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Take this quick quiz.

Can you move your eyes without moving your head and neck?

Hmmm…

Give it a try. 

• Turn just your eyes to the right. Come back to center.
• Turn just your eyes to the left. Come back to center.
• Move just your eyes to look down.
• Move just your eyes to look up.

How did you do?  Were you able to move just your eyes without moving your head and neck?  Unsure?  Try again.

According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, six eye muscles control eye movement. One muscle moves the eye to the right, and one muscle moves the eye to the left. The other four muscles move the eye up, down, and at an angle.

Why is this important?

To move your eyes from side to side requires just two muscles.  To move your eyes up, down, and down requires just four.  If every time you look right or left just 30 degrees and you must turn your neck to accomplish this, you also use about 3-5 neck and the eye muscles. Depending on the flexibility of these neck muscles, you may also be m...