Spinal Curves

A healthy spine has three different curves that act as shock absorbers and support the body. The spinal curves also allow energy to flow freely from the brain to all of the organs in the body. The most important curve is the neck curve, the cervical lordosis. This curve reduces stress on the spinal bones and nerves, protects the neck from damage, and allows proper nerve flow to the rest of the body.

Neck pain is one of the most common symptoms people experience today. People also suffer from many neck related symptoms such as headaches, shoulder\trapezius pain, and numbness and tingling radiating into the hands.

Abnormal curvature of the neck begins with poor posture. With more people using smart phones, tablets, laptops etc, this creates a forward head posture. For every inch your head moves forward, it gains ten pounds of weight. This forward head posture forces the muscle of your back and neck to work harder to keep your head up, and eventually leading the reversal of your proper neck curve.

A normal neck curve presents with a C shaped curve approximately 43 degrees measured from the second vertebra in the neck to the seventh vertebra in the neck. Without the normal curve in the neck, most of the head weight is tilted forward and creates increased wear and tear on bones and discs. This extra stress can cause the bones of your neck to age faster than normal. The joints can move correctly when there is a normal neck curve and the spinal bones will move correctly when the joints are mobile.

 Whether you have pain or not, those who have an abnormal neck will experience the following symptoms. You will have loss of range of motion and flexibility of your neck; acute and chronic neck pain including headaches, muscle spasms, fatigue, and irritability. You many experience neurological issues including numbness, tingling, weakness, and radiating or shooting pain. Accelerating aging of the bone and disc, known as degeneration.

A reversal of your normal neck curve creates a misalignment of your cervical spine, which creates abnormal pressure on the joints, muscles, and nerves. This misalignment we call subluxations. Chiropractors are the most effective healthcare practitioners when it comes to posture and spine alignment problems. Chiropractors adjust specific joints of the spine to restore their normal motion. Chiropractors may also prescribe specific rehabilitation and traction exercises to help restore the normal neck curve.

For more information about Health and Wellness contact Northwest Wellness in Federal Way, WA 2539270660