Chin Tucks for Cervical Alignment

Protocol Archive → Neck & Upper Back → Chin Tucks for Cervical Alignment
Neck & Upper Back
Mobility
Beginner
Last updated: October 31, 2026 • Protocol Archive Editorial
Source: Virginia Mason Franciscan Health (YouTube)

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Chin Tucks for Cervical Alignment

Talk to your doctor first. General education, not medical advice.This content is general education, not medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Get approval from your physician or another qualified healthcare provider before starting any exercise program, especially if you have a medical condition, a recent injury or surgery, are pregnant, or take medication. Stop and seek medical advice if an exercise causes pain, dizziness, chest discomfort or shortness of breath. You choose to exercise at your own risk. Read the full medical disclaimer.

Start
Finish
Feel it: back of the neckGlide your chin straight back, as if making a double chin. Do not tip your head down.
Play video
Dosage
3 sets × 10 reps
Equipment
None
Source
Virginia Mason Franciscan Health (YouTube)

Clinical Context

The chin tuck is the single most commonly prescribed exercise for cervical spine dysfunction, and for good reason. Forward head posture — where the head migrates anterior to the line of gravity — is the primary biomechanical driver of cervicogenic headaches, tech-neck pain, temporomandibular dysfunction, and upper trapezius strain. For every inch the head moves forward, the effective weight the cervical spine must support increases by approximately 10 pounds.

The chin tuck (also called cervical retraction) helps counter forward head posture by activating the deep cervical flexors — the longus colli and longus capitis — while simultaneously stretching the suboccipital muscles at the base of the skull. These deep flexors are consistently found to be weak and inhibited in patients with chronic neck pain, while the suboccipital muscles are shortened and hypertonic.

Research by Jull et al. (2009) demonstrated that a program of deep cervical flexor training (of which the chin tuck is the foundational exercise) is as effective as spinal manipulation for treating cervicogenic headache, and that the combination of both produces the best outcomes. The chin tuck can be performed anywhere — at a desk, in a car, or standing — making it one of the most practical exercises for managing neck pain in daily life.

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Sit or stand with your spine straight and shoulders relaxed.
  2. Look straight ahead — don’t look up or down.
  3. Gently draw your chin straight back, as if making a “double chin.” Imagine a string pulling the back of your head toward the wall behind you.
  4. Hold the retracted position for 5 seconds.
  5. Release and allow your head to return to its natural position.
  6. Repeat for the prescribed repetitions.

Key Form Cues

  • Straight back, not down: The movement is horizontal retraction, not flexing the chin down toward the chest.
  • Gentle effort: Use about 30% effort. This should feel like a mild stretch at the base of the skull, not a forceful crunch.
  • Relax the jaw: Keep your teeth slightly apart and jaw muscles relaxed throughout.

Progression & Regression

Regression

  • Perform lying on your back with the head on a pillow — gravity assists the retraction
  • Hold for 2–3 seconds instead of 5
  • Reduce to 2 sets of 5 reps

Progression

  • Hold for 10 seconds per repetition
  • Add gentle overpressure with your fingertips on the chin
  • Perform against a wall for proprioceptive feedback (back of head should touch the wall)
  • Add resistance band around the back of the head for strengthening
  • Practice throughout the day — set hourly reminders for 5 chin tucks at your desk

Precautions

Very safe for most patients. One of the lowest-risk cervical exercises.

  • Patients with vertebrobasilar insufficiency should avoid extreme ranges of cervical motion — keep the retraction gentle.
  • Those with cervical myelopathy should perform gently and avoid any movement that produces bilateral arm symptoms or coordination changes.
  • If you experience dizziness during the exercise, reduce the range and perform more slowly.
  • Stop if: the exercise consistently produces or worsens radiating arm pain or headaches.

Related Exercises

Try next

Mobility · BeginnerPinched Nerve in the Neck (Cervical Radiculopathy) ExercisesMobility · BeginnerForward Head Tilt (Cervical Flexion)Strengthening · BeginnerDeep Neck Flexor Exercise (Head Nod)

Part of the Posture Correction routine All Neck & Upper Back exercises

References
Jull G, et al. A randomized controlled trial of exercise and manipulative therapy for cervicogenic headache. Spine. 2002;27(17):1835-1843.
Falla D, et al. Patients with chronic neck pain demonstrate altered patterns of muscle activation during performance of a functional upper limb task. Spine. 2004;29(13):1436-1440.
Hansraj KK. Assessment of stresses in the cervical spine caused by posture and position of the head. Surg Technol Int. 2014;25:277-279.

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