Whiplash exercises

Keeping active and doing specific head and neck exercises are important steps on the road to recovery from a whiplash injury.

The listed exercises are designed to help restore the movement and muscle control around your neck and shoulders, and to reduce strain and muscle pain.

About the exercises

Progress through the exercises in the following sequence: 

  • Range of motion/movement
  • Front of neck (neck flexors)
  • Back of neck (neck extensors)
  • Shoulder area (shoulder girdle).

 ​Neck and shoulder exercises are grouped into beginner, intermediate and advanced exercises, indicated by the different icons. 

Start at the beginner level for each exercise. When you have reached the progression criteria detailed in the instructions, progress to the next level. You may find that you progress quicker for one area (e.g. front of neck) than you do for another (e.g. shoulders). It’s ok to be at different levels for each area.

You may find the coordination and balance exercises helpful if you experience any dizziness. 

Performing these exercises at least twice a day is recommended. If you are concerned about the exercises, or you have any questions, speak with your health professional. 

Before you begin, watch the accompanying video for some general information to help you correctly perform the exercises.

Top tips

  • Maintain proper sitting or lying posture while performing the exercise.
  • Move smoothly and slowly, without sudden jerks.
  • Do the exercises as precisely as you can.
  • These exercises should not increase your pain or any other symptoms. If this happens, take a break, complete the exercises in a gentler manner and do them less often. If you are concerned about the exercises or your pain continues to increase, consult your health professional for individual advice.

 

 

Movement

Movement

When you feel comfortable completing 10 repetitions of each movement exercise, you can add in strength exercises.

Correcting your Posture

Keeping your spine in a good position is important in everyday activities as well as during the exercises. This will prevent and ease muscle pain and tension in your neck and shoulder muscles.

Steps:

  1. Grow tall from the lower back and pelvic region.
  2. Gently raise your pelvis up out of a slumped position.
  3. Reposition your shoulder blades so they draw back and across your rib cage (at the back, towards the centre of your spine). This needs only minimal effort.
  4. Gently lift the base of your skull off the top of your neck. This takes the weight of your head off your neck and stimulates the muscles to work.
  5. Hold the position for at least 10 seconds.

Repeat frequently during the day (e.g. three or four times an hour). Perform this exercise when sitting, standing or while walking, at work, and at home.

 

Forward and backward movement

Steps:

  1. Sit in the correct postural position.
  2. Gently bend your head towards your chest.
  3. Lead the movement with your chin.
  4. Moving the chin first, bring your head back to the upright position and gently roll it back to look up towards the ceiling
  5. Leading with your chin, return your head to the upright position.
  6. Repeat 10 times

 

Side movement

Steps:

  1. Sit in the correct postural position.
  2. Start with your head centred and gently bring your left ear down towards your left shoulder.
  3. You may feel a normal stretch of the muscles on the side of your neck.
  4. Return your head to the centre.
  5. Perform exercise on the right side.
  6. Repeat 10 times to each side.

 

Rotation while lying

Steps:

  1. Lie on your back with a soft pillow under your head and neck.
  2. Gently turn your head to the left, looking where you are going to see over your shoulder as much as possible. You may find it easier to have a target on the wall to focus on.
  3. Return head to the centre.
  4. Perform exercise on the right side.
  5. Repeat 10 times each side. With each repetition, try to go a little further in that direction.
  6. More advanced steps
  7. Once you can tolerate the above exercise well lying down, you may perform the same exercise when sitting.

 

Rotation while sitting

Steps:

  1. Sit in the correct postural position.
  2. Gently turn your head to the left, looking where you are going to see over your shoulder as much as possible. You may find it easier to have a target on the wall to focus on.
  3. Return head to the centre.
  4. Perform exercise on the right side.
  5. Repeat 10 time each side. With each repetition, try to go a little further in that direction.

 

Strength

When you feel comfortable completing these strength exercises, you can add in control and coordination exercises.

No-movement neck strength

Steps:

  1. Sit in the correct postural position.
  2. Make sure your chin is relaxed and slightly down.
  3. Place your right hand on your right cheek.
  4. Gently try to turn your head into your fingers to look over your right shoulder but allow NO movement.
  5. Hold the contraction for 5 seconds.
  6. Use a 10 per cent to 20 per cent effort, no more!
  7. Repeat with the left hand on the left cheek.
  8. Repeat 5 times on each side.

 

Front of Neck

Front of Neck

Chin nod

This exercise is a gentle but important exercise for the muscles at the front of your neck for pain relief and muscle control.

