The chin tuck is a home exercise for neck pain. Sitting or standing up straight, you glide your chin straight back, as if making a double chin, while your eyes stay pointed straight ahead. You hold it for a count of five and repeat it ten times.
This is one of the home exercises in our physician-directed physiotherapy program. Only do it if it is marked on the home exercise sheet your physician gave you. Unless your sheet says otherwise, do your checked exercises twice a day, every day.
How do you do the chin tuck?
- Get set: Sit up straight in a firm chair, or stand with your back tall.
- Move: Slide your chin backward in a straight line. Picture a double chin forming. Your gaze stays on the horizon the whole time.
- Repeat: Hold for a count of five. Repeat ten times.
Why does the chin tuck help neck pain?
Deep in the front of the neck sit small muscles whose job is to hold your head over your shoulders. When neck pain lasts, these small muscles tend to go quiet, and the big muscles along the back and sides of the neck tighten to do their job for them. That tightness is part of the ache. The chin tuck switches the deep muscles back on, so the big ones can let go.
How does it fit with your pain procedures?
If you just had a neck procedure, such as a cervical epidural, a medial branch block or radiofrequency ablation, your physician tells you the day to pick these back up. Relief from a procedure is the window to rebuild the muscles that hold your neck up.
What mistakes should you avoid?
- Nodding the head down toward the floor. Keep your eyes level.
- Forcing it. The movement is small and should feel easy.
- Lifting your shoulders toward your ears as you tuck.
When should you stop and call us?
Feeling a light stretch, some effort, or mild soreness the next morning is expected. Stop the exercise and call (314) 481-5000 if you notice:
- Pain that is sharp or stabbing
- Pain that climbs two or more points above your usual level and stays up for over an hour
- Numbness, tingling or weakness that is new
- Dizziness or any change in your eyesight
Chest pain, trouble breathing or fainting is an emergency: call 911.
Why keep an exercise log?
Mark one check each time you finish your exercises, and write down one pain number a day. Bring the log to each visit. Your technician tallies the days and has you show one exercise, so any form problem gets caught early.
What to remember
- Straight back, not down: your eyes stay level.
- Small and easy beats big and hard.
- A count of five, ten times, twice a day.
Show us you have it: Do one slow chin tuck for your technician, and point out where your eyes are looking. If any part is unclear, ask, and we will walk through it again at your next visit.
Other neck exercises in the program
- Neck Rotation Exercise for Neck Pain
- Neck Side Bend Stretch for Neck Pain
- Shoulder Blade Squeeze for Neck Pain
Related reading: neck pain we treat, headaches that start in the neck, neck pain that lingers for months.