Some people are young,
But their cervical spine is already old.
Some people haven’t gone bald yet,
But their cervical spine has already collapsed.
There are too many people with poor cervical spines.
However, in life,
Most of us are not aware
Of how fragile our cervical spine is.
We still “overdraw” its health,
Over time, neck pain will come knocking.
These habits that harm the cervical spine cannot be ignored!
Our necks don’t get “worn out” in a day; from neck and shoulder strain pain, to changes in the physiological curvature of the cervical spine, and then cervical spine disease, resulting in dizziness, headaches, numbness in the upper limbs, decreased muscle strength, chest tightness, palpitations, insomnia… these are all the result of accumulated effects.
If you still have these bad habits, you are further accelerating the progression of cervical spine disease!
1 Improper posture
We often see things like chest hunching, “lazy laying”, leaning to one side when standing, habitually leaning forward when sitting down, all fall within the category of long-term improper standing/sitting posture.
Maintaining poor standing and sitting posture for a long time not only increases the burden on the cervical spine but also leads to partial muscle strain. Without proper stretching and exercise, it can cause varying degrees of neck, shoulder, and back pain.
Over time, the muscles near the cervical spine are too fatigued to properly support the spine, leading to degenerative changes in the intervertebral discs.
2 Lying on your stomach for naps
Many students and office workers do not have the conditions to lie down and rest during nap time, often preferring to lie on their stomachs. This also causes significant harm to the cervical spine.
If conditions do not allow lying down, it is recommended to rest in a reclined position; you must find support for your cervical spine, such as placing a rolled-up cloth behind your neck or using a U-shaped neck pillow.
In addition to lying down for sleep, in the office, we often see many people tilting their heads to support their phones with their shoulders when answering calls.
But this posture is also dangerous for the neck. Supporting the phone with the shoulder will strain the muscles on both sides of the neck and shoulders unevenly, eventually leading to stiffness and pain in the neck.
3 Exposing the neck to cold winds
Exposing the neck to cold winds for an extended period of time can easily lead to invasion by wind-cold, causing muscle spasms, pain, and exacerbating discomfort in the cervical spine.
When it’s hot, try to avoid fans or air conditioning blowing directly on the neck; when going out in the cold, it’s best to wear high-necked clothing or scarves to keep the neck warm.
4 Carrying heavy objects on one shoulder
A backpack being too heavy, long-term use of one shoulder to carry a bag or heavy objects, will result in uneven load-bearing on the neck and shoulder muscles or localized strain, leading to neck and shoulder pain, stiffness, and possibly inducing cervical scoliosis and cervical spine diseases.
Therefore, it is recommended: try to use single-shoulder bags less or not at all.
If you can’t do without a single-shoulder bag, then do at least two things:
Carry less in the bag;
Alternate between the two shoulders.
Cervical spine disease is not just simple neck and shoulder pain!
Despite the small size of the cervical spine, it is a vital part of the human body.
It supports our average 5kg head, underneath it is connected to the spine, playing a crucial role in supporting the body.
The cervical spine not only supports the brain but also controls a variety of complex “routes,” such as nerves, blood vessels, airways, esophagus, all managed by it.
If we operate improperly for a long time, putting the cervical spine into a “996” working mode, the cervical spine is easily fatigued and damaged, which can escalate to cervical spine disease.
What’s worse, cervical spine disease is not just about neck and shoulder pain, because there are various types of cervical spine diseases, each with different symptoms. In addition to neck pain and shoulder stiffness, cervical spine diseases have many other symptoms.
Such as—
â–² Vertebral artery type, due to blood supply issues in the brain, may cause dizziness and blurred vision;
â–² Sympathetic nervous system type of cervical spine disease may cause eye pain;
â–² Radicular type cervical spine disease may manifest as numbness and pain in the hands;
â–² And the spinal cord type of cervical spine disease can lead to instability when walking, like walking on cotton.
If you are experiencing discomfort in the cervical spine, what should you do?
The normal spine has a certain curvature, like an S-shaped spring. This is a unique structural feature of the human spine that allows for maximum vertical shock absorption.
As a part of the spine, the cervical spine naturally has a C-shaped curvature.
However, some people forcibly straighten their cervical spine! First, it changes from a C shape to straight, which is called a change in physiological curvature; continued development leads to reversing the curvature into an inverted C shape, known as cervical lordosis.
3 Relaxing the cervical spine
At this point, some may ask: can regular massages help relieve cervical spine discomfort and assist in treating cervical spine disease?
Actually, for patients with cervical spine disease, massages can effectively alleviate muscle tension and provide short-term comfort, but the same symptoms may reappear in a few days, only addressing the symptoms, not the root cause.
Moreover, blind or incorrect massages can lead to muscle swelling, destabilize the cervical spine, accelerate intervertebral disc degeneration and worsen cervical spine disease.
As for the popular cervical spine massagers today, while they do help relieve symptoms in the neck, relax neck muscles, and promote blood circulation to a certain extent, expecting them to delay the development of cervical spine disease is not realistic.
Instead, to relax the cervical spine, try cervical spine exercises, gently stretch your neck. Patients with cervical spine diseases should not exercise excessively, perform neck exercises slowly and gently, avoiding overexertion to prevent further serious injury.
