IOL Strength and Conditioning

by Evan Osar, DC
Fitness Education Seminars

Do you know what is the most sensitive area of the spine is?

Generally, people often think about the low back—the inordinate number of injuries and costs related to its treatment. Interestingly enough, the lumbar spine and pelvis are relatively stable albeit stressed by our poor habits and conditioning.

So what is the most sensitive area of the spine?  The cervical spine.

Why do I say this?

Just consider—

• The thoracic spine is protected by the rib cage and some of the largest muscles in the body;
• The lumbar spine and sacrum are protected and supported by the largest muscles in the body (including but not limited to the gluteus maximus, lumbar erectors, and abdominals) and the most dense fascial network in the body (the thoracolumbar fascia);
• The cervical spine by comparison has some of the smallest muscles supporting it and doesn’t have the luxury of ribs or pelvis for protection;
• It also holds a 10-14 pound object on top of it (the head) which supports the most sensitive structures in our body— the brain and brainstem as well as the 12 pairs of cranial nerves;
• The cervical spine protects 8 pairs of spinal nerves and 2 of the major arteries of the brain (anteriorly the carotid artery and posteriorly the vertebral artery);
• And a spinal cord injury occurring at the level of the cervical spine will affect function in the entire body possibly leading to quadruplegia, respiratory system compromise, and if significant enough, death.

So hopefully you can appreciate how important and sensitive this area of the body is. Unfortunately many of the things we do in life drive dysfunction of the cervical spine. What are the top 3 things we do that most dramatically affect its function?

1. Forward head posture:

For every one inch the head moves in front of the cervical spine, an additional weight of the head is added to the loads the cervical spine muscles now have to support. For example if your head is one inch in front of your cervical spine, your neck muscles now have to support 20-28 pounds instead of 10-14 pounds. If the head is two inches in front, now you have to support 30-42 pounds. Just think of the ramifications for your clients who more than two inches of forward head posture!

2. What is the most common cause of stress to the cervical spine?

It’s not poor exercise choices. It’s not because your client works too much on the computer. It’s not even because you don’t stretch enough. The most common cause of the forward head posture is poor respiratory habits. Overuse of the accessory muscles, primarily the pectoralis minor, sternocleidomastoid, and scalenes pull the cervical spine and head forward. And because respiration is a 24/7 activity, no amount of stretching or swithcing exercises or jobs will alter this pattern.

3. Poor shoulder stabilization:

Using the neck improperly as an anchor for arm movement overly stresses the cervical spine and neural structures. This dysfunctional pattern is often seen with poor scapular stabilization and improper dissociation of the glenohumeral joint.

How do we stabilize the cervical spine?

CONCLUSION

To improve function of the entire neuromusculoskeletal system,

1. We must teach our clients how to stabilize their neck, shoulder, and upper back.

2. We must improve their ability to breathe from their diaphragm rather than over-utilizing their neck.

This approach will relieve the massive stress on the the brainstem, cervical portion of the spinal cord, and cervical spinal nerves ultimately affecting function of the upper extremity and entire nervous system.

Evan Osar is a practicing chiropractor, author and lecturer. You can review more of his material and his workshop schedule on his website, Fitness Education Seminars. His newsletter archive is here, and his video collection is here.