Muscle of the Month: Deep Neck Flexors

It's Muscle of the Month time, and September is all about the Deep Neck Flexors! Get ready to learn about these often forgotten, yet crucial muscles that can help combat the growing "Tech Neck" epidemic. With students returning to school and facing increased screen time, homework sessions, and heavy backpacks, these muscles are more important than ever.

What is Tech Neck? It is an overuse syndrome caused by the repetitive stress of holding one’s head in a forward and downward position for extended periods of time.  

Deep Neck Flexors: Your Neck's Hidden Support System

The deep neck flexors aren't just one muscle, but a group of small yet important muscles working together to support your head and neck. Strengthening these forgotten muscles can help counteract forward head posture and decrease or prevent painful symptoms. When they're functioning well, your head sits effortlessly balanced - when they're weak, your entire upper body compensation pattern kicks in!

Anatomy: The Cervical Stabilizers

The deep neck flexor group consists of several muscles working in harmony:

• Longus colli: Runs along the front of your cervical spine

• Longus capitis: Connects your neck vertebrae to the base of your skull

• Rectus capitis anterior: A small but important muscle at the very top of your neck

• Rectus capitis lateralis: Works alongside the anterior fibers for stability

These muscles lie deep beneath the more superficial neck muscles, positioned right against your cervical spine where they can provide direct support and control.

Actions: The Postural Powerhouses

Your deep neck flexors are responsible for:

1. Working with deep back neck muscles to create cervical stability (the “core” of the neck)

2. Supporting the natural curve of your cervical spine

3. Maintaining proper head-on-neck alignment 

4. Upper cervical flexion and cervical retraction (chin nod or chin tuck)

Why They Matter: The Foundation of Good Posture

Strong, properly functioning deep neck flexors are essential for:

• Maintaining the natural cervical lordosis (neck curve)

• Preventing forward head posture

• Supporting proper shoulder and upper back alignment

• Reducing strain on superficial neck muscles 

• Protecting against neck pain and headaches

When Things Go Wrong: 

When your deep neck flexors are weak or not functioning properly, several issues can develop:

• Forward head posture (chin poking forward) 

• Loss of the natural cervical curve

• Increased tension in superficial neck muscles (sternocleidomastoid, scalenes, upper trapezius, levator scapulae)

• Neck pain and stiffness

• Tension headaches

• Shoulder and upper back pain

• Reduced range of motion in the neck

The Deep Neck Flexors, Tech Neck, and Back-to-School Connection:

These days, most of us spend hours looking down at devices or craning forward toward screens, so these deep neck flexors become lengthened and weakened, while the superficial muscles at the back of the neck become tight and overworked. It's this muscle imbalance that creates the forward head posture compensation pattern that affects millions of people daily.

The statistics are staggering: it's estimated that 75% of the world's population spends hours daily hunched over their handheld devices with their heads flexed forward (David et al. 2021). Children spend an average of 5-7 hours daily in this harmful position (1825-2555 hours per year), while teenagers clock up to 5000 hours annually (Fares 2017). This explains why Tech Neck has become alarmingly common in adolescents and teenagers who spend significantly more time on devices than previous generations.

In addition to all of the texting, web surfing, and gaming that young people do on their phones; September brings increased homework time and laptop sessions for projects. Add heavy backpacks pulling shoulders forward, and you have the perfect recipe for Tech Neck. 

The good news! 

Strengthening the deep neck flexors can help people of all ages counteract these effects, combat Tech Neck, and set us up for better postural health throughout our lives. 

Strengthen Your Cervical Support: Exercise Guide

Ready to give your deep neck flexors some much-needed attention?

Check out this video where I provide detailed explanations and demonstrations of my favorite exercises to target and strengthen these vital muscles. 

Because these muscles are small and require precise activation, I'll be giving extra explanation in the video to help you understand exactly how to engage them properly.

💪 Pro tip: Deep neck flexor exercises require subtlety and precision rather than force. Think gentle, controlled movements with a focus on endurance rather than strength. Quality and consistency are key!

Training Considerations:

• Start with very gentle exercises and short holds

• Focus on proper form rather than intensity

• Perform exercises daily for best results

• Be patient - these muscles take time to strengthen

• Stop if you experience any pain or dizziness

Looking for more ways to improve your posture and reduce neck tension?

Visit my website for additional resources:

• Curated Class for Neck Pain

• Upper body mobility and stability exercises

  
  

Or my YouTube channel for additional exercise videos!

Are you noticing neck pain or posture changes in yourself or your kids this school year? What's your biggest challenge with maintaining good posture? Reply to this email and share your experience - your questions help guide future content!

I Want to Hear from YOU! Which muscles are you curious about, or what movements would you love to master? Reply to this email and let me know what you'd like to see featured in the coming months. Your suggestions will help shape upcoming content!