OOPS REHABILITATION
NECK - STRONG

MASSAGE

Allow painful movement so long as the movement is smooth.
Squeezing Massage
In sitting, grab the neck muscles and squeeze for 5 seconds. Release. Start from the top of the neck and repeat, working down and out along top shoulder muscle. Repeat each side alternately 30 times.
Thumb Kneading 
In sitting, relax the neck. Using the tips of thumb and starting at the top of neck, just off the centre of the spine under the skull, knead muscles firmly in a circular motion moving slowly laterally until reached the area below the ear.
Then, returning to the centre, repeat again, one finger width down the neck.
Continue until you reached the bottom of the neck and out along the shoulder muscle. Whenever the area kneading is tender or tense, keep kneading gently over that area for thirty seconds. 
Shearing Massage 
In sitting, looking ahead, relax your neck. Place the border of your hand on the side of the neck, below the ear. Firmly run the edge of the hand back and forward across the neck, pulling the relaxed muscle and letting the neck roll a little with the pressure. Repeat 10x.
Advance down the neck one hand border width at a time and repeat.
Repeat until reached the bottom of the neck. 

Joint Mobilisation

Place the pivot (the border of hand) at the side of neck just below the ear. Tip your ear over the pivot until resistance or pain. Then straighten. Repeat 10 times. Move the pivot down the depth of the border of your hand. Repeat 10x. Continue until you have reached the corner of the neck and shoulder. Do to the left & right

STRETCHES

Perform all movements slowly until pain and stiffness. Hold 10 seconds. Repeat 5 times, twice per day.
Lower chin down towards the upper chest.


Tip the head back and look upward. Then return.
Look to the side and turn the head. Then return and repeat to the other side.
In sitting, place hand over head above opposite ear. Hold other hand behind back. Draw head to the side until you feel a gentle tension in the opposite shoulder-neck muscle. 

STRENGTHENING

Perform all strengthening exercises  with effort but only with moderate pain.
Deep Flexors.
In sitting, with only modest effort, draw your chin back into neck. Breath easily & steadily throughout, keeping shoulders and back relaxed. Hold for 10 seconds. Relax. Repeat 10x. Do 3 sets per day.
Flexors.
Place hand against forehead. While holding a moderate pressure against the movement, steadily bend your neck and looking down. Stop the movement where the pain starts. Return to the beginning position.
Repeat 10x. Do three sets per day.
Lateral Flexors.
Place hand on back and side of head. While holding a moderate pressure against the movement, tilt headly gently sideways. Stop the movement where the pain starts. Return to the beginning position.
Repeat 10x. Do three sets per day. 
Rotators.
Place hand on front and side of head. While holding a moderate pressure, turn the head gently. Stop the movement where the pain starts. Return to beginning position. Repeat 10x. Do three sets per day.
Extensors.
Place hand on the back of the head. While holding a moderate pressure, tip your head back gently. Stop where the pain starts. Return to the beginning. Repeat 10x. Do three sets per day.

ONCE YOU CAN PERFORM THE STRONG EXERCISES YOU CAN BEGIN RE-TRAINING OR RETURNING TO WORK PROGRAM.
AFTER PERFORMING THESE EXERCISES FOR ONE MONTH, IF YOU CONTINUE HAVING PAIN OR STIFFNESS, YOU ARE ADVISED TO SEEK ADVISE FROM A PHYSIOTHERAPIST OR A DOCTOR. 

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