Let's get to know our cervical spine first
First, the cervical spine is part of the spine.
Our spine consists of 7 cervical vertebrae, 12 thoracic vertebrae, 5 lumbar vertebrae, and a sacrum and coccyx.
Each vertebral body is connected by cartilage and intervertebral discs.
There are 4 physiological curvatures of the spine: cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and sacral.
It is unique to mammals that walk upright.
Our spine is like a big spring,
It can effectively increase the ability to buffer shocks and enhance the stability of posture.
What the hell is the physiological curvature of the cervical spine?
when we were just born,
The neck begins with a slightly prominent forward curve.
At about 3 months, when you start to look up and look forward,
A permanent forward curvature of the neck is formed.
The normal physiological curvature of the cervical spine,
Is the curvature of an arc with a radius of 17cm.
healthy cervical curvature
When the curvature of the cervical spine increases,
The flexibility also increases, and the load-bearing capacity decreases;
When the curvature of the cervical spine decreases,
The flexibility is also weakened, and the load-bearing capacity is increased;
When the cervical spine is oppressed,
The flexibility is weakened, and the load-bearing capacity is also weakened.
How did the curvature of the cervical spine become straight?
The curvature of the cervical spine straightens,
usually occurs in adults,
But now there are more and more children.
There are mainly 4 reasons:
①Poor posture
②Injury, such as acute neck sprain
③ Osteoporosis
④ Congenital musculoskeletal abnormalities
For most people,
The main reason is the first point,
That is bad posture.
Why does bad posture straighten the curvature of the cervical spine?
Work with your head down for a long time, and play with your phone with your head down,
The weight of the head deviates from the original balance system.
A person's head weighs about 5kg,
When leaning forward to look at electronic devices such as mobile phones,
The load on the neck will be greatly increased.
If the forward tilt is 15°, the cervical spine bears about 24 catties.
If the forward tilt is 30°, the cervical spine bears about 36 catties.
If the forward tilt is 45°, the cervical spine bears 44 catties,
When it is 60°, the cervical spine can bear up to 54 catties.
The neck is maintained in a forward position for a long time,
The muscles in the back of the neck have to exert force to maintain its balance.
The neck muscles are stretched,
Trapezius, levator scapula, splenius capitis, semispinalis long-term tension,
Weakness and shortening of muscles that flex the neck (eg, sternocleidomastoid).
The cervical spine cannot be in a natural physiological position,
If things go on like this, the physiological curvature will become straight.
- The straightening of the cervical spine is accompanied by changes in soft tissues such as muscles and fascia, and the shoulder and neck are stiff and tense;
- Straightening of the cervical curvature will press the vertebral artery, causing insufficient blood supply to the brain, making people prone to fatigue, dizziness and headache;
- The straightening of the neck curvature and the change of the muscles will also compress the relevant nerves, causing numbness of the limbs, nausea and vomiting, etc.;
- After the curvature of the neck becomes straight, the risk of ligament hyperplasia, calcification, bone hyperplasia, and cervical disc herniation will increase.
Not only that,
The head tilts forward, the curvature of the cervical spine straightens and changes,
It also usually occurs concurrently with increased thoracic curvature.
manifest outside,
That is, the head is stretched forward, the cervical lordosis is increased, the shoulders are rounded,
Protrusion of the scapula and increased thoracic kyphosis.
chronic muscle imbalances,
upper cross syndrome.
About how to restore the natural curvature of the cervical spine? Please see the next article.