This is a beginner exercise. It is the first of 3 exercises you can progress through for retraining the muscles at the front of your neck.

Steps:

  1. Lie on your back with knees bent with a soft pillow under your head and neck.
  2. Gently and slowly nod your head forward as if to say ‘yes’. Start by looking up at a point on the ceiling. Then with your eyes, look at a spot on the wall just above your knees.
  3. Place your hand gently on the front of the neck and feel the muscles. Make sure they stay soft and relaxed when doing the head nod movement.
  4. Stop the nodding action just before you feel the front muscles hardening.
  5. Hold the nod position for 5 seconds and then relax.
  6. Gently move your head back to the normal start position.
  7. Repeat up to 10 times.

More advanced steps

Hold the nod position for 10 seconds. Repeat up to 10 times.

Once this exercise is well-tolerated and you’re ready, you can progress to the next exercise in this category. 

 

Head lift while sitting

This is an intermediate exercise. It is more difficult than the chin nod exercise and is the second of 3 exercises you can progress through for retraining the muscles at the front of your neck.

Steps:

  1. Start by sitting on a chair close to a wall.
  2. Rest your head back on the wall.
  3. Slide the back of your head up the wall to nod your chin and hold it in this position.
  4. Take the weight of your head off the wall (your hair still touches the wall).
  5. Hold for 5 seconds and relax.
  6. Complete two to three times in one set. Repeat for three sets.

More advanced steps

Gradually build up to 3 sets of 5 repetitions. Advance further by moving the chair away from the wall in 5-cm stages.

Once this exercise is well-tolerated while you’re sitting and you’re ready, you can progress to performing the exercising lying down. 

 

Head lift while lying

This is an advanced exercise. Start this exercise you are comfortable doing the head lift while sitting exercises. It is the last of 3 exercises you can progress through for retraining the muscles at the front of your neck.

Steps:

  1. Lie resting your head on two pillows.
  2. Slide the back of your head up the pillow to nod your chin and hold it in this position.
  3. Then try to just lift the weight of your head until it just clears the pillow.
  4. Hold for five seconds and relax.
  5. Repeat two to three times in one set. Repeat for three sets.

More advanced steps

You can further advance the exercise by removing one pillow and performing the exercise the same way.

 

Back of Neck

Back of neck

Back of neck exercise on elbows

These exercises are gentle but important exercises for the small muscles in the upper and lower part of the back of your neck for pain relief and muscle control.

This is a beginner exercise. It is the first of 2 exercises you can progress through for retraining the muscles at the back of your neck.

Steps:

  1. Lie on your stomach, propped up on your elbows. Push through your elbows to prevent your chest from sagging between your shoulder blades.
  2. Just concentrate on your chin. Tip it up and down as if saying ‘yes’ (Figure A).
  3. This time, gently turn your head from side to side as if you were saying ‘no’. In other words, you only need to turn your head about 30 degrees to each side (Figure B).
  4. Next, lower your head and neck to look at your chest. Then raise and curl your neck back up (Figure C).
  5. Pretend you have a book between your forearms.
  6. As you lift your head back, keep reading your book.
  7. Repeat five times as one set.

More advanced steps

Gradually build up to 3 sets. Advance further by doing each exercise for 10 times as 1 set. Build up to 3 sets.

Once this exercise is well-tolerated and you’re ready, you can progress to the next exercise in this category. 

 

Back of neck exercise, four-point kneeling

This is an intermediate exercise. It is a progression from the back of neck exercise on elbows to retrain the muscles at the back of your neck.

Steps:

  1. Adopt the four-point kneeling position. Ensure your knees are directly under your hips, and your hands directly under your shoulders. Your lower back should maintain its natural arch.
  2. Gently draw your belly button to your spine.
  3. Push gently through your shoulder blades, so that your upper back is level. Draw your shoulders gently away from your ears, or toward your hips.
  4. Lift your head up so that it is level with your shoulders, but maintaining a gentle chin tucked or nod position.
  5. To exercises the neck extensors (back of neck muscles), once the four-point kneeling position is safely held, bend your head and neck downwards to look toward your chest, then slowly lift back up until your head is back in the starting position.
  6.  To exercise the neck and head rotation muscles, maintain the gentle chin tuck position, slowly turn your neck so that you are facing the left. Also, make sure your head stays level with your body, and does not drop down.
  7. Repeat turning movement to the right side.
  8. Repeat the full exercise five times as one set.

​More advanced steps

Gradually build up to 3 sets. Advance further by doing each exercise for 10 times as 1 set. Build up to 3 sets.

