Video Course: Stretching the Neck

Joe Muscolino

Join Dr. Joe Muscolino for a comprehensive course on stretching the neck. Learn to effectively stretch the six major functional muscle groups in the neck: the flexors and extensors in the sagittal plane, the right lateral flexors and left lateral flexors in the frontal plane, and the right rotators and left rotators in the transverse plane. An emphasis is placed on optimal body mechanics and client positioning while performing multiple techniques including static stretching, dynamic stretching, pin and stretch, contract-relax, and agonist-contract.

This course has closed captioning. Click "cc" on the video player to view.

This course is approved for Florida’s “Distance Learning Hands-On Technique” category for the 2023-2025 renewal period (CE Broker course #20-989294 for FL only).

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Course Outline
  • Stretching concepts
  • Tissue tension barrier
  • Contraindications and precautions
  • Frontal plane stretching
  • Fundamentals of stretching
  • Sagittal plan into flexion
  • Transverse plane stretching
  • Focus on stabilization
  • Sagittal plane into extension
  • Multiplane stretching
  • Intellectual exercise
  • Pin and stretch
  • Contract relax (CR) technique
  • Agonist contract (AC) technique
  • CRAC technique
Learning Objectives

Having viewed the online massage therapy technique CE course, participants will be able to:

  • List the three anatomical planes of the body.
  • List the six major functional muscle groups in the neck.
  • Describe the difference between static stretching and dynamic stretching.
  • List at least two contraindications for stretching the neck.
  • Describe the optimal therapist body mechanics and client positioning for neck stretches in the frontal plane.
  • Describe the optimal therapist body mechanics and client positioning for neck stretches in the sagittal plane.
  • Describe the optimal therapist body mechanics and client positioning for neck stretches in the transverse plane.
  • Identify the difference between Contract Relax (CR) technique and Agonist Contract (AC) technique.
Instructors
Joe Muscolino

Dr. Joe Muscolino has been a manual and movement therapy educator for more than 35 years. He has created several online streaming subscription platforms for manual therapy continuing education, including LearnMuscles Continuing Education with more than 3,300 video lessons and more than 320 hours of NCBTMB credit. He has also created Massage Therapy—Master Online Curriculum, a full online curriculum for massage therapy schools. He is the author of multiple textbooks with Elsevier and has authored more than 90 articles. For more information, visit his website at www.learnmuscles.com.

Topics and Techniques

This hands-on massage therapy CE course teaches several stretching techniques for the neck. Learn to effectively stretch the six major functional muscle groups in the neck: the flexors and extensors in the sagittal plane, the right lateral flexors and left lateral flexors in the frontal plane, and the right rotators and left rotators in the transverse plane. Stretching techniques include static stretching, dynamic stretching, pin and stretch, and two neural inhibition techniques: contract-relax (post-isometric relaxation, proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation) and agonist-contract (reciprocal inhibition).

Date
FAQ

Visit the ABMP Education Center FAQ page for a full list of resources.

Q: Is this orthopedic massage CE course approved by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (NCBTMB) for CE credit?
A: Yes! All of the courses are approved under ABMP’s NCBTMB Approved Provider account (451086-09).

Q: How do I earn a CE certificate for this video-based course?
A: After you complete the webinar video, a quiz will appear on the page. Earn a CE certificate by scoring 70% or higher on the course quiz.

Q: Can I earn a CE certificate for this course more than once?
A: Learners can earn one CE certificate for each course.

Q: How do I access my CE certificates?
A: CE certificates are available on your “My CE Transcripts” page and on the course page. Visit your “My CE Transcript” page by clicking “My CE” on the navigation bar at the top of your screen.

Copyright Statement
All of the ABMP courses contain materials that are proprietary to ABMP. None of the course material may be used without the express written permission of ABMP. Materials may include, but are not limited to, video, audio, images, documents, and slides. Course materials are only for the use of students enrolled in this course and may not be shared publicly or shown to groups. Unauthorized retention, duplication, distribution, or modification of copyrighted materials is strictly prohibited by law. Check your state’s defined scope of practice for massage therapy before practicing any new modalities or techniques.

Reviews

"This was an amazing CE. Very well presented, relevant, and clear. I have a deeper understanding of stretching the neck. I feel more confident and will recommend this course to my peers."

"This course was EXACTLY what I was looking for to demonstrate neck stretching! Thank you!"

"I really enjoyed this course! He explained post-isometric relaxation and reciprocal inhibition in a way that I could understand better and made sense to me. I'm really glad I chose this course."