Sitting or standing
Anterior, posterior, or lateral to the patient.
Please sit down. May I touch your head while you slightly nod forward and back? Now please move your head farther forward and back, tilt your head to the right and left, and turn your head to the right and left (OR please move in the directions guided by my hands).
With the patient relaxed and after asking permission to touch, gently place your hands on the head to guide motion. Either demonstrate or guide the patient to do the following motions while noting movement of the cervical spine.
ï Nod the head
ï Lean the head forward in flexion
ï Lean the head backward in extension
ï Lean the head to the right and left in cervical spine lateral flexion to the right and left, respectively.
ï Rotate the anterior neck to the right and left in cervical spine rotation to the right and left, respectively.
Joints of the cervical spine include the intervertebral joints between the vertebral bodies and the vertebral arches, the atlanto-occipital (AO) joint, and the atlanto-axial (AA) joint. The AA joint includes the articulation of the odontoid process (dens) of the axis with the anterior arch of the atlas and the joint between the articular processes of the atlas and the axis.
ï Nod the head
ï Lean the head forward in flexion
ï Lean the head backward in extension
ï Lean the head to the right and left in cervical spine lateral flexion to the right and left, respectively.
ï Rotate the anterior neck to the right and left in cervical spine rotation to the right and left, respectively.
Joints of the cervical spine include the intervertebral joints between the vertebral bodies and the vertebral arches, the atlanto-occipital (AO) joint, and the atlanto-axial (AA) joint. The AA joint includes the articulation of the odontoid process (dens) of the axis with the anterior arch of the atlas and the joint between the articular processes of the atlas and the axis.
VH - Skeleton of the upper body, diagonal view, cross section at C - 6