Abstract
The head consists of skull bones, mimic muscles, brain and many nerves, and blood vessels. All the functions we perform with our five senses such as sight, hearing, smell, touch, and taste take place in the head region. In addition, emotions are expressed thanks to the facial muscles. One of the most essential functions performed in the head area is speech. Speech is a fundamental human characteristic that enables communication and social engagement. The only movable bone in the head is the mandible. The movement of the head is mostly owing to its articulation with the neck. It acts as a bridge between the body and the head. Due to their proximity and directly linked functions, the head and neck regions are mentioned together. The head and neck areas are crucial to swallowing function. Therefore, the head provides the realization of many intertwined vital functions with both the contractile and noncontractile structures it contains in the head and neck region. In this chapter, the anatomy of the head and neck region, the muscles it contains, and evidence-based exercises for these muscles will be explained.
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Further Reading
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Yasaroglu, O.F., Demir, N. (2023). The Head and Neck Anatomy. In: Kaya Utlu, D. (eds) Functional Exercise Anatomy and Physiology for Physiotherapists. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-27184-7_8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-27184-7_8
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