Imagine trying to balance a bowling ball on the end of a stick. This is exactly what the complex set of bone, ligament and muscles must do every day. Now imagine how hard it would be to maintain balance if the stick was lifted forward. This is what it is like when your neck loses its natural curve.
Your neck was created with some built in shock absorbers in the form of a lordosis (curve) and intervertebral discs. This curve in the neck functions as a spring and absorbs the shock of your head resting on your neck. The spring makes a much better support for that bowling ball than the stick ever would. The function of the intervertebral discs is two-fold. The first is to assist the curve in shock absorption and second is to connect one vertebrae to the next. They are positioned in such a way as to accept two thirds the load of the head. When the head is tilted or translated forward the load on the discs is significantly increased.
The loss of the normal cervical curve can occur from chronic poor posture, uncorrected subluxations in the neck or excessive computer / videogame time. Very commonly, motor vehicle accidents cause whiplash injuries, which can cause a full reversal of the normal cervical curve. These changes, due to trauma, can become permanent if not treated properly. When the neck loses its curve, the ligaments become lax and stretched, and lose their ability to hold the head in the proper position. Once this has happened, a chain of events is set into motion. The neck and shoulder muscles must then attempt to hold your head in the proper position. Unfortunately they were not created for this, and they begin to tire easily. Unless you are able to lie down or let your head fall into your lap, your neck muscles must continue holding up your head long after they become fatigued. This is precisely what causes many major symptoms to occur. The tired muscles of the neck and shoulders may go into spasm or build up large painful trigger points. When these become chronic they can cause stiffness and pain in the neck as well as tension headaches. A chronic tendonitis in the neck can cause joint restrictions and progress to nerve irritation causing a whole list of other possible health issues. Over an extended period of time, the increased stress on the intervertebral discs combined with an increase in joint inflammation, can lead to degenerative disc disease and arthritis. When the stress from a decreased cervical curve and biomechanical changes are combined with the continued daily demand of a physical or ergonomically incorrect job, symptoms can be severe and prolonged.
Ask your doctor of chiropractic to help you restore your neck’s normal curvature. This process will likely include spinal adjustments, stretches, exercise and/or spinal traction. A change in posture or lifestyle may also be required. A cervical orthopedic pillow may also be necessary to help maintain and restore the normal curve while you are sleeping. The sooner these corrections are made, the sooner you get the spring back in your neck and relieve the undue stress.