Strengthen your neck and bones as soon as possible, otherwise you will regret it later!

Author: Yang Lin, Li Zhangwang, Jiang Jingjing, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University

Reviewer: Hao Liang, deputy chief physician, Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University

Cervical spondylosis is one of the common diseases that affect people's health today, and its incidence rate is very high. Office workers who use computers for a long time, students who write for a long time, and the elderly whose body functions are constantly degenerating are all the focus of "cervical spondylosis".

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The degeneration of the cervical intervertebral disc begins at the age of 20, and most people will experience functional impairment after the age of 40. The etiology and pathogenesis of cervical spondylosis are extremely complex and are related to multiple factors. The causes generally include two aspects.

One is degenerative lesions of the cervical intervertebral disc. After frequent activities, the cervical intervertebral disc is prone to disease due to excessive minor trauma and strain. In the early stage, the cervical intervertebral disc degenerates, the water content of the nucleus pulposus decreases, the fibers of the annulus fibrosus swell and become thicker, and then hyaline degeneration occurs, and even ruptures. After the cervical intervertebral disc degenerates, its pressure resistance and traction resistance will decrease. Because the resistance of the intervertebral disc to traction weakens, when the cervical spine moves, the stability between adjacent vertebrae decreases, the vertebrae become unstable, and the range of motion between vertebral bodies increases, causing mild vertebral slippage, followed by bone hyperplasia of the posterior facet joints, uncovertebral joints and lamina, degeneration of the yellow ligament and nuchal ligament, as well as changes such as cartilage and ossification.

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The second is injury. Acute injury (such as head and neck trauma) can aggravate the damage to the already degenerated cervical vertebrae and intervertebral discs, thereby inducing cervical spondylosis; chronic injury (such as using a pillow that is too high, lowering the head for a long time, etc.) can accelerate the degeneration of the cervical vertebrae and cause the symptoms of cervical spondylosis to appear earlier.

So how do you judge whether your cervical spine is healthy? Here is a tip: look first, move second, and feel third.

"One look" means looking at the curvature of the cervical spine.

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"Second movement" is to check the range of motion of the cervical spine

It can be checked from four aspects: ① flexion, that is, the examinee touches the chest with the chin; ② extension, that is, the examinee raises the head as much as possible; ③ left and right flexion, that is, the examinee touches the right shoulder with the right ear and the left shoulder with the left ear; ④ left and right rotation, that is, the examinee touches the left and right shoulders with the chin respectively, but cannot raise the shoulder to touch the chin. If there is no way to complete the above movements, or the degree of completion becomes smaller, it means that the cervical spine mobility is limited, and there may be problems with the cervical spine.

The "three senses" are one's own senses.

According to the typical clinical symptoms of cervical spondylosis, they can be summarized as: stiffness, numbness, dizziness, panic, and softness. These five symptoms are for different types of cervical spondylosis.

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To prevent cervical spondylosis, you can start from the following 4 aspects.

1. Develop a good sleeping posture

Choose a slightly harder mattress and a pillow of moderate height. Try to avoid sleeping on your stomach. Lying on your side with your body bent like a "bow" when sleeping helps the spine to naturally form an arch, putting you in a comfortable position and allowing your muscles to relax easily.

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2. Maintain a correct sitting posture

Keep an upright posture when sitting, and look straight at the screen when using computers, mobile phones and other electronic devices. It is best to use a large screen and avoid lowering your head for long periods of time to avoid cervical spine injuries.

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3. Combine work and rest

Combine work and rest for the cervical spine to prevent chronic strain of the cervical spine. It is recommended to get up and relax after working or studying for 1 hour, turn the neck left and right several times, nod forward and backward, with a large range of motion and gentle rotation, and feel soreness. Doing the "M"-shaped exercise for the neck and shoulders is both simple and practical. You can sit upright, relax your whole body, and do several movements of the neck in sequence: flexion forward - backward - left flexion - right flexion - left rotation - right rotation. Hold each movement for 3 to 5 seconds at the maximum range, then return to the preparatory position, and repeat 6 to 8 times.

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4. Keep warm

To prevent cervical spondylosis, you must strictly prevent cold wind and dampness, keep your neck warm, keep the room temperature appropriate when sleeping, and keep your head and neck dry. Studies have shown that low temperatures in the working environment can also cause cervical pain and induce cervical spondylosis. If the office temperature is higher and the computer screen is placed directly in front of you, the degree of cervical pain will be lower.

In daily life, we should not only "keep our heads down" and work hard, but also "raise our heads" and pay attention to the health of our cervical spine. Through simple self-examination and effective daily preventive measures, we can completely keep cervical spondylosis at bay. The cervical spine is not a "fragile product", but a "treasure" that each of us needs to take good care of. From now on, please be a guardian of the "cervical" world, so that you can enjoy the infinite happiness brought by health!

References

[1]BRINJIKJI W, LUETMER PH, COMSTOCK B, et al. Systematic literature review of imaging features of spinal degeneration in asymptomatic populations[J]. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol, 2015, 36(4): 811-816.

[2] Li Huanan. Three steps to quickly self-test whether the cervical spine is healthy [J]. Kaijuanyi (Seeking Medical Advice), 2021, 377 (4) 28-29.

[3] SUN YY, QING LJ, CHEN W, et al. Risk factors of non-specific neck pain and low back pain in computer-using office workers in China: a cross-sectional study[J]. BMJ Open, 2017, 7(4):e014914.