Our spine is not only built the way it is to withstand the forces of gravity pushing down on us, but also to keep the spinal cord protected and relaxed.
In the neck we should be built with a “C” curvature. Looking at our spine from the side, if we had x-ray vision, you should see smooth slowing curves. A curvature in the neck and low back that opens to the posterior or back and a mid-body curvature that opens to the front or anterior.
Looking at our spine from the front or back with x-ray vision, you should see a spine that’s fairly straight up and down or vertical. This is a subject for another article, today we want to talk about the cervical curvature.
Any loss of the normal curvature will actually tension our cord and nerves. Imagine a rubber band that is relaxed with no tension, but then you pull and stretch it. When the C-spine is in its normal position- a smooth “C” curve of 30+ degrees, the spinal cord and nerves are relaxed. When you take that curvature and bend it the other way, the spinal cord and nerves become severely tensioned and stressed.
One common way that our normal curve in the neck is lost is due to a car accident, or whiplash-type injuries. The muscles and ligaments holding the spine in place get severely compromised or injured forcing the spine out of alignment. This is why someone suffering from whiplash injury can have a significant amount of neck pain. As we all can imagine, major whiplash injuries may cause a slew of other problems as well. Pain radiating into the hands, headaches, even more serious neurological problems.
Additional Reading Resources:
In the neck we should be built with a “C” curvature. Looking at our spine from the side, if we had x-ray vision, you should see smooth slowing curves. A curvature in the neck and low back that opens to the posterior or back and a mid-body curvature that opens to the front or anterior.
Any loss of the normal curvature will actually tension our cord and nerves. Imagine a rubber band that is relaxed with no tension, but then you pull and stretch it. When the C-spine is in its normal position- a smooth “C” curve of 30+ degrees, the spinal cord and nerves are relaxed. When you take that curvature and bend it the other way, the spinal cord and nerves become severely tensioned and stressed.
One common way that our normal curve in the neck is lost is due to a car accident, or whiplash-type injuries. The muscles and ligaments holding the spine in place get severely compromised or injured forcing the spine out of alignment. This is why someone suffering from whiplash injury can have a significant amount of neck pain. As we all can imagine, major whiplash injuries may cause a slew of other problems as well. Pain radiating into the hands, headaches, even more serious neurological problems.
Additional Reading Resources:
