I want to sincerely thank you for posting this free information and articles on your website for those of us who may not be able to afford your consultations at the moment. Thank you !
This is pure gold. I had problems with neck hinging and clenching for more than ten years now, but I recently found a cue to make my life way better. I relax the back of my neck as much as I can, which means my head will tilt forward, chin drops. Then automatically my upper back kicks in an brings me into a nice upright position, otherwise I would be looking downwards. From personal experience, I agree with everything you said. Would have loved if any of my therapists could have made those points clear throughout the last ten years, which only took you ten minutes. I currently focus on strengthening my upper back (wall angels etc) and relaxation of my neck, rather than mindlessly building muscles all over the place (as was suggested by some of my therapists). However, I can not stress enough how important the relaxation part is. If you can't get clenching under control, no amount of muscles will help you get better. Keep up the great work, appreciating every minute of it!
No doubt. Despite telling my traditional PTs to treat me like a zebra and build me from the most basic movement up they would jump me to advanced exercises with incorrect form, loading up the compensations until I broke. We are still in the dark ages in MSK medicine. Glad people like this are shining some light on age old misconceptions!
Fellow long time sufferer here. I always knew there was someone out there who could explain exactly where the head and shoulders should be. I think the clenching will stop if you put your head and shoulders in the position he details. It’s very counter intuitive at first but you can relearn the pattern with perseverance. It’s no doubt stress/ smart phones, slouching in chairs maybe even incorrect shoes that slowly push you into a bad position over many years.
Thank you for everything that you do! I have followed dozens on you tube showing ways to correct this. Not one of them mentioned how important it was to strengthen the Longus Capitis and Longus Colli like you have. I was able to release my tight suprahyoid muscles that I have dealt with for 15 years. 2 years ago is when I found your channel. You speak the truth unlike that other guys that tell you to stretch this muscle and that muscle which results in a temporary pain relief because the main issue is because the deep neck flexors are inactive and people just keep watching their channel hoping for a permanent relief view their content over and over like its their savior.
MAKE THIS GO VIRAL. If I had a dollar for every practitioner that taught me to do chin tucks, pull my head back, strengthen deep neck flexors, I could may for my medical care.
I hurt myself badly doing single leg dead lifts in front of a PT telling me to tuck my chin during the exercise. Already had years of neck issues and I was hearing CSF in my head the next 6 months. Nothing like going to surgeons, PTs, and even Chiro’s and coming out much worse.
I had to laugh so much with this. Again at 7:20. 😀 RUclips is full of lengthy videos with advice & suggestions on corrective exercises that you need to make a deep analysis of it. Here we have a man with lots of exerpience giving plain simple, common sense advice. This works for me, I have a laugh, this makes me wanna do this. Thanks MSK NEurology, this is indeed pure gold like another person below commented. Thanks! 🙏
You are one of the very few who mention the importance of the upper thoracic spine. I appreciate it very much that you address this issue. 👍👍👍 The challenge is to get people to straighten their thoracic spine (instead of pulling back the shoulders).
I just wanted to thank you! I booked an online appointment a few years back in college and you solved my nagging neck and shoulder pain. I had tried a lot to fix it. But turns out it was the dreaded hinged neck as well as slouching shoulders. Fixing my posture and strengthening some weak muscles alleviated the pain. I've been pain free since then and can't thank you enough. Cheers!
Hey just wanted to chime in here and say thank you so much for your content. To you this is just almost "common sense" but to people like me, I had no idea that my neck posture strategies were just totally ineffective. Anyways, since following your advice for about a year (I'm 22 now) I've felt the healthiest, and most confident that I've ever been, and my neck and spine are better than ever.
That “hinging” descriptive makes all kinds of body maladaptive positions that we fall back on more intuitive. Perfect word Kjetil!! Thank you for sharing your microscopic invaluable knowledge and insights. I am going to work my way through your videos, because you offer explicit education that I have not found on all of the physiatry and physical therapy videos that I have watched.
One of the best videos about any topic out there. Amazing. Or weird that humans are so disconnected from truth. Lodges make a great work on it. Thank you, man, for your awesome content.
Yea an notice how everyone online makes a video telling you to do that, you are not taught how to problem solve and think you are taught to regurgitate.
@@ryanthompson3446 Yea dudes! I am a PT too. I gave myself thoracic outlet and Jugular vein stenosis BECUASE of chin tucks. You're hunch is correct and cervical chin tucks are fucking garbage. The only benefit is maybe low cervical extension, but this is easily achieved in the way he describes.
Just try to use minimal effort to maintain a good posture, and then have your partner check you with the torsion test again. The patient will usually get it right within a couple of tries.
You need to find out how to relax whatever you are clenching. You are probably hyped up and in a stressed state even if you don't feel like it. For me, that means relaxing my shoulders/traps. I get horrible, basically TOS like pain through my shoulder all the way down to my fingers and then I realize I'm clenching my shoulders up for one reason or another - sometimes stressed, sometimes excited, sometimes seemingly for no reason. Then it's as simple as lowering/relaxing them back to a resting position and the pain goes away eventually, other times it requires movement and that helps reduce some tension. I admittedly crush my traps with a lacrosse ball at night and that helps too lol, it's a last ditch effort but it indeed seems to make and discomfort goes away. Also If I go for a few days without lifting I start to notice pain creep up. But that may simply be because lifting is an all around stress-reducer for me.
@@jsedge2473 seems a lot of us are in this state (clenching/fight or flight) and not even aware of it bc it’s become a habit. We then suffer a myriad of maladies as a result. Thank god for Kjetil and another guy I discovered who created his own protocols using trigger point therapy to heal his own issues and is now helping others. I found a combination of the two protocols are a win-win.
Great video, question: when lengthening the neck (not neck tuck), I feel popping/cracking in lower thoracic but no pain. Is this still a good case for strengthening the deep neck flexors/suboccipitals? Still have issues with bobblehead/unstable feelings
5:49 I am wondering if you could clarify about the long neck cue/pulling the back of the head up as the nose comes forward. How do we pull the back of the head up? Is it using some muscle in the neck? Is it sort of “stretching” the head upwards so that spot raises? I’m a little confused about the cue and am wondering if you could elaborate. Thank you so much for all of your content!
@@Lexa-ne1md I know but often i am required to do "Deep work" which involves full concentration. I really need to be seated for this. I've tried standing but it's not possible.
This is such an important advice ! I had a chat with one of my physios and she totally agreed after a long debate:-) and watching your previous video about the fallacy of chin tucks🙂
had pressure in my left eye blurry vision felt like something was really wrong. 2 minutes into this video and instant relief. ive had bad posture habits while using technology for a while and im assuming this is my issue. thanks bro
Thanks for all the information! I’ve gotten a lot better with your information, pri and getting a tongue tie release. One thing I can’t seem to find an answer to is I have a really tense muscle/ligament in the center of the back of my neck that sticks out when I put my head down, but when I drop my jaw it disappears what could this be? Thanks
I have worked on my thoracic and forward shoulders, the X-rays show that my cervical spine is straight at best, and because of it, I suffer from all kinds of neurological issues (foggy brain one of them). Would this help regain the natural cervical curve (my C4 is slide towards the back, just a little) back?, Or do you have a tip on how to achieve that?. Thank you for your vídeos, and of course, for sharing your knowledge. Gracias ✌️
I guess I'm one of those 10%, would you say that the clenching is a result of poor jaw and tongue posture? I'm able to somewhat relieve the tension in back of neck by closing the jaw, sealing lips and putting tongue on roof of the mouth (mewing basically?) while elongating like you mentioned.
I read your article on tos. For someone dealing with ntos The most important treatment is posture. You talk about the correlation between depressed scapulae and tos. - breathing pattern to be fixed. Stop purely belly breathing (diaphragmatic breathing) - supplementary to posture is strengthening of the scalenes. Additionally, if your symptoms exacerbate after the scalene exercises that almost guarantees you’re dealing with tos. I’m 23. With a 480lb deadlift, 385lb squat. To think and find out my scalenes are weak is a shock. ***on the first day of exercise I did 3x12 of scalene exercises you mentioned. Slight symptom exacerbation but recovered after a day or so. How do I keep progressive overloading this ? Adding reps ? Or very very very light weight? ( my starting strength was someowhat decent compared to the clients mentioned in your article) What’s the goal strength of the scalenes ? How many sets and reps should I be able to do without fatigue ? I think my tos has been holding my upper body progress due to the constant ulnar nerve irritation and elbow pain I get. I know you’re probably very busy to read this but I’ll keep updating my progress on your comment section. Please feel free to reply if you have the time. Thanks !
Bro if you did 3x12 and did not die afterwards either its not your scalenes or you are compensating/clenching/cheating and Not activating the scalenes. If i do 10 i will die the day after. Look for your form and go light and slow through the reps.
I highly suspect you are clenching and co activating a whole Chain of muscle to Go through the Motion. The Goal should be to isolate scalenes so Go very very slow and Form must be perfect. Body wont activate scalenes to Protect you. You have to force him kinda - i am also struggeling with Form and activating its very hard to do right.
@@owen1014 I make sure I’m doing slow and controlled, while breathing and staying relaxed. Do you have a Reddit? We could talk more there ? It’s nice knowing I’m not the only one dealing with tol so it’s comforting talking to people such as you !
This works really well but I’ have a question on my right side it’s like caved in /compressed where the rib cage and shoulder are when I breathe in it expands and “opens and I hear cracking” like expansion how do you keep the right side open? Thanks
I wonder why I feel worse/increased neck strain/activation of SNS putting my head out of mild FHP into long neck position? Is it feasible the FHP could be my bodies way of compensating to help relieve a problem in my neck? eg cervical stenosis
Hello, 21 year old college student please help. I suffer from this, how do i do this while being in class looking down at a laptop or in general looking down at a paper?
Its only in the last few months have I been able to pick my shoulders with any reliability and no pain. Slowly slowly I can do more but it requires coordination with muscles only recently back under my control. This really helped me understand some small details to create great relief in my neck
Walk and stand as the top mid point of your head is connected with a string to the sky- is what I’ve learned from Qigong. Which some people understand as tucking the chin, but in reality means to extend the neck with a good neck line.
I've learned the same image from ballet lessons. However, I can clearly sense the straightening of the upper thoracic spine. As I begin to imagine that string pulling from the crown of head, I feel that the movement begins in the thorax.
Correct me boss, That means relax the back of your neck and lift your sternum up ! What u think ? Because in my opinion forward head posture means depressed sternum or ribcage.
Usually seen with swayback, but not always. I usually treat what I see / find / is indicated through symptomology, instead of guessing about the presence of other things.
Are cervical extension exercises okay? Do they contribute to cervical hinge? Are cervical flexion exercises (particularly the neck curl) okay? Do they contribute to compression of cervical artery? Are lateral cervical flexion exercises okay? Are neck exercises in general necessary for a strong and muscular neck, or will simply having proper posture be enough for a strong and muscular neck? Does having a muscular/thick neck contribute to sleep apnea?
I build construction equipment and have to crane my neck down very frequently to work on waist/abdomen level tables and components. Should i hip hinge to keep a straighter spine and neck, or what would be the best practice?
Already have made one. In brevity, loss of cervical curve is much less important than you think, and restoring it won't benefit your symptoms all that much. Treating its underlying cause, however, will
@@MSKNeurology I had Atlas adj for three intensive months w no change in Tinnitus BUT other decades long issues stemming from falls and whiplash were reduced dramatically. Now following your videos which have been a real eye opener and shared w many I know online who have T.
@@MSKNeurology No but I thought this video specifically focused on the head going up (string to ceiling) as a fix, which I imagine helps the slouch, but I wasn't sure if that fix was the fix for the root cause of the slouch, which may be midsection going down. In other words, I assumed we had to fix the midsection.
My neck wont come back due to hyperkyphosis AND T1 thru T5 are wedged shaped so the neck bones cannot come back against that brick wall. My upper back is also Laterally shifted to the left and neck also due to the back.. The way the bones grew at an angle forward in my neck it caused C1 thru C7 to have 30 MM of forward translation.. Thats caused me terrible tension on back, neck shoulders head and especially dural tension on cranial membranes. But its also created tension on my vagus nerve because ive started to have trouble with it. I feel like its trapped in the fascia because of the subluxations ive also had my whole life, all the soft tissues grew into that fashion that the fascia made the nerve grow tight with the fascia plus the shoulders pulled tight with the spine to the left PLUS the SCM muscle pulled over tight against the neck bones and tightening the Scm mastoid head very bad. No wonder why my vagus nerve is vulnerable to getting damaged because its pulled over to the side by the spine, fascia, muscles etc plus my vagus nerve could be more shallow in my neck also. Doctors dont agree with me and say its unheard of to damage the vagus nerve by some kinds of neck stretches or strains but it has yet to be discovered. And if my vagus nerve doesn't glide thru my neck because its stuck between the muscles, fascia, spine then it would make sense its vulnerable. I wish i could get doctors to understand the concept. My chiros xrays he took he finally measured all the angles of my spine where no doctor or clinic ever has which upsets me. Doctors think they know everything when there is stuff to be discovered still and they wont listen to me even my chiropractor wont listen to me on stuff their missing in my treatment. they could learn from me, ive had to learn about my own body of why I've felt the way i have my whole life. Doctors are not in my body and no amount of their schooling will make them understand my unique condition.. Maybe rare cases like mine will be learned about eventually.
Could you do a video on the idea of "using the latissimus dorsi in a benchpress". Can it even be done? And if so, how are you supposed to do it and what function does it produce in the bench press? Awsome content thank you!
Who would I go to to address my cervical thoracic issues that would know this stuff like you. I’ve been dealing with neurological stuff for a yr seeing an upper cervical chiro and a gonstead chiro now. He is helping with my thoracic area but I don’t trust anyone with my neck now
It does various things, but based on what you're saying it's probably mild neurogenic TOS or a small hernia. The trap pain is a nerve symptom more than likely
But in "forward head posture" isn't the lower cervical spine in fact "pushed forward" due to lack of or reversed lower cervical lordosis? And the spine compensates this by hinging right at the top of the cervical spine, so that our eyes point forward. So the lower portion of the cervical spine is indeed pushed forward whereas the hinge only happens at the very top of the spine.
@@MSKNeurology Thank you. By the way, when you bring the patient to the correct posture and place the "mirror torsion" what is the issue when the head turns effortlessly to one side, but not the other. When the torsion is place as to turn the head to the right, I can feel tension. Does that mean the left side of the neck has tension?
Hi Kjetil, I’m wondering what’s your opinion on restoring neck curve lordosis. There are tons of RUclips videos for that by towel exercises, Denneroll, or weights, looking up etc. In my experience the more I do it, the worse I get, up to the point that I get very dizzy. I would appreciate if you could share your opinion on this please.
It's a bad idea. The cause of the cerivcal straightening is neck clenching and bad posture while upright, over YEARS. Lying down on a towel will not change anything. Moreover, the excessive hinge-neck position that is encouraged in this "corrective" position will cause other problems and also irritate the spine. Correct the underlying problem; stop neck clenching and improve neck posture.
Try to stop doing it. If you can't, try drug treatments to help you calm down or, if necessary, fix the shit in your life that is making you react like this
Thank you for your videos, do you have any advice on how to sleep for the best cervical posture? I have purchased so many expensive pillows and they all seem to make the situation worse, currently sleeping on my back on a yoga mat with no pillow because I wake up straighter
Thanks for asking this and so glad Kjetil answered as I’ve been wondering about this for years. My atlas Chiro said he sleeps on his back w no pillow. Tried n Nope! Also watched a Chinese qi gong master say which positions are best for sleep. No way. In Asia they sleep on a block of wood! Yikes! I think I’ll keep doing what K says.
@@melodyebuskin5490 yes i have always wondered how humans survived back before pillows were invented haha, what he says makes so much sense hey?, I am currently sleeping without a pillow but it has taken 6 months of daily work on my posture, my neck is getting better but I am working on my whole spine these days, especially my Thoracic spine which had way to much curve from slouching in front on the computers at work. I put a rolled up towel under my thoracic spine for a few minutes once or twice a week along with using a resistance band to strengthen my back and upper trapezius muscles, 6 months later and I have worked my way out of chronic neck issues. The Neck is reliant on the whole spine to be in a healthy neutral position, hope it helps ;)
@@rictascale ok, so my chiro was right - sleep w no pillow! So it took you 6 mos to learn to sleep on your back. Wow! Did you ever use a rolled up towel to support your neck while getting used to it? Any snoring or wanting to side sleep? What about trigger point/self massage or did you just do the MSK exercises? Thanks!
I hope this counts as a quick question. Lol I have some numbness or tingling in my index finger (and sometimes part of my thumb) along with the neck hinge. Could this exercise fix that issue or is this something that absolutely has to be checked out by a doctor right away? It is not constant, but does happen with certain movements. Thanks!
Do u have any information about tongue tie and neck and shoulder tension. If you do, please make a video. Also about tongue posture and the balance of teeth, jaw, and tongue rest position.
how to keep a good position during sleep to not mess up all the work from the day? I feel like ruin everything at night. Should I wear a neck brace to sleep then?
Day: Loaded. Sleep: Unloaded. Crap sleep position won't ruin your day's good work. It can, however, cause some problems depending on what you are diagnosed with. You shouldn't wear a neck brace when you sleep unless you are literally ready for neck surgery
@@MSKNeurology thank you so much! Neck brace exacerbates my symptoms… but my doctor says I have to. I have some upper cervical instability and doctor suspects now of intracranial pressure but I dont want to get a spinal tap. I trust you more than any doctors because honestly, they have been useless…so I will follow your advice.Thank you so much for all your videos, it’s giving me hope of feeling normal once again.
@@MSKNeurology thank you! I will try to get a consultation with you, its just that my MRI images were done in Brazil and you can only check them through their website. Would you accept this? Ive done the motion XRay in the USA though. Shows some instability.
PRevents it from getting worse as long as you don't clench. Restoring cervical curvature will not magically fix your problems, don't listen to the chiropractors
Good general posture. Then training lateral flexion extension and flexion with weights. And shrugs obviously. This would NOT apply to a neck pain patient, obviously.
