Effect of Therapeutic Exercise on the Activation of the Neck Extensors in People With Chronic Neck Pain

Emphasized activation of the deep neck extensors was searched for applying a localized resistance with the thumb and index finger at the level of the vertebral arch of C4 while pushing into flexion in a ventral-cranial direction, approximately parallel to the surface of the zygapophyseal joint, asking the patient to resist maximally during 6 seconds in sitting position

The patient was asked to fix his gaze at an object lying between both elbows hoping to in order to emphasize extension in the lower cervical spine and consequently activation of the extensors in this region.

Emphasized activation of all neck extensors was searched for applying the resistance with the therapist's hand or a wall respectively a towel at the occiput in sitting position

. The patient was asked to fix his gaze at an object lying between both hands. Extension consequently occurred in the entire cervical spine.