The Normal Cervical Curve in the Neck
The cervical curve in the neck is supposed to be a “C” shape. There are 7 vertebrae or bones in the neck spine: C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6 and C7. The first vertebrae, or C1 is also know as the atlas, and C2 is known as the axis.
If I look at a “lateral” cervical spine (meaning from the side) x-ray- the spine should be in the shape of a “C”.
If I look at a “AP” cervical spine (meaning from the front) x-ray- the spine should be straight up and down, with no curves.
In between each of the bones, are the cervical spinal nerves, labels as in the diagram below as C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, and C8.
The cervical spine is very important because it encompasses and protects the spinal cord, holds up the head and skull and also allows us to move our head: forward (flexion), look back (extension), bend from side to side (lateral flexion) and turn our head from side to side (rotation).
Protection of the spinal cord is extremely important: messages from the brain travel through the spinal cord, out via nerves-innervating muscles, organs, blood vessels- this system controls how we walk, talk and basically do all of daily functions.
What do these cervical nerves control? They control certain areas of the head, neck and upper back, including the arms and hands. More specifically:
C1: Head and neck
C2: Head and neck
C3: Diaphragm
C4: Upper body muscles (e.g. Deltoids, Biceps)
C5: Wrist extensors
C6: Wrist extensors
C7: Triceps Muscle
C8: Hands
Often times we see a loss of the cervical curve, also known as a “loss of cervical lordosis” or “military” neck.
Doctors often prescribe cervical traction to help get the curve back into the spine. This involves home traction and also using pillows that will provide gentle traction while sleeping.
Also surrrounding the cervical spine are tendons, ligaments and muscles- they allow for movement and prevent us from doing certain motions to prevent injury and pain.
So there you have it- hopefully you understand the significance of the cervical spine- and why it is so important. The cervical spine is composed of bones c1-c7, nerves c1-c8, ligaments, tendons and muscles. Wrapping your head around all the complexities and functions of the cervical spine- can be a daunting task.
Allergy Season
Allergy Season
The next time you sneeze, it may be a good time to visit a chiropractor. Yes, a chiropractor. Most
people never think about it, but chiropractic care can help provide allergy relief.
That’s because chiropractic care, often thought necessary for only back and neck problems, can
help with keeping the body operating at peak performance. The body’s immune system helps with
preventing disease and infection, dealing with stress and overall well being. The immune system
also tackles the invasion in a body of foreign substances such as pollution, dust, dead cells,
etc. Current research is showing that there is a direct link between the nervous system and the
immune system. Chiropractors remove nerve interference and allow the immune system to work
optimally.
The immune system is affected by nerves and hormones. An immune system not operating
effectively can:
• Fail to recognize and remove abnormal cells such as those that are cancerous.
• Be unable to fight infections.
• Overreact to things such as bee stings, penicillin, certain foods, pollen etc.
• Become depressed making you more vulnerable to disease.
Allergic reactions are the most frequent immune disorders and happen when the body’s immune
system overreacts to allergens such as dust, pollen, pet dander, etc. The response is that the
body overproduces neutralizing chemicals such as histamines to correct the problem.
What causes allergies? No one knows for sure. Some theories say it’s our increasing sterile
environment. Others suspect the overuse of antibiotics and vaccinations. The idea here is our
immune system is at its best when fighting off disease, parasites, and bacteria all by itself. The
more we try and help it, the weaker it becomes. It is proven that children who live on farms and
are exposed to different animals and the outdoors have fewer allergies than those who are not
exposed.
Super Protein
Whey protein helps to balance blood sugar, manage glucose and insulin levels, and stimulate the metabolism.
http://www.absolutelifechiropractic.com/articles/newsletters
Gardening and Your Health: Protecting Your Knees and Back
Knees
Many gardening tasks require knee strength and stability, whether kneeling, sitting, standing, or walking. The best way to protect knees from the stress and strain is to condition them with strengthening exercises and stretching.
The muscles that protect the knees are the quadriceps (front of thighs) and the hamstrings (back of the thighs). To ease strain on the knees, practice strengthening exercises regularly, and stretch before starting gardening activities. Your doctor should recommend specific exercises and stretches that are appropriate for you.
Squatting can put unnecessary strain on the knees if done incorrectly or for long periods of time. When squatting, keep feet flat with weight evenly distributed. Squatting with heels off the ground can potentially damage knee ligaments. Preferred work positions would be having one knee on the ground, working on hands and knees using a kneeling pad, or sitting on a chair or stool (Figure 1). If you use a chair or stool, place it close to the area where you are working and use long handled tools to avoid straining the upper body. If a kneeling pad is inconvenient to carry, then try using strap-on knee pads.
Figure 1. Preferred work positions.
Raised beds can make gardening easier, reducing the need to stoop or bend down to get close to the soil. The height of raised beds can be adjusted to suit the gardener's needs. Raised beds with wide borders can offer a convenient place to sit while working (Figure 2). The width of raised beds should be narrow enough to allow the gardener to work without straining or reaching. Some people may find it easier to use beds high enough to stand at, while others may want to design a bed to slip their knees under while sitting (Figure 3).
Figure 2. Work in raised beds to reduce strain.
Figure 3. Some garden beds can be designed to sit at like a table
Read more: http://www.absolutelifechiropractic.com/articles/newsletters
"One Adjustment and a Bottle of Windex..."
If you've ever tuned into the A&E television program Hoarders, it doesn't take a genius to quickly realize it's going to take more than a bottle of Windex to clean up all the garbage, moldy food and rotting animal poop that's been accumulating in those houses for years and years and years... But some people accumulate health problems the same way, and unrealistically believe it will take just a visit or two at the Chiropractor's to fix all their issues. From years of neglect, bad advise and denial, their chronic illnesses pile up until they can no longer recognize the healthy state their body used to be in. By the time they decide to see a Chiropractor, they've got a real 'dis-ease hoarding' problem and unfortunately one adjustment isn't enough to clean up the squalor. The goal of Chiropractic isn't to temporarily sweep your symptoms under a rug to make things look good on the surface, but to actually roll our sleeves up and get rid of the underlying clutter once and for all. Sure it might take a little more time and a bit more elbow grease to transform your health our natural way, but in the end your human house will be clean, pristine and habitable again.
Read more: "One Adjustment and a Bottle of Windex..."
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