Hope you are well. So, skinny and have a dowagers hump. Tension in head and neck pain. I realize I have anterior pelvic tilt as well. It seems to me that everything is connected. Do you think through neck exercises, etc one can eliminate this fat on the upper spine? Why does that even come about? It looks terrible. :( Thanks
Not necessarily waste of time, but you automatically train the DNF when you maintain good posture, and I have found that they tend to very easily overtrain, making it harder to maintain the posture. And because the posture is more important, the training voids the benefit. There are exceptions, of course.
This is a communication issue. Yes the head TILTS BACKWARD into extension to compensate for a FORWARD TRANSLATION into lower cervical/upper thoracic flexion in order to maintain a horizontal line of sight. Of course we correct both postural faults, but the forward translation is the root cause.
@@peter-5354 Usually requires spinal mobilization / manipulation into extension by someone QUALIFIED to do so, along with the specific corrective exercises. None of this is controversial in modern MSK Physiotherapy. I don't know where this guy is getting his information from.
@@tom_see You didn't, I just changed the title today cf. your complaint. It was just called "the real cause of discogenic low back pain", a term most people don't know what means.
your amazing brother thanks for what you do. You have helped me so much with my Massage and personal training practice in becoming a better therapist and Personal Trainer. Wish I could book an appt with you but you are very far away from United States haha.
This guy illustrates Taleb's point: if you want to identify someone in a profession that's really good at what they do, pick the person that doesn't look the part. Most ppl who give advice on these topics are pencilnecks wearing ties and trying hard to look like "serious professionals".
Aww, yes this makes sense that the muscles are turned off. This is also why the tissue eventually thickens to stabilize the area. I'm curious if it's possible to fix these necks that have thickened, maybe too arthritic? I don't like pulling the shoulders up it trains the traps too much I prefer to pull the scapula's together and push out the chest, but otherwise, thanks for the informative video!
This is 10 entire minutes of what NOT to do followed by how a 3rd party can test for neck clenching and NO helpful treatment for neck dysfunction, not a single stretch or exercise???????
What he is promoting here and other videos and elongating your neck is encouraging a condition called "straight neck" and this is not good either. This is the loss of the natural curve of your neck. I am not sure by doing this all the time it will cause a permanent straight neck. In fact I do not think anyone knows for sure about anything. But what I did find out and many others that chin tucks can be bad if you have certain issues. I had straight neck from my MRI and x ray images I did chin tucks for a year trying to fix it and then I developed kyphosis of the neck which is forward curve.
I want to sincerely thank you for posting this free information and articles on your website for those of us who may not be able to afford your consultations at the moment. Thank you !
This is pure gold. I had problems with neck hinging and clenching for more than ten years now, but I recently found a cue to make my life way better. I relax the back of my neck as much as I can, which means my head will tilt forward, chin drops. Then automatically my upper back kicks in an brings me into a nice upright position, otherwise I would be looking downwards.
From personal experience, I agree with everything you said. Would have loved if any of my therapists could have made those points clear throughout the last ten years, which only took you ten minutes.
I currently focus on strengthening my upper back (wall angels etc) and relaxation of my neck, rather than mindlessly building muscles all over the place (as was suggested by some of my therapists).
However, I can not stress enough how important the relaxation part is. If you can't get clenching under control, no amount of muscles will help you get better.
Keep up the great work, appreciating every minute of it!
how about when sleeping do we week a long neck? i feel like me sleeping with a hinged neck has made it really bad
No doubt. Despite telling my traditional PTs to treat me like a zebra and build me from the most basic movement up they would jump me to advanced exercises with incorrect form, loading up the compensations until I broke. We are still in the dark ages in MSK medicine. Glad people like this are shining some light on age old misconceptions!
Fellow long time sufferer here. I always knew there was someone out there who could explain exactly where the head and shoulders should be. I think the clenching will stop if you put your head and shoulders in the position he details. It’s very counter intuitive at first but you can relearn the pattern with perseverance. It’s no doubt stress/ smart phones, slouching in chairs maybe even incorrect shoes that slowly push you into a bad position over many years.
@@mark4lev This is an interesting view, I will definitely give it a try!
That tip about sinking in first into the bad posture then doing the opposite helps sooooo much!!! Thank you!
Thank you for everything that you do! I have followed dozens on you tube showing ways to correct this. Not one of them mentioned how important it was to strengthen the Longus Capitis and Longus Colli like you have. I was able to release my tight suprahyoid muscles that I have dealt with for 15 years. 2 years ago is when I found your channel. You speak the truth unlike that other guys that tell you to stretch this muscle and that muscle which results in a temporary pain relief because the main issue is because the deep neck flexors are inactive and people just keep watching their channel hoping for a permanent relief view their content over and over like its their savior.
How did you go about releasing your tight suprahyoid muscles? Been looking for ways to do that
@@impermadness did you
@@snbrains9341 Did you manage to?
MAKE THIS GO VIRAL. If I had a dollar for every practitioner that taught me to do chin tucks, pull my head back, strengthen deep neck flexors, I could may for my medical care.
I hurt myself badly doing single leg dead lifts in front of a PT telling me to tuck my chin during the exercise. Already had years of neck issues and I was hearing CSF in my head the next 6 months. Nothing like going to surgeons, PTs, and even Chiro’s and coming out much worse.
This one was so clear
Thank you! You're the first person to provide me relevant and accurate information in regards to fixing my incorrect posture and head movements.
I had to laugh so much with this. Again at 7:20. 😀
RUclips is full of lengthy videos with advice & suggestions on corrective exercises that you need to make a deep analysis of it.
Here we have a man with lots of exerpience giving plain simple, common sense advice.
This works for me, I have a laugh, this makes me wanna do this.
Thanks MSK NEurology, this is indeed pure gold like another person below commented.
Thanks!
🙏
Truth- dramatically helped all my symptoms and imbalances. Thanks Kjetil!
Wow. 8 years of pain. Gone. This is the information I have been looking for.
Still better?
You are one of the very few who mention the importance of the upper thoracic spine.
I appreciate it very much that you address this issue. 👍👍👍
The challenge is to get people to straighten their thoracic spine (instead of pulling back the shoulders).
Anything to help straighten that? Or just keep working at it for posture all day?
I just wanted to thank you! I booked an online appointment a few years back in college and you solved my nagging neck and shoulder pain. I had tried a lot to fix it. But turns out it was the dreaded hinged neck as well as slouching shoulders. Fixing my posture and strengthening some weak muscles alleviated the pain. I've been pain free since then and can't thank you enough. Cheers!
