Normal Cervical Curvature Versus a Reversal of the Cervical Curvature

We are living in an amazingly advanced technological age…even if sometimes it doesn’t quite feel like it. If you brought someone from 100 years ago through a time machine and into our modern day, their head may explode just from the sheer shock of all the technology we use that dictates just about everything we do in our daily lives. Now I am not here to talk about technology or how much cell phones have advanced, even over the course of just 5 years. I am here to talk about some of the negative effects on the bio-mechanics of the human body that some of this technology is having, mainly the cervical curvature in the neck.

The Cervical Curvature

            There is a total of 5 curves in the human spine, all there to add strength and flexibility to the spine in order to protect the spinal cord itself. The cervical curve is what is known as a lordotic curve and is first developed as a baby who just started crawling and looking up at their smiling parents. This healthy curve that started at such a young age has so many positive benefits for the spine including shock absorption, allowing bending and twisting without damaging anything within, and so much more.

Loss of the Cervical Curvature

            Now getting back to all of that technology, constantly looking down at our new fancy phones or working all day looking at a computer screen without the proper ergonomics will start a snowball effect causing loss of curve, reversal of curve, disc degeneration, arthritis, pain, and so on! Time and time again patients will come in with severe neck pain without a known origin of the pain. After a thorough examination and if x-rays are determined to be needed, we look at the how the cervical curvature looks and apply certain measurements of the curve. Time and time again we see a loss of the cervical curvature and in some cases a reversal of the curve at certain points. This has become an epidemic among people, known as the tech neck or “text” neck epidemic. We are seeing a loss of curve in younger and younger patients, whereas 20 years ago more older patients who have worked at a desk all day or have done strenuous work their whole life started losing their curve. But now we are seeing 20-year-old patients losing their curve due to looking down at their phones all day.

            When there is a loss of the cervical curve then the neck is compromised and with time will become weaker and begin to shift the head forward, causing the problem to become even worse. We often give patients infographics showing how “tech” neck is adding weight to the head. Your head normally weighs about 10 pounds, a slight forward shift can double the weight to 20 pounds, a little more can quickly bring the weight to 30 pounds! Now, think about 30 pounds pulling at your head and neck and how much damage over time it will cause for the vertebra, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. But wait…have you even thought about what affect this is having on your spinal cord and nerve roots coming out of the spine?

Spinal Cord Irritation

            Normally, with a healthy curvature your spinal cord travels happily though the spinal canal all the way down your back. When a loss of the cervical curvature happens, and the neck becomes straighter there is a 24 percent increase in the distance that the spinal cord has to stretch and travel. This is an issue because the spinal only has the ability to stretch by 10 percent. This can lead to traction irritability and undue strain on the spinal cord, and strain on the nerve roots which lead from the spinal cord to the rest of the body. Some issues that can arise from this are headaches, migraines, pain, tightness, decrease of flexibility, tight muscles in the neck and back, disc disorders, and the list can go on!

Nerve roots coming from specific areas of the spine affect different areas of the body. When there is a decreased neck curve, you could have a negative affect on breathing, heart rate, and overall movement.

What Exactly Can a Chiropractor Do to Help?

            I mean really…what can’t we do? Just a joke, but in all seriousness Chiropractors are experts in the field of spinal health and the Doctors at inTune Chiropractic are experts in neck pain, headaches, back pain, knee pain, shoulder pain, but especially experts in restoring the cervical curvature. With a proper protocol of cervical adjustments, especially upper cervical neck adjustments. Some traction/distraction of the cervical curve which we can perform in office manually, allowing more space discs and nerve roots. Once we start to get some good correction of the curve we can implement a cervical stretching and strengthening routine in order to keep the muscles, tendons, and ligaments in the neck nice and healthy.

inTune Chiropractic Clinic, Inc. Your Mount Juliet Chiropractor

            The Doctors at inTune Chiropractor are ready to help and serve you for all of the needs. Whether you have headaches, neck pain, low back pain, knee pain, shoulder pain, wrist pain, elbow pain, mid back pain, arthritic pain, sore muscles, or even if you just want to keep everything working at the most optimal level possible we are the Chiropractors for you! We hope to see you soon, to schedule head on over to our website at:

inTune Chiropractic Clinic, Inc. Website

or give us a call at 615.553.2268

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