Know Your Neck: The Cervical ... Health Article

A healthy neck supports the head, keeping it aligned with the rest of your spine. When the neck’s bones, disks, and muscles are in good condition, they allow you to move your head freely and without pain.

Your Spine’s Three Natural Curves

The spine is arranged in three curves: cervical (neck), thoracic (mid-back), and lumbar (low back). When they are properly aligned, these curves support your weight comfortably. The curves are maintained when you are relaxed and your ears, shoulders, and hips are in a straight line. This is called a neutral position.

Moving Your Neck

A healthy neck can move easily, without discomfort. The neck moves in three basic ways. During:

• Flexion and extension, the head moves forward and backward.

• Rotation, the head turns left and right.

• Lateral bending, the head tilts, ear toward the shoulder.

Parts of the Neck

• Muscles in the neck, upper back, and shoulder support and move the neck and head.

• Vertebrae are the bones that form the spine. They protect the spinal cord and connect the neck and head.

• Disks are pads of spongy tissue that cushion the vertebrae.

• Joints link the vertebrae and allow them to move smoothly.

• Nerves branch out from the spinal cord between the vertebrae. They let signals travel between the brain and the rest of the body.