It’s Time to Check Your Neck Curvature

Let’s face it, we all find ourselves slumping throughout the day while working at the computer, watching TV, or standing at our jobs for a long time. Occasionally we recognize we have abandoned good posture completely and will quickly stretch our necks and backs and try to sit or stand up taller. Maintaining good posture requires a lot of attention and awareness and over time the unconscious habit of rounding our upper back and pushing our heads forward can transform from a temporary loss of spinal alignment to a more permanent change in our posture. In this article we will examine how changes in the normal curvature of the neck can lead to symptoms of pain, discomfort and difficulty gazing forward and what we can do about it.

LET’S GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE ALIGNMENT OF THE NECK AND SPINE

If you look at a model of a typical, healthy spine from the back or front it appears to be a straight column of vertebrae (spinal bones) stacked on top of one another. When you view the spine from the side, however, you will see that the spine is actually curved in several places. In the neck the spine curves toward the front creating a small arch or “lordosis” in the neck. It then switches directions and a gentle backwards curve or “kyphosis” can be seen in the thoracic spine followed by another reversal and lordosis in the lumbar spine. Even the sacrum and coccyx are slightly curved. This alignment of the spine allows for all of the movement we expect from the spine, proper shock absorption capabilities, and good alignment from the head to the feet.

Because the body is one continuous system connected by muscles, ligaments, fascia, and connective tissue, a change in one part of the body often results in a compensatory change in another. The curvature of the neck may change in response to chronic postural habits or in response to changes in the curvature of the upper back or even due to changes in function or alignment of the lower body. Since the neck vertebrae protect and provide an exit for the nerves that supply the muscles and skin of the arms and hands, changes in neck curvature can sometimes have significant effects both locally and more distantly. Nerves can be compressed leading to radiating symptoms into the arms and muscles can be over lengthened or overworked causing tightness, pain, fatigue, or headaches.

HOW DO I KNOW IF MY SPINAL CURVATURE IS ALIGNED?

If you are wondering if your neck curvature has changed over time, there is an easy way to check but it's helpful if you have someone to help. First, stand tall with your arms resting at your sides. Using your phone or a camera, have someone take a photo of you from the side. First take a look at the shape of your neck between your ear and your shoulder. Is it curved slightly toward the front or does it look flattened? Is the ear aligned over the shoulder, the hip, knee and ankle like it should be in a body with good alignment or is your ear positioned further forward than your shoulder?

MY NECK CURVATURE SEEMS FLATTENED, WHAT SHOULD I DO?

If you notice that your ear has moved in front of your shoulder or that your neck no longer seems to have that typical lordotic curve, you may be wondering what you should do. Classically, the loss of curvature in the neck was always considered problematic and worthy of correction but recent research suggests we need to assess people on a case by case basis. A recent review of studies that compiled x-rays of individuals without any neck, back or radiating pain symptoms found that there was a larger range of curvature among asymptomatic necks than recently realized. Some necks were more flattened and others were more lordotic but in this case none had pain (Virk, et al, 2020). So when deciding whether to seek care, here are a few things that would suggest you may benefit from treatment to address your neck curvature:

You are having neck pain or upper back pain

You are experiencing neck or upper back tightness or fatigue

You are experiencing headaches– typically one sided, exacerbated with head or neck movements or with pressure applied to neck musculature or the base of the skull

You are having trouble maintaining a forward gaze and find yourself looking down at the ground

You are experiencing radiating pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness in the arms or hands.

HOW CAN NECK CURVATURE BE IMPROVED?

If changes in your neck curvature are causing pain or dysfunction or impacting your daily activities then physical therapy can help. Your physical therapist will assess your entire spine and may locate areas of the body outside of the neck such as the upper back or hips that may be contributing to your change in neck curvature. Here are examples of what you might expect during a physical therapy treatment to address this problem:

Manual Therapy: Your therapist may apply various soft tissue mobilization techniques to the muscle and fascia around the neck to reduce tension and improve the health and mobility of the tissues. They may also perform mobilization techniques to the neck joints themselves to restore normal movement between the seven vertebrae of the neck. If indicated, these same techniques may be applied to the upper back or related areas of the body.

Modalities: To manage pain and reduce radiating symptoms your therapist may recommend the use of cervical traction to gently stretch and decompress the spinal segments in the neck or other modalities like electrical stimulation to manage pain symptoms.

Stretching: Both passive stretching performed by your therapist and self-stretching performed by you can help optimize the length of muscles that may have become shortened as a result of the changes in your neck curvature. If other areas of the body are also involved you may be instructed in other back, chest, hip or lower body stretches as well.

Strengthening: Strengthening exercises targeting the muscles that help support the neck and upper back in good alignment are important to treat this condition. Exercises such as chin tucks and scapular stabilization are examples of common exercises to improve neck alignment and curvature.

If you’re ready to tackle symptoms caused by your neck curvature, it’s time to call the local physical therapists at Evolve PT. The skilled physical therapists at Evolve can assess your neck curvature and over all movement patterns and biomechanics and create a treatment plan to improve your symptoms and reduce the likelihood they will progress or return.

Click here to find out more information about physical therapy for neck pain

Request Appointment!

About EvolveNY-

Brooklyn's Premier Holistic Physical Therapy Clinics- There’s physical therapy, there’s training, and then there’s EVOLVE. We use the science of biomechanics merged with fitness to help our patients get better and stay better!

First we evaluate, then we heal, then we strengthen our clients so they can reach their goals, feel better, and live happier lives. We do so by utilizing a range of core techniques and specialized treatments to reduce pain, improve mobility, enhance physical strength and deal with the underlying issues, not just the pain itself.

4 Convenient Physical Therapy Clinic Locations in Brooklyn!

1-718-258-3300

https://EvolveNY.com

Have you checked out your neck curvature lately?