Cervical spine facilitated positional release

Page created: March 23, 2021

Notes

Cervical spine

Cervical spine facilitated positional release

Please refer to the "Introduction to facilitated positional release" learn page for more information about facilitated positional release (FPR).
SUBOCCIPITAL MUSCLE HYPERTONICITY
Example: left-sided dysfunction
  1. With the patient lying supine, gently support the occipital and upper cervical regions with one hand against the posterior upper cervical spine
  2. Place your other hand on top of the patient’s head and induce sight flexion to place the cervical spine in a neutral position
  3. With the hand on their head, add gentle axial compression down into the cervical spine
  4. While maintaining compression, gently extend the head and neck, and side bend and rotate the neck to the left (position of ease)
  5. Hold position for 3–5 seconds, slowly release axial compression and return the head and neck to neutral
C2–C7 DYSFUNCTIONS
Example: C4 F SRRR
  1. With the patient lying supine, gently support the occipital and upper cervical regions with one hand against the posterior upper cervical spine
  2. Place your other hand on top of the patient’s head and induce sight flexion to place the cervical spine in a neutral position
  3. With the hand on their head, add gentle axial compression down into the cervical spine
  4. While maintaining compression, gently flex the head and neck, and side bend and rotate the neck to the right (position of ease)
  5. Hold position for 3–5 seconds, slowly release axial compression and return the head and neck to neutral
Author: Arman Israelyan, OMS-III
Editor: Matt Lipinski, DO
Editor: Robyn Hughes, MScBMC

Key Takeaways

Cervical spine-facilitated positional release is a manual therapy technique used to treat pain and dysfunction in the cervical spine. It involves using hands-on techniques to move the bones and muscles of the neck into specific positions and then hold them there for some time. This helps restore normal movement and reduce muscle and joint tension. It is often used to treat conditions such as neck pain, headaches, whiplash, and carpal tunnel syndrome.