What is the cause of start and acceleration error characterized by unnecessary tension in the dorsal muscles and neck hyperextension?

• A. Misunderstanding of movement
• B. Overemphasis on forward head tilt
• C. Fatigue in the neck muscles
• D. Excessive arm drive

Answer: (A)

The key idea here is that this start/acceleration error comes from not understanding the proper motor pattern. When the movement cueing is misunderstood, a person will tense the upper back and neck and end up with the head tipped into extension as they try to stabilize a posture that’s not aligned with the propulsion from the hips. In other words, the neck and dorsal tension reflect a faulty mental model of how to coordinate the body for the first steps, not a simple bout of neck fatigue or an energy issue in the arms. Fatigue, excessive arm drive, or an emphasis on forward head tilt can contribute to poor mechanics, but they don’t inherently explain why the neck hyperextends and the dorsal muscles stay unnecessarily tense as a direct result of misreading the movement.