Happy to hear this man
what things did you do for the hinged neck?
This posture alleviates my TMJ related stress, particularly while working out. Neck curls and vertical/horizontal presses feel alot better now.
How can i strengthen my deep neck flexors without chin tucks? Can you kindly suggest alternatives?
Hey just wanted to chime in here and say thank you so much for your content. To you this is just almost "common sense" but to people like me, I had no idea that my neck posture strategies were just totally ineffective. Anyways, since following your advice for about a year (I'm 22 now) I've felt the healthiest, and most confident that I've ever been, and my neck and spine are better than ever.
Good job mate
What advice did you follow?
That “hinging” descriptive makes all kinds of body maladaptive positions that we fall back on more intuitive. Perfect word Kjetil!! Thank you for sharing your microscopic
invaluable knowledge and insights. I am going to work my way through your videos, because you offer explicit education that I have not found on all of the physiatry and physical therapy videos that I have watched.
One of the best videos about any topic out there. Amazing. Or weird that humans are so disconnected from truth. Lodges make a great work on it. Thank you, man, for your awesome content.
Hey I’m a PT and I always thought the chin tuck +retraction thing always seemed kinda unnatural. Thanks for this you have a new sub
Yea an notice how everyone online makes a video telling you to do that, you are not taught how to problem solve and think you are taught to regurgitate.
@@ryanthompson3446 Yea dudes! I am a PT too. I gave myself thoracic outlet and Jugular vein stenosis BECUASE of chin tucks. You're hunch is correct and cervical chin tucks are fucking garbage. The only benefit is maybe low cervical extension, but this is easily achieved in the way he describes.
@@slyker5what symptoms did you have with the jugular stenosis?
Could you make a further video on the clenching you mentioned. I finally realized I've been clenching for years. Elaborate on solutions?
Same here, would really appreciate more info.
Just try to use minimal effort to maintain a good posture, and then have your partner check you with the torsion test again. The patient will usually get it right within a couple of tries.
You need to find out how to relax whatever you are clenching. You are probably hyped up and in a stressed state even if you don't feel like it. For me, that means relaxing my shoulders/traps. I get horrible, basically TOS like pain through my shoulder all the way down to my fingers and then I realize I'm clenching my shoulders up for one reason or another - sometimes stressed, sometimes excited, sometimes seemingly for no reason. Then it's as simple as lowering/relaxing them back to a resting position and the pain goes away eventually, other times it requires movement and that helps reduce some tension. I admittedly crush my traps with a lacrosse ball at night and that helps too lol, it's a last ditch effort but it indeed seems to make and discomfort goes away. Also If I go for a few days without lifting I start to notice pain creep up. But that may simply be because lifting is an all around stress-reducer for me.
@@jsedge2473 seems a lot of us are in this state (clenching/fight or flight) and not even aware of it bc it’s become a habit. We then suffer a myriad of maladies as a result. Thank god for Kjetil and another guy I discovered who created his own protocols using trigger point therapy to heal his own issues and is now helping others. I found a combination of the two protocols are a win-win.
Great video, question: when lengthening the neck (not neck tuck), I feel popping/cracking in lower thoracic but no pain. Is this still a good case for strengthening the deep neck flexors/suboccipitals? Still have issues with bobblehead/unstable feelings
5:49 I am wondering if you could clarify about the long neck cue/pulling the back of the head up as the nose comes forward. How do we pull the back of the head up? Is it using some muscle in the neck? Is it sort of “stretching” the head upwards so that spot raises? I’m a little confused about the cue and am wondering if you could elaborate. Thank you so much for all of your content!
for those who work office jobs which require sitting all day is there a special chair you recommend for this kind of problem?
@@Lexa-ne1md I know but often i am required to do "Deep work" which involves full concentration. I really need to be seated for this. I've tried standing but it's not possible.
Your videos are so informative. Thanks as it helps a lot!
If I raise my shoulders half an inch, wouldn't that cause the clenching as well?
This is such an important advice ! I had a chat with one of my physios and she totally agreed after a long debate:-) and watching your previous video about the fallacy of chin tucks🙂
had pressure in my left eye blurry vision felt like something was really wrong. 2 minutes into this video and instant relief. ive had bad posture habits while using technology for a while and im assuming this is my issue. thanks bro
I’m working on the neck cue but I don’t think I can get my back straightened up enough. How can I work on extending the thoracic spine please??
If you struggle to get the T spine up, then pull the back of the head up and forward instead of straight up.
Thank you
Thanks for all the information! I’ve gotten a lot better with your information, pri and getting a tongue tie release. One thing I can’t seem to find an answer to is I have a really tense muscle/ligament in the center of the back of my neck that sticks out when I put my head down, but when I drop my jaw it disappears what could this be? Thanks
Im so late to the party, i definitely clench, ive even developed jaw clenching the last few months. Any tips to help me fix that?
I have worked on my thoracic and forward shoulders, the X-rays show that my cervical spine is straight at best, and because of it, I suffer from all kinds of neurological issues (foggy brain one of them).
Would this help regain the natural cervical curve (my C4 is slide towards the back, just a little) back?, Or do you have a tip on how to achieve that?.
Thank you for your vídeos, and of course, for sharing your knowledge.
Gracias ✌️
Your issue surpasses mere postural dysfunction, it won't be that simple.
I guess I'm one of those 10%, would you say that the clenching is a result of poor jaw and tongue posture? I'm able to somewhat relieve the tension in back of neck by closing the jaw, sealing lips and putting tongue on roof of the mouth (mewing basically?) while elongating like you mentioned.
I read your article on tos.
For someone dealing with ntos
The most important treatment is posture. You talk about the correlation between depressed scapulae and tos.
- breathing pattern to be fixed. Stop purely belly breathing (diaphragmatic breathing)
- supplementary to posture is strengthening of the scalenes. Additionally, if your symptoms exacerbate after the scalene exercises that almost guarantees you’re dealing with tos.
I’m 23. With a 480lb deadlift, 385lb squat. To think and find out my scalenes are weak is a shock.
