Most people think of the neck only as a way to look beautiful and elegant, but it is rarely associated with health. The “territory” of the neck includes the clavicle from the back of the head to the top of the shoulders. First of all, the neck is essential for blood supply to the brain. It is flanked by the carotid arteries, which together with the vertebral arteries are responsible for the brain’s blood supply. Among them, the carotid artery provides more than 80% of the blood supply to the brain, and we can touch its beating in the protruding part of the throat about 5 cm on both sides.
Second, the lymph in the neck is the body’s immune defense. There are dense lymph nodes and nerve trunks distributed in the neck. Viruses and bacteria are most likely to invade the respiratory tract and mouth, and when the infected lymphatic fluid flows back, the first stop is the neck, so the lymph nodes in the neck are also the body’s first line of defense. Again, the nerves in the neck regulate the whole body. The nerves from the brain all go down through the neck, which contains nerves that can be said to have their own functions: 8 pairs of spinal nerves dominate the body’s movement and sensation; 4 pairs of brain nerves regulate blood pressure, breathing and gastrointestinal motility; sympathetic nerves can make people’s heart beat faster, limb vasoconstriction, make people sweat, etc.; parasympathetic excitement can make people’s heart beat slower and weaker.
Consequences
Cervical spine injury, involving the whole body neck is so important, but very “delicate”, is the “hardest hit” by various diseases, the first to bear the brunt of the cervical spine. The cervical spine is composed of seven bones, and shoulders constitute a heavy cross, supporting the weight of the head. Injuries to the cervical spine can trigger a series of “chain reactions” that affect the health of the whole body. Takayoshi Matsui points out that 70% of headaches related to the neck are called cervicogenic headaches, which manifest as unilateral or bilateral occipital and postauricular dullness or soreness, and can be accompanied by nausea and vomiting, tinnitus, eye swelling, and changes in the sense of smell and taste, and can easily be overlooked or misdiagnosed.
First, cervical spondylosis causes inadequate blood supply to the vertebral artery, which can lead to cervical vertigo, especially after neck activities.
Second, cervical spine osteophytes, misalignment instability and disc herniation can lead to cervicothoracic syndrome, causing paroxysmal chest tightness, pain in the precordial region and a feeling of suffocation.
Third, cervical spondylosis can cause dysphagia. This is because the upper esophagus and the sixth cervical vertebra are adjacent to each other, and the hyperplasia of the latter will compress the esophagus. If the cervical spine hyperplasia compresses the cervical sympathetic nerve, it can also cause the gastrointestinal tract to slow down peristalsis and induce constipation and abdominal distension. In addition, the neck is also the “signal light” of other diseases, the American Sleep Association study found that people with thick necks are prone to sleep apnea and so on. In addition, scholars also pointed out that the thicker the neck, the higher the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
Alerts
In a sense, the neck is as important as breathing. But in life, people often regret only after the problem.
A survey shows that 70% of white-collar workers suffer from varying degrees of “office disease”, of which cervical spondylosis is increasing year by year. Dong Jiyuan reminded, this is mostly related to bad habits. For example, long-term ambulation or work on the computer, the neck to maintain the same posture, the cervical spine is easy to misalignment, disc protrusion. Modern people and busy and minor illnesses do not “fire”, the intervertebral disc long-term serious extrusion of blood vessels and nerves, may lead to sudden stroke, myocardial infarction, etc.. Women wear clothes that expose their shoulders for beauty, neglecting to keep their necks warm, or staying in air-conditioned rooms for a long time can also harm the cervical spine.
To determine whether you have cervical spondylosis or not, you may want to do a simple self-test question: 1.
1, the occurrence of radiating pain like electric shock in a part of the limb is a typical manifestation of cervical spondylosis of the nerve root type. If it is accompanied by dizziness, nausea and rotation of vision, it is often accompanied by vertebral artery type cervical spondylosis.
2.Numbness of the fingers, especially both sides, may be cervical spondylosis, resulting in compression of important structures of the spinal cord.
3, finger flexion and extension experiment: hand clenched fist, then fully extended, 10 seconds to do more than 20 times to be considered normal.
4, trying to walk on a line with both feet, cervical spondylosis patients are unable to walk in a straight line.
Conservation
Head up and chest up, do not turn back
To ensure that the neck this “lifeline” unhindered, we must start from the details of life.
First, when standing or walking with your head up and chest up, eyes flat in front, avoid bowing your head; wear a good neck pillow when sitting for a long time.
Second, the need for long-term low workers, the habit of raising the head back every 15 minutes, appropriate chest expansion, shrugging shoulders, etc.. You can also moderately press the Fengchi point (the outer side of the two thicker muscles of the back of the neck) and the Tianzhu point (about a finger to the left of the Fengchi point).
Third, prevent trauma. Do not turn your neck too sharply and violently; drive or ride in a car with a good seat belt to prevent dislocation injury to the neck due to inertia when braking sharply or bumping; do not use your neck to hold the phone.
Usually you can also do neck exercises: 1.
1, support the head: lean forward, put your elbows on the table, hold your forehead with the palm of your hand, and keep it for 3-5 minutes.
2.Lifting exercise: put your hands on the edge of the chair, support your body and lift your legs upwards, hold for 5 seconds.
3.Contracting shoulders: Sit up straight, straighten your spine, put your hands on your legs, while leaning your shoulders back, hold for 15 seconds.
4.”Turtle probe”: imitate a turtle probe forward and keep your chin level.
5.Rotate your neck: Every hour, lower your head so that your chin is as close to your chest as possible, and then slowly rotate your neck.