How to use left/right training: a beginner’s guide
If you have never tried this kind of exercise, start here. It takes about a minute a set, and you can do it lying down or sitting.
Before you start
- Find a comfortable position where you can see the screen without straining your neck.
- Decide how you’ll answer: tap, click, arrow keys, or rest the pointer on a side if clicking is tiring or painful (switch this on in Settings).
Your first session
- Open the neck exercise. Leave the settings at 20 photos, no time limit, feedback on.
- Do one set. For each photo, decide whether the person has turned their head to their left or their right.
- Look at your results. Note your accuracy, your average time, and whether one side was harder. This is your starting point.
- Notice how you feel. If your symptoms are no worse after a few minutes, you can do another set or two later in the day.
Building up
When you are getting most answers right with no time limit, make it a little harder, one change at a time:
- Add a time limit: 5 seconds, then 3, then 2.
- Turn on Rotate photos. Tilted pictures are harder to judge.8
- Try longer sets of 30 or 40.
Keep a note of how you feel as well as your scores. Small, regular sessions are generally more useful than one long one.
What your numbers mean
| Accuracy | The share of photos you got right. Adults without pain got a median of 92.5% in a large neck study.8 |
|---|---|
| Average time | How long your correct answers took. The same study found an average of about 1.6 seconds. |
| Left vs. right | A clear, steady gap between the two sides is worth mentioning to your clinician. Small differences from day to day are normal. |
Those figures come from a study with different photos and equipment, so use them as a rough guide only. Your own trend over time matters more.
When to slow down or stop
- Your pain flares, or you feel dizzy, sick or tense during or after a set.
- You notice yourself bracing, holding your breath or copying the head turns.
- You feel frustrated or anxious about your scores.
Rest, then try a shorter, easier set another day. Imagining movement can sometimes increase pain in people with long-lasting pain,4 so building up gradually matters.
What comes next
In graded motor imagery, left/right training is followed by imagined movements and then mirror therapy. Those later stages are best planned with a clinician. You can read more in How it works.
Common questions
How often should I practise?
Little and often tends to work better than long sessions. A few sets spread through the day is a reasonable start. In the clinical trials, people practised frequently with support from a clinician.
Should I try to go faster?
Accuracy comes first. Once you are getting most answers right without a time limit, you can try the 5-second and then 3-second limits.
Do I need to move my neck?
No. Keep still and just judge the photo. The exercise works on the brain’s planning of movement, not the movement itself.
What if it makes my pain worse?
Stop and rest. Try again another day with fewer photos and no time limit. If it keeps happening, talk to your clinician before continuing.
Can I use this instead of seeing a clinician?
No. This is a practice tool. It works best as part of care planned with a clinician who knows your situation.
Please read: this site is for education and practice. It is not medical advice and does not replace care from a qualified clinician. If an exercise makes your pain or other symptoms worse, stop and rest, and talk to your clinician before trying again.
References
- Moseley GL, Zalucki N, Birklein F, Marinus J, van Hilten JJ, Luomajoki H. Thinking about movement hurts: the effect of motor imagery on pain and swelling in people with chronic arm pain. Arthritis Care & Research. 2008;59(5):623–631. Link
- Wallwork SB, Butler DS, Fulton I, Stewart H, Darmawan I, Moseley GL. Left/right neck rotation judgments are affected by age, gender, handedness and image rotation. Manual Therapy. 2013;18(3):225–230. Link