***on the first day of exercise I did 3x12 of scalene exercises you mentioned. Slight symptom exacerbation but recovered after a day or so. How do I keep progressive overloading this ? Adding reps ? Or very very very light weight? ( my starting strength was someowhat decent compared to the clients mentioned in your article)
What’s the goal strength of the scalenes ? How many sets and reps should I be able to do without fatigue ?
I think my tos has been holding my upper body progress due to the constant ulnar nerve irritation and elbow pain I get.
I know you’re probably very busy to read this but I’ll keep updating my progress on your comment section. Please feel free to reply if you have the time. Thanks !
Bro if you did 3x12 and did not die afterwards either its not your scalenes or you are compensating/clenching/cheating and Not activating the scalenes. If i do 10 i will die the day after. Look for your form and go light and slow through the reps.
I highly suspect you are clenching and co activating a whole Chain of muscle to Go through the Motion. The Goal should be to isolate scalenes so Go very very slow and Form must be perfect. Body wont activate scalenes to Protect you. You have to force him kinda - i am also struggeling with Form and activating its very hard to do right.
@@owen1014 I make sure I’m doing slow and controlled, while breathing and staying relaxed. Do you have a Reddit? We could talk more there ? It’s nice knowing I’m not the only one dealing with tol so it’s comforting talking to people such as you !
@@owen1014 cool !
@@owen1014 just messaged you
This works really well but I’ have a question on my right side it’s like caved in /compressed where the rib cage and shoulder are when I breathe in it expands and “opens and I hear cracking” like expansion how do you keep the right side open? Thanks
I wonder why I feel worse/increased neck strain/activation of SNS putting my head out of mild FHP into long neck position? Is it feasible the FHP could be my bodies way of compensating to help relieve a problem in my neck? eg cervical stenosis
Hello, 21 year old college student please help. I suffer from this, how do i do this while being in class looking down at a laptop or in general looking down at a paper?
Sitting hurts my back and neck a lot makes me feel suffocated :(
Its only in the last few months have I been able to pick my shoulders with any reliability and no pain. Slowly slowly I can do more but it requires coordination with muscles only recently back under my control. This really helped me understand some small details to create great relief in my neck
Walk and stand as the top mid point of your head is connected with a string to the sky- is what I’ve learned from Qigong. Which some people understand as tucking the chin, but in reality means to extend the neck with a good neck line.
I've learned the same image from ballet lessons. However, I can clearly sense the straightening of the upper thoracic spine. As I begin to imagine that string pulling from the crown of head, I feel that the movement begins in the thorax.
This was very enlightening. Thank you.
Correct me boss,
That means relax the back of your neck and lift your sternum up !
What u think ?
Because in my opinion forward head posture means depressed sternum or ribcage.
But you have a video titled how to correct forward head posture?
it's explained at 4:18
@@imonislandtime oh ok my bad, really stupid of me commenting it that early my apologies
Does this cause posterior pelvic tilt or is it the other way around? Can one exist without the other?
Usually seen with swayback, but not always. I usually treat what I see / find / is indicated through symptomology, instead of guessing about the presence of other things.
What happens when you recline at 110- 120 degree? Head comes forward? change happens In thoracic or cervical spine
dude you are doing god's work. How is there so much misinformation... and why the fuck have I been doing chin tucks for the past 5 years?!?!?!?
Me too!
Are cervical extension exercises okay? Do they contribute to cervical hinge?
Are cervical flexion exercises (particularly the neck curl) okay? Do they contribute to compression of cervical artery?
Are lateral cervical flexion exercises okay?
Are neck exercises in general necessary for a strong and muscular neck, or will simply having proper posture be enough for a strong and muscular neck?
Does having a muscular/thick neck contribute to sleep apnea?
I also want to know this
I build construction equipment and have to crane my neck down very frequently to work on waist/abdomen level tables and components. Should i hip hinge to keep a straighter spine and neck, or what would be the best practice?
Hello, great video! How do you get rid of clenching though?
1. identify it 2. stop doing it
How do we see the thoracic outlet seminar?
What do you mean? It's in the video list
Thanks a lot; I'd like to see a video about your take on text neck (loss of cervical c curve) I tried neck tractions and all sorts od exercices.
Already have made one. In brevity, loss of cervical curve is much less important than you think, and restoring it won't benefit your symptoms all that much. Treating its underlying cause, however, will
@@MSKNeurology thanks I actually reduced my screen time and started lifting with a focus on back/ shoulders and traps and found great releif.
@@MSKNeurology can’t find the article
Can Cervical issues cause tinnitus
Broad question but yes, some can
Yes. Atlas adjustments can help.
@@melodyebuskin5490 No
@@MSKNeurology I had Atlas adj for three intensive months w no change in Tinnitus BUT other decades long issues stemming from falls and whiplash were reduced dramatically. Now following your videos which have been a real eye opener and shared w many I know online who have T.
I have a cervical hinge along with jaw tension and left ear tinnitus. Started from years of bad posture.
this is amazing! thank you!
If slouching causes the head to go forward, shouldn't we fix the slouch which you described as a collapse of the shoulders/midsection?
Did I suggest otherwise?
@@MSKNeurology No but I thought this video specifically focused on the head going up (string to ceiling) as a fix, which I imagine helps the slouch, but I wasn't sure if that fix was the fix for the root cause of the slouch, which may be midsection going down. In other words, I assumed we had to fix the midsection.
My neck wont come back due to hyperkyphosis AND T1 thru T5 are wedged shaped so the neck bones cannot come back against that brick wall. My upper back is also Laterally shifted to the left and neck also due to the back.. The way the bones grew at an angle forward in my neck it caused C1 thru C7 to have 30 MM of forward translation.. Thats caused me terrible tension on back, neck shoulders head and especially dural tension on cranial membranes. But its also created tension on my vagus nerve because ive started to have trouble with it. I feel like its trapped in the fascia because of the subluxations ive also had my whole life, all the soft tissues grew into that fashion that the fascia made the nerve grow tight with the fascia plus the shoulders pulled tight with the spine to the left PLUS the SCM muscle pulled over tight against the neck bones and tightening the Scm mastoid head very bad. No wonder why my vagus nerve is vulnerable to getting damaged because its pulled over to the side by the spine, fascia, muscles etc plus my vagus nerve could be more shallow in my neck also. Doctors dont agree with me and say its unheard of to damage the vagus nerve by some kinds of neck stretches or strains but it has yet to be discovered. And if my vagus nerve doesn't glide thru my neck because its stuck between the muscles, fascia, spine then it would make sense its vulnerable. I wish i could get doctors to understand the concept. My chiros xrays he took he finally measured all the angles of my spine where no doctor or clinic ever has which upsets me. Doctors think they know everything when there is stuff to be discovered still and they wont listen to me even my chiropractor wont listen to me on stuff their missing in my treatment. they could learn from me, ive had to learn about my own body of why I've felt the way i have my whole life. Doctors are not in my body and no amount of their schooling will make them understand my unique condition.. Maybe rare cases like mine will be learned about eventually.
