Weekend Challenge: Neck Mobilization Enhancer

Vivian Goldschmidt, MA Exercise

Evidence-Based
5 min Read

Have you ever experienced a “crick” in your neck, or struggled with persistent neck pain or headaches? If so, I have good news for you: stabilizing and releasing crucial cervical vertebrae can help relieve neck pain and weakness. And it starts with simple exercises like the one I am going to show you this weekend.

The Neck Mobilization Enhancer targets the Atlas (C1) and the Axis (C2), which are the topmost vertebrae just below the base of your skull. The correct positioning of these vertebrae is critical to the overall function of your whole spine, and when they are misaligned or tight, all sorts of unpleasant symptoms can arise, some of which may surprise you.

Let’s get started!

Why:

The Atlas is named after the famous Greek god by the same name. The cervical Atlas holds up the skull the way Atlas was said to hold up the earth. Essentially, the base of the skull sits atop the round, ring-like Atlas.

The Axis and Atlas are unique. Their shape differs significantly from the other vertebrae; the ring-shaped Atlas does not have a body like the other vertebrae, so when viewed from behind, it looks quite flat. That’s because its primary job is lateral: along with the Axis, the Atlas is responsible for right and left head rotation.

The Axis is also distinctively shaped. It is held closely to the Atlas by the transverse ligament, forming the atlantoaxial joint. The Axis has a large body in contrast to the Atlas, and it is composed of various structures that act as attachment points for muscles.

The brainstem actually descends to the Axis, making this a very pivotal point for the neurological system and for the entire body. Thus, when the atlantoaxial joint is subluxated, or partially dislocated and misaligned, it can cause quite a variety of symptoms.

Symptoms Of A Subluxated Axis

Axial subluxation has been described as a kinked garden hose – the water simply can’t flow freely through the area because the kinks pinch it off. Like the water, the brain’s signals can’t “flow” through the crooked atlantoaxial joint and are cut off from the rest of the spine and body. So correcting the Atlas and Axis alignment brings whole-body benefits.

Here are some of the symptoms of a subluxated Axis.

  • Postural problems such as an abnormally tilted head, pelvis, or shoulders
  • Neck pain and/or stiffness
  • Facial pain
  • Shoulder pain, especially between the scapulae
  • Headaches, including migraines, that may start at the base of the skull and radiate over the top of the head
  • Tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
  • Vertigo or dizziness
  • Insomnia, which damages your bones
  • Jaw pain
  • Decreased range of motion in the head and neck (it becomes hard to tilt or turn your head to one side)
  • Vagus nerve dysfunction, which can produce a host of symptoms from bowel disorders to heart problems. For more information on the Vagus nerve and how it affects your bones, if you haven’t yet, please read this article: Everything You Wanted To Know About The Vagus Nerve And How It Affects Your Bone Health.
  • Brain fog

And yet it just takes a simple exercise to release and align these topmost cervical vertebrae to help overcome these symptoms. Here’s how to do it.

How:

  1. Place your thumbs on the bony areas at the base of your skull, behind and slightly beneath your ears. This is the mastoid process.
  2. Move your thumbs slightly downward from this position, and you should feel two small, bony protrusions. These are the lateral masses of the Atlas.
  3. Keeping firm pressure on these bones with your thumbs, slowly turn your head to the right, pause, and then bring it back to the center. Do this about five times.
  4. Repeat this motion turning your head to the left.

You can practice the Neck Mobilization Enhancer as often as you like throughout the day. For additional neck exercises, try these other Weekend Challenges:

It’s remarkable how correcting the alignment and function of one area of the body can have an impact on so many other body systems. While the Densercise Epidensity Training System is targeted and focused on strengthening fracture-prone areas of the skeleton, it’s understood that exercise always has benefits that reach far beyond the area being targeted.

That is one reason why the Densercise system includes an Eating Guide. What you eat and when you eat it make a big difference in how effective your bone-building exercise sessions are. And of course, nutrition affects every body system just like exercise does.

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Have a great weekend!