercise requires a lot of focus so you may like to perform this exercise in a sitting position instead of standing position

Doing the Retraction From the Prone Position

Your physical therapist may also suggest you to perform this exercise in the prone position yes it is possible to perform the cervical retraction in the prone position for performing this place your forehead on the surface you are lying on with your arms straight down by your side make sure that you don’t lock your elbows and keep them relax now when you bring your head back keep this movement small lift just your head and keep your chin slightly tuck

Don’t kink at the neck it must be an extension of your spine follow the instructions of your physical therapist so that you know how to move your head and in which direction you have to move your head

Make sure that you are moving slowly by performing this exercise then you don’t hurt yourself ask a physical therapist to guide you about the proper positioning of your neck and head as if you are performing this exercise in improper alignment then it will lead to more harm than benefit

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