They say: “Motion is Life.” This is because every joint in the body should be able to move. Movement allows for inflammation to dissipate out of a region. It allows for water, nutrients and oxygen to move into areas also. The spine is a series of joints between each vertebrae; that’s 24 spinal bones down to the sacrum and up to your skull.
In the cervical spine you have 7 spinal bones or vertebrae. At each level exits out cervical nerve roots. They travel off of the spinal cord and branch into more nerves. If your neck range of motion is compromised and pressure builds up on nerves you can get: neck pain, headaches, even arm pain or something worse.
As far as the motion goes, you should be able to flex your chin to your chest, you should be able to look up at the ceiling (cervical extension), turn your chin to your shoulder, and tilt your ear nearly to your shoulder also. The normal ranges of motion in degrees are as follows:
Flexion: 60 degrees
Extension: 50 degrees
Lateral Tilting: 45 degrees
Rotation (turning head to each side): 80 degrees
Additional Reading Resources
- Severe Neck Pain with Numbess and Tingling– all from a Herniated Disc?
- The Normal Cervical Curve in the Neck
- Why is Slouching So Bad?
- Exercises for the Neck
- Using Hot and Cold Therapy for Pain Relief
Image Source: BluePrints.com
Leave a Reply