Recently, an online short film "Stop turning your neck!" has been widely circulated. The video mentioned that frequent movements of turning your neck may not only compress the cervical spine nerves, but also easily lead to bone spurs over time. . This statement also attracted the attention of many netizens! Is it really dangerous to turn your neck frequently? Let’s hear what the chiropractors have to say!
Will twisting the neck harm the health of the spinal nerves? The cervical spine has a large range of motion, so there is no need to worry about normal use
Will the movement of turning the neck endanger the health of the spinal nerves? Zhang Xuanbin, a doctor of chiropractic medicine and physical therapist in the United States, said that if you take a closer look at the human body's skeletal and nervous system from a chiropractic perspective, you will find that the human cervical spine actually presents a forward convex curve under normal conditions.
Therefore, in addition to the first and second cervical vertebrae, the neck also has a 45-degree tilt space. Compared with the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae, it can have greater mobility, making it easier for the human body to bend forward, lean back, and rotate. head, even circling and other movements. Therefore, judging from the innate structure of the human body, as long as the neck is rotated slowly and in circles within the normal range of motion, there will not be much health problems.
Unless the spine is subjected to continuous abnormal pressure, for example, repeated bowing and compression for a long time, problems will occur. Or, as mentioned in the video, rapid and repeated rotation of the neck such as the "Head Shake" will injure the cervical spine. Therefore, people can safely engage in gentle neck stretching, health exercises and other movements without excessive worry or panic.
Will shaking your neck too much cause spinal nerve compression or rupture? Carotid artery dissection and hemangioma are the key
Dr. Zhang Xuanbin also mentioned that rapid and repeated rotation of the neck such as the "head swing" mentioned in the video is indeed a behavior that can easily damage the cervical spine! However, paralysis, the sequelae of excessive head shaking and twisting, is not caused by spinal nerve compression or rupture.
In fact, patients who have had neuralgia should be able to relate to it. The nerve roots of the human body are very sensitive. Once the nerve compression problem occurs, not only will the entire cervical spine become stiff and stuck, but it will also make people miserable; not to mention quickly twisting the neck, even normal activities may have problems. Therefore, 80% of paralysis caused by excessive head shaking and neck twisting should be related to carotid artery dissection or rupture of hemangioma in the spinal cord.
In particular, friends with congenital connective tissue genetic diseases, such as Marfan's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and vertebral artery dissection, are prone to vascular deformation and deformation due to congenital factors. Connective tissue disease issues. Moreover, cervical ligaments are often in a loose and unstable state, so the risk of cervical dislocation and blood vessel wall peeling is naturally much higher than that of ordinary people. Therefore, for the above-mentioned groups, it is not recommended to perform any forceful tilting back, forward bending, side bending to the left or right, or even twisting the entire head to avoid aggravating discomfort.
Don’t move your neck, these people! Be careful if you suffer from soreness in your shoulders and neck and make strange noises when your neck is turned
In addition to the above-mentioned special physical conditions, friends with special physiques should be careful because the initial symptoms of problems such as vertebral artery dissection, peeling of blood vessel walls, and blood clots are similar to those of shoulder and neck soreness. Dr. Zhang Xuanbin suggested that once the public has symptoms of cervical pain and discomfort, and the symptoms have not improved after 3 to 4 days of rest, or there is a "crunching sound" when moving, they should not move or stretch the neck to a large extent. Instead, you should immediately seek assistance from professional doctors and physical therapists for further testing, evaluation, and treatment.
Tips from experts:
Dr. Zhang Xuanbin also reminded that in addition to regular eye and dental examinations, modern people are more likely to suffer from muscle and bone discomfort due to long periods of sitting and lack of exercise. Therefore, developing regular spinal nerve maintenance and checking every 2 to 3 months is a good way to appropriately prevent and correct incorrect postures and avoid affecting health. The only thing to note is that you should never go to an unknown massage therapist. Instead, you should identify a physical therapist or a certified chiropractor with a professional license for a more secure diagnosis.
Will turning the neck endanger the health of the spinal nerves? Once you have symptoms of cervical pain and discomfort, and after resting, the symptoms have not improved after 3 to 4 days, or there is a "cracking sound" during activity. Do not move or stretch your neck to a large extent. Instead, you should seek help from a professional doctor or physical therapist immediately for further testing, evaluation, and treatment. Judging from the innate structure of the human body, as long as the neck is rotated slowly and in circles within the normal range of motion, there will not be any major health problems.