The curve in your neck is called your “cervical curve”. This curve should be “C shaped” which allows proper distribution of the weight of your head over your spine. What can happen from looking down at your phone, working on a computer, car crashes, sports injuries, and many other causes is you can lose the curve in your neck. When you lose the curve, the spine becomes unstable. In an effort to stabilize an unstable area your body quits moving the bones (subluxation). This causes an issue. You disc don’t get blood supply. They get their nutrition through movement. When motion is lost, over years the discs start to wear down. As the discs wear down, more pressure is placed on the bones and we see bone spurs develop. Throughout this process, tension and pressure develop on the nerves and they lose function and cause pain. So, it is incredibly important to maintain the curve in your neck.

If the curve in your neck is lost, there are things we can do to help restore it. Here are the best ways to regain the curve in your neck.

1. Specific, target adjustments: When we restore motion to the spine by correcting subluxations, we begin to reverse the degeneration process. As the spine starts moving better, your body is able to work on restoring the normal, healthy curve.

2. Spinal remodeling exercises: To strengthen the muscles that support your cervical curve, we always recommend one or two spinal remodeling exercises.

3. Behavior modification: Those behaviors we talked about that cause loss of cervical curvature (ex: looking down at your phone)… We aren’t going to get rid of them, but we will talk about ways to limit the stress they cause on your spine.

4. Cervical denneroll: This is a firm piece of foam in the shape of your cervical spine that you can use 2 1/2 to 5 minutes per day to further reinforce your cervical curve.

Having a normal, healthy curve in your neck is incredibly important for spine and nervous system health. Use these tips to regain the curve in your neck so you can live the life you want!