Chiropractic Care for the Cervical Spine

The cervical spine – that is, the upper seven of our vertebrae – must surely rank among the most under-appreciated and most vital parts of our body. It is more commonly called the neck and is referred to in some cultures as the arc of life. Its 37 separate joints allow the head and neck to move atop the torso – all while obeying constant commands from the special senses and reflex mechanisms. At Homberg Chiropractic we see a number of patients who present with neck pain caused by any number of issues.The cervical spine faithfully holds up our heavy heads between 14 to 16 hours a day. This is hardly easy. First of all, the head is far from evenly balanced on top of our spine. In fact, it’s tilted heavily forward; without the cervical muscles, it would topple over onto our chest.The head’s weight can become unbearable over time. That means the cervical spine is a vital part of nearly all our everyday activities, including speaking, gesturing, sitting, standing, lying down, breathing and many more. Most of what our head does, it does thanks to the cervical spine.The human head is around 10 to 13 pounds and the cervical spine, along with an intricate network of muscles, tendons, and ligaments support it. This is what also allow flexibility to the head so that it can move up and down, backwards and forwards, rotational, and side bending. This job alone puts a great deal of stress on the neck and can lead to neck pain. Common causes of neck pain can include:• Whiplash (whipping the head forwards and then backwards very suddenly)• Degenerative disc disease• Pinched nerve• Age related conditions• Spinal stenosis• Sleeping in certain positions• Neck strain• Osteoarthritis• Keeping the neck in one position too long, such as looking down at a mobile device• Herniated disc• Neck injury• FibromyalgiaAt Homberg Chiropractic, we treat each patient differently, therefore treatments for cervical spine issues will be on an individual basis. As with all areas of the spine, strengthening the muscles around the area will help cut down on the pain.