Your cervical spine consists of seven vertebrae that align vertically from the base of your skull to your thoracic spine. This area also contains a complex network of nerves and arteries that send messages and oxygen-rich blood to your brain. While this region may seem small, it is solely responsible for supporting your head and enabling your neck to move fluidly. Its flexibility also makes your cervical spine extremely vulnerable to injury. Cervical spine injury rehabilitation efforts typically focus on reducing pain and restoring range of...
Cervical spine disorders affect the neck and shoulder area of the back. Conditions such as stenosis, osteoarthritis or osteoporosis can cause nerve impingement affecting the use of upper extremities. Not everyone who suffers a ...
Keeping the cervical spine, neck region, exercised maintains proper range of motion, decompression of the spine and increased circulation. Some patients may not be able to perform exercises on their own and need assistance. Pas...
Spondylosis is a spinal condition often treated through surgery. However, before you get that far, your doctor may suggest exercises that might help relieve symptoms and improve your ability to work or play. Take steps not onl...
Weakness in the muscles can pull your head out of alignment, causing poor posture. Improper alignment also puts stress on the bones, muscles and nerves causing pain and stiffness in your neck and shoulders. Neck exercises stren...
With the surgery, two bones that originally operated independently of one another are fastened together so they create one solid bone. This eliminates some of the motion in your neck, requiring exercises to help restore range o...
Stiffness in the cervical spine may relate to any number of conditions, some more innocuous than others. In some cases, cervical spine stiffness may indicate a spasm in the neck muscles or injury to the spinal cord in the neck,...
Your cervical spine makes up the skeletal structure of your neck, and is composed of the top seven vertebrae of your spinal column. These bones provide a stable yet mobile foundation that allows for the full range of motion of ...
Cervical spine metastasis is the medical term for a condition that describes a type of malignant or cancerous lesion or tumor on the cervical or neck area of the spine. Melanoma is often blamed as a primary cause of delayed app...
Strong neck muscles can help protect your body during hard contact, preventing a potentially debilitating injury. These exercises are designed to help develop strong neck muscles without placing undue stresses on your cervical ...
The cervical spine consists of the vertebrae and disks within your neck. Like any other section of the spine, it's possible to suffer a herniation in this area. This occurs when the pad of cartilage tears, allowing a gel-like s...
The cervical spine allows you to move your head up and down as well as left and right, and is vulnerable to injury due to the small size of the vertebrae and its large range of motion. Pain in this area of the neck can also be ...
Muscles of the neck, including the suboccipital, longus capitis, colli, multifidi, semispinalis cervicis and longissimus cervicis, stabilize the neck. The upper back and shoulder muscles, including the lower trapezius and the s...
This is a condition in which your bones or muscles compress the nerves and vessels exiting between the scalene muscles in your neck, according to Sandra Shultz and colleagues in their book, "Examination of Musculoskeletal Injur...
By taking steps to increase the health of your cervical muscles, you can decrease the likelihood of difficulties later. The cervical spine is responsible for three movements: cervical rotation, side bending and flexion/extensio...
Diagnosis, as well as treatment, for cervical spine pain is best left up to your health care provider; however, strengthening exercises may help you prevent, decrease or even eliminate this issue altogether. It is important tha...
The spine is designed to keep us upright but also allow us to move in many different directions. To keep us from falling over, our muscles contract together to stabilize the spine. Cervical stability allows us to keep our head ...
Surgeons sometimes use a rod to help stabilize patients' spines during cervical spinal fusion surgery, in which vertebrae are fused together to relieve the pain and numbness caused by neck injuries. The rods, metal cylinder im...
The cervical spine is the portion of the spinal column that makes up the neck. According to the University of Southern California (USC) Center for Spinal Surgery, cervical spine fractures are fairly common and, together with ce...
Athletes can incur acute cervical spine injuries in a number of different ways. Contact sports such as football, rugby, boxing and hockey provide the greatest risk of a cervical spine injury. According to Medline Plus, most spi...
