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vIEW THE DIgITAl EDITION AT MASSAgEANDBODyWORK.COM TO SEE A vIDEO ClIP DEMONSTRATINg THIS TECHNIQUE. Client Homework— Chin Tucks Practice straightening your posture, aligning your head and neck. 1. Sit up straight and face forward. 2. lengthen your neck by imagining a string lifting the top of your head toward the ceiling. 3. Without tipping your head in any direction, gently pull your chin straight back. 4. Pause as you feel the stretch in the back of your neck. Be gentle and stop if you feel any discomfort. 5. Relax back to a neutral position and then repeat the movement until the suboccipital muscles feel longer and more relaxed. 6. Use this gentle movement to relieve tension headaches or neck stiff ness, and improve posture. If you are unable to maintain good posture for chin tucks while sitting up, try lying down and lengthening the neck as you press into the fl oor (or pillow, mattress, etc.) with the back of your head. and from the skull. Tension, adhesions, or shortening of the suboccipital muscles can lead to global cognitive dysfunction if circulation or fl ow of the cerebrospinal fl uid is disrupted. Of the four pairs of suboccipital CAEL: Functional Anatomy: A Guide of Musculoskeletal Anatomy for Profs Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Figure 06.42 Dragonfly Media Group 01/22/09 03/13/09 Editor's Note: The Client Homework element in Functional Anatomy is intended as a take-home resource for clients experiencing issues with the profi led muscle. The stretches identifi ed in Functional Anatomy should not be performed within massage sessions or progressed by massage therapists, in order to comply with state laws and maintain scope of practice. 84 massage & bodywork muscles, rectus capitis posterior minor is the most medial. Its fi bers extend directly into the dura—the covering around the brain and spinal cord that contains the cerebrospinal fl uid—at the foramen magnum. This dural attachment creates a direct mechanical link between health of rectus capitis posterior minor and the fl ow of cerebrospinal fl uid between the cranium and spinal column. Functional imbalances, hypertonicity, or weakness in this muscle or associated muscles can lead to headaches, cognitive diffi culties, and pain. PALPATING RECTUS CAPITIS POSTERIOR MINOR Positioning: client supine 1. Sitting, place both hands palm-up under the client's head. Find the external occipital protuberance with your fi ngertips. 2. Slide fi ngertips caudally and laterally into the suboccipital region near the lamina groove. 3. Curl fi ngertips upward as the client tucks the chin to slack superfi cial structures. 4. The client looks up gently to assure proper location. therapist, certifi ed athletic trainer, and certifi ed strength and conditioning specialist. Her private practice focuses on injury treatment, biomechanical analysis, craniosacral therapy, and massage for clients with neurological issues. She is the author of Functional Anatomy: Kinesiology and Palpation for Manual Therapists (Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2009). Contact her at functionalbook@hotmail.com. Christy Cael is a licensed massage may/june 2010