McKenzie Method: Cervical/Neck Retraction

This exercise is typically applied for neck pain, with or without referral into the shoulder blade and arm. It should also be given after a proper assessment from a qualified McKenzie Practitioner, to ensure it is appropriate for your condition and that you understand the expected symptom response.
Symptoms should be centralized, reduced or abolished after 10-12 repetitions.

[SpineHealthPhysio]

It does cure the root cause. 
The root cause is a disc bulge. Perform this exercise 2 hourly, and progress it to the retraction-extension exercise, and sit correctly and you will allow the disc to form scar tissue and repair

[SpineHealthPhysio]

Hi Bettina,
If you are doing the exercises for relief of current symptoms they should be done around 2 hourly, which works out to be about x6/day.
Do sets of 10-20 and you should expect pain to be relieved or more centralised after. 
If they are for prevention, they should be done morning and night x 10 or so, and otherwise do 5-10 after periods of sitting or frequent looking down (e.g. reading or cooking).
They are safe for your neck 

[Strengthinevidence]

Thanks Joel! Love the demonstrations. Helps when I need a reliable source for a video. Be it for my family or patients.

[shanobix]

What does it mean when I have pain in my cervical spine area when performing this exercise? The pain came out of nowhere, maybe from sleeping wrong. Thanks in advanced!

[sargonmalek]

But this movement reduces the lordosis in the c-spine. How is helping when the patients cervical spine has a kyphosis? 💁🏻‍♂️

[wonderswonders]

I can not do this because I have mild scoliosis on my neck so when I try to push my head behind it seems not straight.

[martinquinn]

Thank you ! Even when my neck is at is best, this exercise is painful. Should I go throught this pain with this exercise, day after day, to get a good result ?

[jeremymoran]

When I do this the ringing in my ears gets quieter. Recent concussion.

[suzannepepin]

can you do this if you have cervical fusion in the neck with titanium plate?

[bettinabettina]

Hi, I've lost the fisiological curve of my nek, and now it is straight . Is this ok for my situation and pain? And also... how many time should i practice?  thank you!!

[roscoeroscoe]

does this help for facet pain in the neck?

[metroalphie]

Did you say this helps
Herniated disks? Thank you

[stevek]

I get pain down my left trapezius when doing this. Does anyone know if that is sign of some problem like a pinched nerve ?

[lolzadasda]

My head leans forward, will this exercise help? What's the benefits of this?

[dominicchong]

I have a little numbness in my thumb and index finger... when I do the exercises I get pins and needles in my arm and the finger and thumb... should I still do the exercise?

[yusufpirzadeyusufpirzade]

That time exercise start so heavy pain in shoulders and neck

[floranoneofyourbusiness]

Every time i do these exercises I hear a crack coming from my spine. Should I continue doing them ? Also, each time I do them, I feel even more tingling down my arm and fingers !? What should I do ? Thx

[hareeba]

Hi Joel. I have some narrowing of disc space in C6 & C7. When doing the above stretch i feel some radiation of the nerve in left anterior deltoid. I have atrophy and weakness in this shoulder as well. Is it detrimental to do this stretch if I am feeling this? Am i adversely compressing the nerves at the nerve exit. It sort of hurts but also feels good. Thoughts please? I am a massage therapist too in Sydney.

[SpineHealthPhysio]

Great! If you are getting relief at some stage (maybe in a few days) you should be ready to add in extension. See the retraction/extension video