 

 

 

Shoulder

Shoulder

Shoulder blade control while lying

This exercise will help relax and ease tension in the muscles on top of your shoulders for pain relief.

This is a beginner exercise. It is the first of 3 exercises you may progress through to retrain the muscles on top of your shoulders.

Steps:

  1. Lie on your left side with your arm resting up on two pillows.
  2. Roll your left shoulder blade back and across your ribs towards the centre of your back.
  3. Hold the position for 10 seconds.
  4. Repeat five times.
  5. Repeat the exercise lying on the right side for the left shoulder blade.

More advanced steps

Once this exercise is well-tolerated and you’re ready, you can progress to the next exercise in this category. 

 

Shoulder blade control while sitting #1

This exercise aims to help you improve the control of your shoulder blades while mimicking work you may do with your arms. It will help to ease tension in the muscles on top of your shoulders while you are using your arms.

This is an intermediate exercise. It is the second of 3 exercises you may progress through to retrain the muscles on top of your shoulders.

Steps:

  1. Sit with correct posture (see posture exercise here). Reposition your shoulder blades so they draw back and across your rib cage (towards the centre of your spine).
  2. Concentrate on holding your shoulder blade position.
  3. Then move your arms
  4. - forwards and backwards (Figure A) - to the side (Figure B) - turn your forearms outwards (Figure C).
  5. For exercise A and B, do not lift your arms more than 30 degrees (that is, about a quarter of the way up).
  6. Repeat each exercise 5 times as 1 set. Do 3 sets of this exercise.

More advanced steps

When you feel confident that you can do the exercise keeping your shoulder blades gently back, hold a 250 gram can in each hand as a small weight.

Once this exercise is well-tolerated and you’re ready, you can progress to the next exercise in this category. 

 

Shoulder blade control while sitting #2

This exercise helps you to improve the control of your shoulder blades while mimicking work you may do with your arms. It will help to ease tension in the muscles on top of your shoulders while you are using your arms.

This is an advanced exercise. It is the last of 3 exercises you may progress through to retrain the muscles on top of your shoulders

Steps:

  1. Sit and correct your posture and draw your shoulder blades back and across your rib cage as you have already practised.
  2. Raise your arms as far up as you can go.
  3. Concentrate on lifting the base of your skull off the top of your neck and then as you raise your arm up, keep your thumb facing upwards.
  4. Repeat 5 times on each arm for 1 set. Complete 3 sets.

 

Coordination

Coordination

Eyes still, head moves

Some people may feel a little light-headed or dizzy along with their neck pain. These symptoms can be helped by exercises which involve co-ordinating eye and head movement.

Steps:

  1. Sit in the correct postural position.
  2. Hold a pen at a comfortable distance in front of your eyes or focus on a spot on the wall.
  3. Keep your gaze fixed on the pen and turn your head gently from side to side.
  4. Return head to centre.
  5. Repeat movement 10 times to each side.

 

Head still, eyes move

Some people may feel a little light-headed or dizzy in association with their neck pain. These symptoms can be helped by exercises which involve co-ordinating eye and head movement.

Steps:

  1. Sit in the correct postural position.
  2. Hold a pen at a comfortable distance in front of your eyes.
  3. Keep your head still and move the pen about 20–25 cm from the midline one side to the other. Keep the pen within your field of vision.
  4. Follow the pen with your eyes, but keep your head still.
  5. Repeat 10 times.

 

Standing balance

Some people may feel a little unsteady along with their neck pain. These symptoms can be helped by practising balance.

Steps:

Test your balance in the three positions listed below. The aim is to keep a steady balance in each position for 30 seconds. If all positions are easy, your balance is good. If not, start practicing in that position.

  • Position 1

Stand tall with feet close together, looking straight ahead – eyes open.

  • Position 2

Stand tall with feet close together, looking straight ahead – eyes closed.

  • Position 3

Stand with one foot in front of another, heel of one foot touching the toes of your other foot – eyes open. Start with your right foot in front. Then swap and put your left foot in front. You may notice that one combination is easier than the other.

If you are unsteady in one of the above positions, practise in that position until you can stay there steadily for 30 seconds.

 

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The information provided here is general advice only. Do not hesitate to contact your treating health professional if you have any difficulties or concerns with the exercises or advice or are unsure when to progress.

When you are performing the exercises, stop and contact your health professional if you notice:

  • dizziness, light headedness, blurred vision, fainting or disorientation
  • sudden pain shooting down your arm, or numbness or weakness in your arm or hand
  • unusual severe neck pain, and/or
  • a persistent headache you think may be related to the exercise.