This is a very real problem for many people and it is not unique to inhabitants of “The Windy City”. It might be a direct result of an accident or sports injury or it might suddenly be with you when you wake up one morning – it can even creep up on you slowly and for no discernible reason. Medically, we are looking at problems associated with a person’s cervix. In this sense, we use the original Latin meaning of cervix – i.e. your neck or that upper part of your spinal cord on which your head is placed. If you are experiencing discomfort, or worse, in this part of your anatomy, then, the spinal cord may well be the best place to look for its cause and, of course its ultimate cure (or at least relief).
Lordosis And Kyphosis
These are both medical words. The first one derives from the Greek “lordos” meaning “bent backwards” while the second is also a Greek derivative – “kuphos” meaning “bent or hunchbacked”. Knowing the origins of these words makes their medical usage fairly obvious. Lordosis relates to a backward curvature of the spine and kyphosis refers to a forward spinal curvature. For a healthy body, posture should be such that, when viewed from the side, the ears should be directly above the ankles giving the standing person basically a straight vertical line from tip to toe. Deviation from this ideal is very likely to cause damage to our spines. However, there should be a slight curvature within the cervical part of the spine – this is essential for it to function as a shock absorber to compensate for any tilting movement of the head.
The “Arc of Life”
Chiropractors specialize on the human spine and its effect on our total wellbeing. Our central nervous system is linked to our brains through our spines and those nerves control all our bodily functions. It follows that anything that interferes with this conduit for electrical (nervous) energy is likely to promote problems in other parts of the body. The cervical part of our spines is closest to the brain and any disruption here can cause severe problems. Losing the correct curvature of the cervical spine does interfere with the flow of signals to and from the brain. This is why chiropractors call this curvature the “arc of life”.
If you have the misfortune to suffer from Neck Pain In Chicago then you should speak to the experts at one of the Chicago Chiropractic & Sports Injury Centers.