HEALTHY NECKS WITH PILATES
CAMERON ANGUS
Cameron.angus@ergotonics.com
NOTES FROM DEVELOPMENT WEEKEND 2014
More specifics on website and in Healthy necks workshop notes
ATTITUDE – Inspire positiveness and many necks will change!
BREATHING
- Value of teaching correct breathing pattern and client awareness. Reduce
common presentation of overuse of the cervical musculature for inspiration.
PELVIC TILT
Often see chin poke with this. Especially with posterior tilt.
Correct this
and raise awareness. Usually habitual but it could be flexibility of anterior fascia system
if that’s your thing
SCAPULA BOOGIE – One hand over onto opposite scapula and use variety of
movements to raise awareness and mobilise.
SCAPULA SETTING –gently!! No military pulling together of dropping into back pockets
SERRATUS ACTIVATION – Reach through your little fingers and under your armpits
THORACIC EXTENSION/NEUTRAL (KYPHOSIS VANQUISHER) – Lift your heart and praying
elbows together moves
HEAD NODS – Head on neck – Use “hand scarf” illustrate “Yes” joint
ALSO use post skull traction using “skull traction points”! for feedback
Neck rolls / Chin tucks -Opportunity to ensure cranio-vertebral movement and correct
muscle activation.
Raise positional awareness.
Book on head is too rigid!
FLEXION - Cervical Flexor and deep flexor progressions.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Teach activation with cervical (pilates) nod
Initiate early Roll back
!/2 Roll back
2/3 Roll back
Full Roll back
Hundred preps
7. Hundreds
8. Roll up
EXTENSION – ( esp sub occiptals)
1. Head nods
2. Sitting / standing ( Centre of gravity in neutral means extensors working)
3. Sitting/stand – go into slight flexion maintaining curve and avoiding protraction (
e.g. saw!)
4. CAT – Into flexion then into extension
5. CAT –starting position but do rotation and diagonals “rolling head on spine”
Length, Length Length
LATERAL
1. SIDE BEND
Lateral work in neutral. Encourages maintaining neutral with lateral
stress. Very good for scapula control as clients will want to use upper traps to
support neck.
Cue – “eye line”, “no chin protrude or tuck”, “long neck”
May
need spacer support in early stages.
2. MERMAID
Great for lateral movement and lengthening.
Good feedback for
scapula control when done on reformer.
Cue – “whole spine C curve”, lift out of
waist and lengthen curve of neck”
NTES and OTHERS
Shoulder drops, Chicken Wings / Corkscrew -Aids scapula positional sense. Good to
start stretch/mobilise upper traps/ levator scapulae.
Use coracoid process strategy
ROLL UP /100 PREPS etc
Common area of poor cervical function and client
discomfort.
Cue – “head nod”, ”cervical curve”, “no chin poke” , “shoulder blade
engagement”
Alternative – head nod with no lift for early 100s
Theraband support good for “ C Curve “ feedback and ↓load on abs.
Hands behind
head to support neck.
Roll backs with rolldown bar on Cadillac allows ↑ scapula feedback, allows focus on C
spine with closed upper limb chain.
BREAST STROKE /DART PREP/COBRA PREP
Early extensor work into neutral and
isometric posture hold.
Cue “ marble roll”, “lengthening into curve”, “not to lead with
chin” “Scapula engagement” “eyeline cues are helpful.
CAT
-Encourages complete spinal articulation. Beware ↑ cranio-vertebral extension
Cues as above
ARM OPENING / BOW and ARROW
- Great for thoracic spine, pecs, traps mobility.
Good for teaching eyeline following rotation.
Cue - ” roll head with eyes”, “no poking
chin”
SPINE TWIST
Encourages integrated rotation. Primarily thoracic rotation. Good for
cervical positioning training which is often poor post injury.
Cue – “ alignment”, “eye
line” , “scapula control”, “ no head poke”
! use pole along spine to encourage contact
and ↓ chin poke.
ROWING
Encourages good spinal positioning / muscle function and scapula / upper
quadrant function. Cervical movement whilst loading upper quadrant encourages
functional dissociation – e.g. chest expansion on reformer
THORACIC EXTENSION ( Cadillac spine stretch)
Any exercise which is trying to
encourage thoracic neutral /extension These should have a very active extension of
cervical spine to prevent “collapse” and encourage a smooth whole spine extension
position.
STANDING ROLL DOWN / ROLL UP
Encourage smooth articulation, but must be
“active” i.e. neck not to just hang!
On roll up this is good for smooth cervical flexion to
neutral and head/cervical proprioception.