How did you cure it?
Could you do a video on the idea of "using the latissimus dorsi in a benchpress". Can it even be done? And if so, how are you supposed to do it and what function does it produce in the bench press? Awsome content thank you!
Who would I go to to address my cervical thoracic issues that would know this stuff like you. I’ve been dealing with neurological stuff for a yr seeing an upper cervical chiro and a gonstead chiro now. He is helping with my thoracic area but I don’t trust anyone with my neck now
does the hinge neck have the potential to tug on the spinal chord and even cause chiari?
I love the way you presented this. Like " it's me guys just dispelling another industry Bullshit myth" 😂
what the pulling back movement of the neck causes? cause everytime i do this i feel a discomfort on my upper traps? is this movement dangerous?
It does various things, but based on what you're saying it's probably mild neurogenic TOS or a small hernia. The trap pain is a nerve symptom more than likely
Can you show some home exercises that can be done independently?
Missing the point
I have a flat upper back, elevated shoulders and rounded of the cervical spine. Will this help
So, if we sit in front of PC with a little thoracic kyphosis, but the neck muscles are engaged and there is no neck hinge, we will be fine?
Yes!
@@MSKNeurology thank you so much!
Ive found using the cue holding a softball under chin" gets that long neck position without shoving the jaw backwards.
The problem with chin tucking cues is that they tend to cause patients to retract the neck
But in "forward head posture" isn't the lower cervical spine in fact "pushed forward" due to lack of or reversed lower cervical lordosis? And the spine compensates this by hinging right at the top of the cervical spine, so that our eyes point forward. So the lower portion of the cervical spine is indeed pushed forward whereas the hinge only happens at the very top of the spine.
No
Do you have a video on excessive cervical curve?
Same treatment
@@MSKNeurology Thank you. By the way, when you bring the patient to the correct posture and place the "mirror torsion" what is the issue when the head turns effortlessly to one side, but not the other. When the torsion is place as to turn the head to the right, I can feel tension. Does that mean the left side of the neck has tension?
I have it so wat is it then
Do we need to strengthen or relax longus cap iris and longus colli?
Always strengthen
Wow. Great video
Hi Kjetil, I’m wondering what’s your opinion on restoring neck curve lordosis. There are tons of RUclips videos for that by towel exercises, Denneroll, or weights, looking up etc. In my experience the more I do it, the worse I get, up to the point that I get very dizzy. I would appreciate if you could share your opinion on this please.
It's a bad idea. The cause of the cerivcal straightening is neck clenching and bad posture while upright, over YEARS. Lying down on a towel will not change anything. Moreover, the excessive hinge-neck position that is encouraged in this "corrective" position will cause other problems and also irritate the spine. Correct the underlying problem; stop neck clenching and improve neck posture.
@@MSKNeurologyThank you very much, I do appreciate your work and help.
What do you think about PRI?
Trash
It is a rabbit hole that leads nowhere, and then they will have you using arch supports, and other nonsense to fix yourself.
How u call the predictor of neck pain ?
Degree of T spine kyphosis
thank you for this! Would some sort of strength training like kettlebells help to strengthen this upper back and chest area?
Strength exercises do not improve poor posture
hi
what is best way to recover from clenching?
have benn clenching very hard fow 6 months, have severe headaches and fecial muscels pain
thanks
Try to stop doing it. If you can't, try drug treatments to help you calm down or, if necessary, fix the shit in your life that is making you react like this
Thank you for your videos, do you have any advice on how to sleep for the best cervical posture? I have purchased so many expensive pillows and they all seem to make the situation worse, currently sleeping on my back on a yoga mat with no pillow because I wake up straighter
Don't buy into the cervical pillow and similar bs. Sleep as you find comfortable. What matters much more is what you do during the day.
Thanks for asking this and so glad Kjetil answered as I’ve been wondering about this for years. My atlas Chiro said he sleeps on his back w no pillow. Tried n Nope! Also watched a Chinese qi gong master say which positions are best for sleep. No way. In Asia they sleep on a block of wood! Yikes! I think I’ll keep doing what K says.
@@melodyebuskin5490 yes i have always wondered how humans survived back before pillows were invented haha, what he says makes so much sense hey?, I am currently sleeping without a pillow but it has taken 6 months of daily work on my posture, my neck is getting better but I am working on my whole spine these days, especially my Thoracic spine which had way to much curve from slouching in front on the computers at work. I put a rolled up towel under my thoracic spine for a few minutes once or twice a week along with using a resistance band to strengthen my back and upper trapezius muscles, 6 months later and I have worked my way out of chronic neck issues. The Neck is reliant on the whole spine to be in a healthy neutral position, hope it helps ;)
@@MSKNeurology You are a legend, thanks so much
@@rictascale ok, so my chiro was right - sleep w no pillow! So it took you 6 mos to learn to sleep on your back. Wow! Did you ever use a rolled up towel to support your neck while getting used to it? Any snoring or wanting to side sleep? What about trigger point/self massage or did you just do the MSK exercises?
Thanks!
I hope this counts as a quick question. Lol I have some numbness or tingling in my index finger (and sometimes part of my thumb) along with the neck hinge. Could this exercise fix that issue or is this something that absolutely has to be checked out by a doctor right away? It is not constant, but does happen with certain movements. Thanks!
Depends on cause. TOS vs carpal tunnel vs radiculopathy. Definitely doesn't sound dire
What treatment is recommended if your scalenes have a lot of hypertrophy?
