Strengthening of the deep cervical flexors may be extremely valuable for preventing neck pain.
A new study divided participants into three groups: deep cervical flexor strengthening, superficial cervical flexor strengthening, and a generic exercise program. After 7 weeks, the subjects who were prescribed the deep cervical flexor strengthening exhibited significantly greater reductions in neck pain compared to the other subjects.
Interestingly, these subjects also demonstrated significantly lower levels of anxiety and depression compared to baseline.
Conclusions
Many therapists have claimed that when the deep cervical flexors become weak or underactive, the large nearby muscles exhibit synergistic dominance, which can lead to pain or dysfunction for the cervical. This study lends support to the goal of strengthening the deep cervical flexors in order to rehabilitate the injured or dysfunctional neck.
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