On the topic of healthy aging,
this article will begin to address proper care and maintenance for the neck.
While it may seem like a relatively small part of the body, it holds major
importance as it serves as the first “passageway” of information from the brain
to all parts of the body. In order for the brain to effectively do its job and maintain
proper control and regulation, this flow of information and nerve energy must
be allowed to proceed uninterrupted. Many times there will be issues arising
from the neck, such as spinal misalignments, inflammation or degenerative
joints, that have the potential to interfere with this transmission and as a
result, nerve communication will be less than optimal or possibly greatly
reduced. Maybe there is minor irritation on the nerves at the top of the neck
near the base of the skull and we get a headache or experience dizziness or
sinus problems. Or, if we have a disc bulge or degeneration and the nerves
become compressed or “pinched”, it can result in loss of communication from the
brain and then muscles can become weak or paralyzed and organs can malfunction.
Therefore, it is critical that we strive to maintain optimal health in the neck,
or cervical spine, as it relates to our nerves, joints and discs.
Probably the biggest contributor to the health (or lack of)
of your neck will be your posture over the course of a lifetime. When we are
first growing and developing in the womb, we are in the fetal position with the
neck bending in a forward position (it’s kind of cramped in there) and the
spine in essentially a large C-shaped curve. After birth when we have more
space to move around, the spine can now straighten out and we then proceed to
develop new curves, the first being in the neck. As muscles develop and
strengthen, babies lose their “wobbly head” as their spine gains more
stability. Once they start raising their head and looking up and around while
lying on their stomachs, they now begin to develop a curve in the neck opposite
that of the fetal position and this is supposed to be maintained through the
rest of life. What we see in practice though is that if proper posture is not
maintained, this will set the stage for degeneration and irreversible changes
in neck structure. Many patients will point out that they “don’t want to be
like grandma” or the little old man or lady that is stooped over and has the “hunchback”
appearance. Believe it or not, posture will be the major contributing factor in
cases like that.
So what is correct neck posture? When looking from the front
or back, we should see that the ears are level and there is no tilt to the left
or right. From the side we should see that the center of the ear is over the
top point of the shoulder and there is a visible curve in the neck. If not,
then the first order of business is to do what mom and all those teachers told
us to do: sit up straight! It is all too easy to spend numerous hours
throughout the day with our heads forward or bent down, looking at cell phones,
at our desks or computers, preparing food, or just relaxing with poor posture.
When we do that day by day, week by week and year by year, we reinforce the
changes that lead to loss of the proper curve and the problems that follow. To
correct it, we need to engage the muscles in the back of the neck and make sure
the ones in front aren’t overly tight. While sitting or standing against a
wall, focus on drawing the head straight back (not bending back) so that it is
centered over the body. Hold for a few second, relax, and then repeat for
several repetitions. Stretching the neck in all directions is also important,
holding for 15-20 seconds as you look left and right, bend to the left and
right and bend forward and back. Hunched posture also leaves the muscles of the
chest chronically tight so find a door frame or outward corner of a wall, place
the forearm flat against it and slowly rotate the torso away from the arm to
get a good 20 second stretch in the chest and front shoulder muscles. Repeating
these simple steps on a daily basis, in addition to watching your posture, will
go a long way in helping maintain the health and integrity of your neck for a
lifetime. Next time we will discuss further strategies to keep you centered,
balanced and optimally healthy.
In Health,
Dr. Brad Niewierowski
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