While these ligaments are tough, they are diagonal in nature.Īs the area becomes straighter, it actually causes a squeezing effect directly on the spinal cord that can exert up to 30 or 40 pounds of compression forces. In Latin, ‘dura mater’ means ‘tough mother’, coined as such because of its strong and durable ligaments.The meninges are made up of three different parts, but the one we’re concerned about here is the dura mater. The meninges is the sac-like covering that encases the brain and spinal cord.What happens next as a result of the straighter neck that’s developed involves the brain and its meninges. This is problematic because, inherently, the spinal cord can only stretch by 10 percent, meaning the spinal cord is getting a lot of adverse traction irritating it. As it progresses from a normal curve to a straight neck, that canal increases by approximately 24 percent in distance. With a normal curve, the spinal cord goes through the spinal canal. These unequal forces tend to make the body twist and turn in an effort to support the head’s forward tilt, and this loss of cervical curvature makes the neck straighter. A two-inch forward action would make the head feel like it weighs 30 pounds. In Neck and Arm Pain, Rene Calliet points out that, normally, a head weighs 10 pounds, but with as little as an inch shift in forward head posture, that head doubles in weight to 20 pounds. With this loss, the neck becomes nine times weaker and introduces a ‘forward head posture’.įorward head posture refers to the postural shift of the head forward - in an attempt to stabilize the neck. It’s paramount to have a good cervical curvature because when there is a loss of cervical lordosis, the integrity of the neck is compromised. Why the Cervical Curvature is so Important When the body loses sagittal curves, it’s going to put in coronal curves, and this attempt of the body to replace lost curves with an opposite curve can result in the development of abnormal spinal curvatures, known as ‘scoliosis’. Interestingly, when curves are lost, the body tends to say, “Since I’ve lost those good curves, I’m going to respond by putting in bad curves.”Ĭurves from the side are called ‘sagital’ curves from the front are called ‘coronal’. When a spinal cord loses a healthy curve, there is a significant loss of strength and flexibility. Five curves multiplied by five, plus one, means that the spine is 26 times stronger, because of the healthy curves, than it would be if it was perfectly straight.The curves function like a coiled spring to absorb force, maintain the body’s center of gravity and balance, and allow the body to bend and twist.Įngineers tell us that the amount of resistance boils down to a formula: the number of curves squared plus one. Together, the five curves of the spine maintain its strength and flexibility. the sacral and coccyx region feature a gentle convex curve at the base of the spinal cord.the lumbar (lower portion of the spine) curves forwards.the thoracic (middle portion of the spine) curves backwards.The cervical curve that includes the neck curves forward.The spine’s overall curve is made up of five distinctive and important curves: cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral and coccyx. When viewing a healthy spine from the side, it has a natural S-shaped curve. The cervical spine is the upper portion that includes the neck a cervical curvature refers to an atypical curve located along the cervical portion of the spine. In an atypical spine with an abnormal curvature, that strength and flexibility is lost. In a typical healthy spine, the curves give it strength and flexibility.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |