Chin tucks: Magic cure or Bullshit?
This is not medical advice.
That turtle retracting their neck is not quite the same as our chin tuck, yet that picture was better than my mug.
This is another exercise and term that gets thrown around alot on the internet, almost as if it is a condition. A chin tuck is more of a corrective movement for a neck posture. It can also be a neck strengthening exercise.
Truthfully, this is probably something that most of us need. Most of us spend a good part of our day looking down at our phones or devices.
I have seen many older people who have a forward head posture, and associated pain in their neck, due to that posture. Or the muscles are trying to hold the head up.
Not everyone needs chin tucks
Not every neck needs chin tucks. In fact, each person is unique, and needs to be seen by professionals first to get feedback on whether or not this is appropriate for them.
But honestly, I have seen people in the medical industry give the same exercise to every patient. That should not happen.
That’s why it’s ok to educate yourself about your condition.
Our cervical spine should have a slight curve towards the front. I have seen x rays where people have a flat curve, or even a retro curve. If we gave people with a retro curve a chin tuck exercise, we might be reinforcing a poor posture.
There are some people who have a flat cervical curve, and forward head posture on C1-C2. In those cases I put a towel roll under their neck to support the healthy curve forward.
Only chin tucks?
I’ve seen the industry give out only chin tucks as a home exercise program. I could theoretically hang some weights from an 80 year old woman’s neck, and ask her to move around for strengthening, but that would not be received well.
The neck and the shoulders share the same muscles. I like to have those cases perform standing rows, shoulder shrugs, and isometrics. Heat and massage also helps decrease some symptoms.
Better to put objects at eye level
Instead of a corrective movement, it would be better to have better posture throughout the day, putting objects at or closer to eye level. Exercising the sum total of our bodies’ postural muscles would also prevent the need for corrective chin tucks later.
I sit at a computer part of the day. Occasional chin tucks and shoulder shrugs are how I address the issue, rather than stand alone time for the exercise. It’s better to relieve the muscle tension all day, rather than wait till the end of the day and do chin tucks. A chin tuck can be thought of as a partial postural correction all day.