The splenius capitis muscle is one of the deep and intrinsic muscles at the back of your neck. This straplike muscle extends and flexes your head laterally while aiding rotation.
It originates in the lower half of the nuchal ligament and spinous processes of seventh cervical vertebrae and superior three thoracic vertebrae, and plays an essential part in shaking one’s head.
Chin-to-Chest Exercise
The chin-to-chest exercise is an easy neck stretching exercise that can benefit all. However, those who spend significant time sitting or with poor posture will especially find this beneficial; this stretching routine can reduce neck pain while improving posture and increasing neck mobility.
The neck muscles are used in numerous daily activities, from brushing or combing hair, turning left and checking that a lane is clear when driving, and reaching for items on upper shelves in a closet to reaching for items at the top shelf of a closet. Therefore, maintaining flexibility of these muscles is critical for good posture. One such muscle is the splenius capitis muscle located behind the head and neck – this muscle works in concert with another known as the splenius cervicis to extend and rotate it further.
Over time, this muscle can tighten and cause neck pain on top of the head due to tension caused by trigger points in its muscle fibers, or knots that create discomfort. Chin-to-chest exercises may help break down these trigger points and restore flexibility of the splenius capitis muscle.
This neck exercise can be performed while sitting or standing up using a chair as an obstacle. Sit with your lower back pressed against the backrest of the chair and shoulders relaxed; slowly tuck your chin so it rests against your chest before holding for several seconds before gradually lifting your chin back to return to starting position and repeat. Try doing multiple repetitions or sets.
Another effective neck exercise to target the splenius capitis muscle is neck retraction. This movement helps correct poor posture patterns that involve slumping forward or poking your head forward – both which are potentially damaging for cervical spine health. Doing this exercise frequently will prevent injury as well as strengthen and tone neck muscles.
Corner stretches can also be performed with a partner to target various neck and shoulder muscles, making this exercise especially helpful for people suffering from tight pectoral muscles due to prolonged desk work. Simply stand in a corner with back against wall with both arms raised to Y position on side wall for this stretch – your partner then can reach across body touching clock numbers in each corner and center; this will work splenius muscles as well as any that support posture.
Chin-to-Elbow Exercise
This is an exercise that helps re-educate the muscles that facilitate posture. The corner stretch is beneficial for the pectoral muscles in particular which tend to tighten with poor posture due to sitting for long periods of time. Stand in a corner with your back to the wall and your feet shoulder-width apart. Clasp your hands together behind your back and push down to feel a stretch in the lower part of the neck and upper chest area. Hold the stretch for a few seconds and repeat a few times.
This study compared the activation of the semispinalis cervicis and the splenius capitis muscle with different resistance exercises for neck extension. Ten healthy participants (3 men and 7 women) without neck pain participated. Intramuscular EMG was acquired from the semispinalis cervicis muscle and the splenius capitis at the level of the 2nd and 5th spinous processes on the right side. The deep cervical artery, which lies in the fascia separating the semispinalis cervicis from the splenius capitis muscle, was visualized with Doppler sonography prior to the insertion of the needle.
The results of this study show that resistance exercise can emphasize the activation of the semispinalis over the splenius at the spinal level directly caudal to the site of resistance compared to resistance applied elsewhere in the spine. This exercise could be helpful in clinical practice in identifying areas of weakness and dysfunction within the muscles involved in movement dysfunction and in structural changes of the neck.
A variation of this is to place your forearms on your thighs with elbows bent upward at 90 degrees and palms down. Then, using the opposite hand try to rotate your wrist into a flexed position. You should feel a stretch in your forearm. Repeat this on both sides for a few reps. You can increase the difficulty by adding resistance to your wrist rotation exercise – for example put a 1- or 2-pound weight in your hand and with the opposite arm try to resist the rotation of the forearm into a flexed position.
Chin-to-Back Exercise
One of the more frequent neck injuries involves damage or overuse of the splenius capitis muscle, responsible for rotating head and neck movements. When injured or overworked, this muscle can lead to painful symptoms, including headaches radiating up into forehead and ears – but with just a few simple steps it can be resolved!
The Splenius Capitis muscle lies deep within the back of the neck and often described as bandage-like. Part of one of three layers of intrinsic back muscles, this deep muscle extends from spinous processes of cervical or first 3 thoracic vertebrae all the way back to occipital bone in back of head, contracting bilaterally to extend head and neck extension; unilaterally to laterally flex neck laterally and ipsilaterally rotate it when needed; as well as contracting unilaterally to laterally flex neck or rotate its placement.
Recently, researchers examined how resistance affects activation of both the splenius capitis muscle and its deep partner, semispinalis cervicis. Manual resistance was applied in either flexion or extension over vertebral arch, with EMG amplitude measurements taken at two spinal levels: C2 and C5. They discovered that resistance activated more of the splenius capitis than semispinalis cervicis when resistance was present – suggesting it’s possible to enhance activation through specific types of neck exercises.
The chin tuck is an effective exercise to stretch out splenius muscles as it involves gentle neck rotation movement that does not require additional strength or force to complete. Simply sit upright with hands interlaced behind neck and move your chin straight back until a stretch around upper neck area occurs – for about 8 seconds on either side – repeat until comfortable and beneficial results have been reached – you may do it multiple times daily!
Chin-to-Spine Exercise
Tilting your head to one side causes the trapezius muscles – running from your ear to the top of your shoulder – to tighten, leading to neck pain. Tension build-up in these tightened muscles may even result in headaches around the eyes; to release this tension and alleviate associated discomfort, try the chin-to-shoulder exercise; this stretches them out while providing relief from their tension.
To perform this exercise, sit or stand upright with good posture in a chair or on an upright bench and place your left hand on the bottom of the seat in front of you. Gently tilt your head toward your right shoulder until a comfortable stretch occurs on your left side of the neck; hold for 10 seconds then switch sides. Do this exercise three times on each side to complete 10 repetitions total.
Chin tuck exercises provide a fantastic stretching and strengthening exercise that strengthens muscles in the front of the neck while improving stability and balance in your neck. Regular practice of these exercises can reduce neck pain while helping prevent issues with poor posture in future.
These exercises also serve to correct a forward head posture common when sitting for extended periods, such as when using a computer or watching television. Such posture puts undue strain on spinal discs, leading to pain, numbness or tingling in arms and hands. Chin-to-shoulder and chin-tuck exercises strengthen front neck muscles to correct such posture and keep muscles at the back from tightening up in response.
Another effective neck exercise is the Levator Scapular Stretch. To perform it, sit or stand with an upright posture and grasp the bottom of your chair with one hand while gently tilting your head toward that armpit until a stretch is felt in your upper back/neck area. Hold this stretch for 20 seconds before relaxing and repeat for two sets – doing two sets will alleviate forward head posture pain as well as prevent future issues associated with poor posture.