Hypertrophic scalenes are caused by fatty atrophy, not by "real strength". Read my TOS article.
when attempting proper poster, neck muscles tighten. Also there is pain in the neck and upper back. what am I doing wrong?
Either tensing up too much in the position, or simply doing it wrong, OR might have a disc prolapse. Do a neck MRI.
Is it possible for clenchers to recover after years of clenching?
Yes, as long as the cause for the clenching is not unbearingly excessive
Awesome video! Was just wondering what your thoughts are on nerve glides? Thanks!
(specifically for TOS treatment)
@@mahdisadr Waste of time
My neck doesn't go back
Hi Kjetl, what advice would you give me for treating my neck-tongue syndrome?
Never treated it myself, but it is most likely caused by jugular outlet syndrome
Do u have any information about tongue tie and neck and shoulder tension. If you do, please make a video. Also about tongue posture and the balance of teeth, jaw, and tongue rest position.
Nonsense. Don't believe their bullshit
You’re life changing. Wish I wasn’t so off balance though.
how to keep a good position during sleep to not mess up all the work from the day? I feel like ruin everything at night. Should I wear a neck brace to sleep then?
Day: Loaded. Sleep: Unloaded. Crap sleep position won't ruin your day's good work. It can, however, cause some problems depending on what you are diagnosed with. You shouldn't wear a neck brace when you sleep unless you are literally ready for neck surgery
@@MSKNeurology thank you so much! Neck brace exacerbates my symptoms… but my doctor says I have to. I have some upper cervical instability and doctor suspects now of intracranial pressure but I dont want to get a spinal tap. I trust you more than any doctors because honestly, they have been useless…so I will follow your advice.Thank you so much for all your videos, it’s giving me hope of feeling normal once again.
@@karlinhahf If you have been receiving specific orders then obviously I would have to consult with you to give you anything more than generic advice.
@@MSKNeurology thank you! I will try to get a consultation with you, its just that my MRI images were done in Brazil and you can only check them through their website. Would you accept this? Ive done the motion XRay in the USA though. Shows some instability.
@@karlinhahf Yes. DMX is nonsense
Does getting out of the cervical hinge and making yourself long in the neck automatically restore cervical lordosis?
PRevents it from getting worse as long as you don't clench. Restoring cervical curvature will not magically fix your problems, don't listen to the chiropractors
@@MSKNeurology I already did using foam neck stretching pillow. I returned after watching this vid n reading comments.
So you're saying restoring your lordosis DID magically fix your problems?!@@melodyebuskin5490
Hey Kjetil!
If someone wanted to build a thick neck for bodybuilding/combat sports, what would you recommend?
Good general posture. Then training lateral flexion extension and flexion with weights. And shrugs obviously. This would NOT apply to a neck pain patient, obviously.
Hope you are well. So, skinny and have a dowagers hump. Tension in head and neck pain. I realize I have anterior pelvic tilt as well. It seems to me that everything is connected. Do you think through neck exercises, etc one can eliminate this fat on the upper spine? Why does that even come about? It looks terrible. :( Thanks
Brilliant!!!!
Is there any clinical value at all for deep neck flexor/extensor training in non-WAD patients or complete waste of time?
Not necessarily waste of time, but you automatically train the DNF when you maintain good posture, and I have found that they tend to very easily overtrain, making it harder to maintain the posture. And because the posture is more important, the training voids the benefit. There are exceptions, of course.
thank you
Thank you sir
Good video
This is a communication issue. Yes the head TILTS BACKWARD into extension to compensate for a FORWARD TRANSLATION into lower cervical/upper thoracic flexion in order to maintain a horizontal line of sight. Of course we correct both postural faults, but the forward translation is the root cause.
So how do we correct the forward translation - which I assume is the slouching (thoracic area)?
@@peter-5354 By improving upper and middle thoracic extension and training the deep upper neck flexors.
@@allanhewick168 Thanks. How does one do that? Especially the thoracic extension?
@@peter-5354 Usually requires spinal mobilization / manipulation into extension by someone QUALIFIED to do so, along with the specific corrective exercises. None of this is controversial in modern MSK Physiotherapy. I don't know where this guy is getting his information from.
so the problem is the thoracic spine not the neck
The problem is a combination of hinge neck posture and droopy upper back, yes
Finally what posture we have to follow
Can you please do a video similar to this but about "APT is (mostly) a myth"
Already done it years ago. I think it is called "the cause of spinogenic lumbar pain" or something like that. Go watch it.
ruclips.net/video/yolNtwioYFE/видео.html
@@MSKNeurology how did I miss that.. Thanks bro!
@@tom_see You didn't, I just changed the title today cf. your complaint. It was just called "the real cause of discogenic low back pain", a term most people don't know what means.
@@MSKNeurology ah yes I have seen that one actually that makes a lot of sense lol cheers
your amazing brother thanks for what you do. You have helped me so much with my Massage and personal training practice in becoming a better therapist and Personal Trainer. Wish I could book an appt with you but you are very far away from United States haha.
Well done bud
This guy illustrates Taleb's point: if you want to identify someone in a profession that's really good at what they do, pick the person that doesn't look the part. Most ppl who give advice on these topics are pencilnecks wearing ties and trying hard to look like "serious professionals".
5:10
Aww, yes this makes sense that the muscles are turned off. This is also why the tissue eventually thickens to stabilize the area. I'm curious if it's possible to fix these necks that have thickened, maybe too arthritic?
I don't like pulling the shoulders up it trains the traps too much I prefer to pull the scapula's together and push out the chest, but otherwise, thanks for the informative video!
Disagree but do as you please
I agree. I tried this method and my traps are already on fire.
This is 10 entire minutes of what NOT to do followed by how a 3rd party can test for neck clenching and NO helpful treatment for neck dysfunction, not a single stretch or exercise???????
Tror du redder livet mitt med disse videoene!
What he is promoting here and other videos and elongating your neck is encouraging a condition called "straight neck" and this is not good either. This is the loss of the natural curve of your neck. I am not sure by doing this all the time it will cause a permanent straight neck. In fact I do not think anyone knows for sure about anything. But what I did find out and many others that chin tucks can be bad if you have certain issues. I had straight neck from my MRI and x ray images I did chin tucks for a year trying to fix it and then I developed kyphosis of the neck which is forward curve.