Good posture in the neck means that our neck bones inside of us are in good alignment; and that means the nerves are free from any unwanted pressure. All of this equals a body functioning at its best and without health problems like neck pain, headaches, or something worse.
Here is a list of the cervical nerves and what they control:
- C1– Blood supply to the head, brain functions, inner ear.
- C2– Eyes, sinuses, tongue
- C3– Outer ear, facial bones, base of the skull
- C4– Neck muscles, mouth, nose
- C5– Neck muscles, vocal cords, neck glands
- C6– Neck muscles, shoulders, elbows, arms
- C7– Shoulders, wrists, hands, arms
So just from this very short, abbreviated list you get an idea of the problems that may arise from pressure on these specific cervical nerves. Keep in mind that this is only the first seven nerves; there is a C8 nerve that exits below the 7th neck vertebrae, as well as thoracic and lumbar nerve roots. Due to the power of this nervous system we have it is vital to keep our spine healthy, and the biggest part of that is to keep it in alignment (good neck posture).
Picture Source: Little Collins St Chiropractic
Additional Reading Resources:
- What Should be the Proper Position Of Your Neck
- 6 Ways To Improve Your Neck Posture
- Stop the Neck Pain Naturally
- I’ve Got: Spondylosis, Spondylolithesis, Subluxation, Kyphosis, etc… What Can I Do To Get Rid Of It?<?a>
- Neck Exercises for pain relief | Neck Stretches | Exercises for a Stronger Neck
I have been having intermittent recurring neck and upper back pain recently. The pain feels like it starts in my neck, and if I tilt my head back and left I get a stabbing sensation in the upper left of my back. Here is my conundrum: all of these websites say to improve your posture for better neck health. However, all my life I have literally been stopped on the street and asked if I am a dancer because my posture is so straight. I am also a personal trainer so I am familiar with proper movement mechanics and stabilization techniques. I don’t recall any sort of trauma that might have caused this in the first place.
Does anyone out there have a similar problem? I am not putting aside the possibility that I still have postural deformities…but I feel like I’m ahead of the game in that department. Are there other reasons my neck is out of whack?
Help!
Amber
Can’t agree with this one more. As a general rule- keep your ears above your shoulder and your shoulder above your hips.
The head weighs 6kg; any deviation from good balance places lods of strain on supporting musculature.
A