Issue 023

March 2007

By Rosi Sexton. Neck cranks are probably the most frequently misunderstood submissions in the MMA fighter’s repertoire. Few fights end in this way, but they are feared nevertheless because of their potential to cause serious injury. Spine locks are usually banned in grappling competitions and amateur rules MMA, but at least some are legal in most professional MMA rule sets. 

Let’s start with an overview of some neck anatomy. In a skeleton, the neck consists of seven bones: the cervical vertebrae. These are stacked one on top of another to form the cervical spine. The head sits at the top, with the rest of the spine underneath. 

Each pair of vertebrae is separated by an intervertebral disc. A disc is a little like a stale flattened doughnut. It has a tough fibrous bit round the outside and a soft jelly-like bit in the middle. This arrangement allows the disc to absorb shock. The important thing, as we will see, is that the “jam” stays in the middle of the “doughnut”. 

Through the middle of this column of vertebrae runs your spinal cord, from which nerves travel out to every part of your body. For this reason, it’s important that the whole arrangement doesn’t come apart too easily. As you might expect, evolution has provided us with some strong ligaments in this area to hold things together.  

The muscles of the neck also contribute to its stability. They come in layers, from the most superficial (trapezius) to tiny little deep muscles that run from one vertebra to the next. There are also muscles that connect the neck to the shoulder blade and the ribs. 

In the worst case, a dislocated or fractured vertebra could lead to spinal cord damage. The scary thing about necks is that any damage to the spinal cord or the nerves coming from it can cause numbness, weakness and/or paralysis. It can even lead to death if the injury occurs above a certain level in the spinal cord, because the breathing muscles may be paralysed. The nervous system is particularly unforgiving of injury, and any damage may prove permanent. Worrying though this is, it is very unlikely in the case of (most) neck cranks applied to a relatively young, fit, healthy adult. 

Less serious, but potentially very painful and debilitating is the disc rupture (commonly referred to as a “slipped disc”). This is when the “jam” of the intervertebral disc is forced out, putting pressure on the spinal cord or nerves and causing pain and muscle weakness. This is a lot more common, but still not easy to do with a neck crank.  

On to the techniques. The first, the can opener, is rarely seen as a submission, but sometimes used to force an opponent to open their closed guard. It works by simply levering the head forwards. In theory, hyperflexion of the neck can cause extremely serious injuries. The list includes muscle strain, ligament sprain, disc rupture, and fracture or dislocation of the vertebrae. 

In practice, however, necks are pretty robust. Most people also have a good range of flexion at the neck – about 80-90 degrees, on average. This doesn’t leave a lot of room to flex it beyond its normal range. The most serious injuries are generally caused by flexing the neck at high speed under huge forces, such as in a fall or a road accident. The forces involved in these techniques are a lot smaller. Usually it is the muscles, and sometimes ligaments, that cause the pain and take the brunt of the damage. Forcing the neck into flexion may also cause problems with the joints between the vertebrae – the so-called facet joints – that can lead to a very painful and stiff neck. 

A crucifix is a different animal entirely. Once again, it works by flexing the neck, but this time the arms are also fixed in a “crucifix” position. This means that the shoulder blade is brought into play. 

There’s a muscle – levator scapulae – that runs from your shoulder blade to the top of your neck. Normally this muscle helps you to shrug your shoulders or to tilt your head to one side. This muscle is often involved in neck and upper back problems. 

Raising your arms at the same time as pushing your head forwards will stretch the two ends of levator scapulae away from each other. Stretch too far and you get pain and torn muscle fibres. This is the limiting factor in the crucifix, which is why the submission comes on with far less neck flexion than is needed for a can opener. A crucifix will nearly always damage muscle first, rather than the bones and ligaments of the neck itself. 

Currently popular is the “twister”. This submission works by over-rotating the spine, especially the neck, and stressing the muscles, ligaments and joints between the vertebrae. Damage to these structures is the most likely result of applying this technique too far; however serious damage to the vertebrae can’t be ruled out. 

Techniques that involve flexion and rotation together carry the greatest risk of serious injury. Not many of these are in common use, but there is a guillotine variation where the head is turned to the side and lift is applied under the jaw in order to compress, flex and rotate the neck. Not only does this endanger the intervertebral discs but also the joints between the vertebrae and there is a risk of a dislocation, which can potentially cause spinal cord damage. 

If you suspect that someone you are training with has a serious injury to their neck, you should avoid moving them and call for an ambulance immediately. 

For more minor neck problems such as muscular strains, as always apply rest and ice as soon as possible after the injury. Consider seeing a professional such as an osteopath, physiotherapist or doctor if you have ongoing problems, and especially if there is any pain, numbness, tingling or weakness in your arms.