Movement · Neck

Cervical stabilization

Holding the head balanced on the neck without recruiting the big superficial muscles to do it. The deep flexors at the front of the cervical spine and the small extensors at the back work quietly and continuously, like the guy-wires on a mast. Good looks like: the head staying level and still with the jaw relaxed, no visible cording of the sternocleidomastoid, and the ability to sustain it — endurance matters here far more than strength. When the deep system fades, the upper trapezius and levator scapulae take the job on and stay switched on, which is a common thread through neck pain and tension headache.