The pressure on the cervical spine caused by head down

  In November 2014, Hansraj, K. K., New York, USA, published an article in Surgicaltechnology international specifically addressing this issue. The purpose of this study was to assess the change in pressure on the cervical spine when the head is flexed forward.  The study showed that this weight increased as the head was flexed forward, with the weight on the neck being 27 pounds when the cervical spine was flexed to 15°, 40 pounds when it was flexed to 30°, 49 pounds when it was flexed to 45°, and 60 pounds when it was increased to 60°. 60 pounds (27.2 kg) is equivalent to the weight of four adult bowling balls and the weight of an 8-year-old child. weight. The study also informed spine surgeons of the need to reconstruct the physiological curvature of the cervical spine.  Results: It was found that the weight on the spine increased significantly when the head was flexed forward. With the eyes flat and the face held forward, the weight on the neck ranged from 10 to 12 pounds. This weight increased as the head was flexed forward, with the neck being subjected to 27 pounds when the cervical spine was flexed to 15°, to 40 pounds when flexed to 30°, to 49 pounds when flexed to 45°, and to 60 pounds when increased to 60°. The prediction of model flexion to 90° becomes unreliable.  Discussion: After the authors searched for articles published by the National Library of Medicine, they found no other studies assessing the effects of stress on the neck from forward head flexion.  We know that the muscles, tendons, and ligaments of the neck reduce the pressure on the cervical spine. In their study, we measured the forces exerted on the neck by measuring the forces exerted on the muscles, tendons, and ligaments of the neck.  Good posture is one in which the ears are in the same vertical line as the shoulders, with the chest up and the abdomen in. Amy Cuddy and colleagues reported that in a tense posture, testosterone and 5-hydroxytryptamine secretion will increase and cortisol levels will decrease. The opposite is true for a relaxed posture.  In the normal physiological curvature of the cervical spine, forward flexion will result in increased stresses received by the cervical spine. These stresses can lead to premature wear and tear of the cervical spine, herniated discs and degenerative changes that may eventually require surgical treatment.  People spend up to 2-4 hours a day with their heads in forward flexion due to reading, using cell phones, etc. Cumulatively, this adds up to an additional 700-1400 hours of stress to the cervical spine each year. In high school students, the phenomenon is even more serious, and the time spent in poor cervical posture may reach 5,000 hours per year.  However, it is almost impossible to avoid these problems caused by high technology, so each of us should take care to maintain a good natural cervical curvature and avoid excessive cervical flexion for too long.  Spine surgeons should be aware of the importance of physiological curvature when performing ACDF (anterior cervical approach discectomy + interbody fusion) or cervical artificial disc replacement. If the reconstruction is not done properly, it can lead to biomechanical instability as well as degeneration of the adjacent joints. Of course, this study did not include postoperative patients. However, his study demonstrates the importance of physiological curvature reconstruction.  Conclusion: The pressure on the cervical spine increases significantly as the angle of forward head flexion increases. Loss of physiological curvature of the cervical spine will also result in increased stresses on the cervical spine. These pressures, may lead to premature degeneration, cervical disc herniation, and premature degeneration, and these lesions will eventually require surgical treatment.  However, there is no way to avoid this problem brought on by technological advances, and everyone should learn to keep their head elevated while using a cell phone to reduce the amount of time the cervical spine is hyperflexed.  Spine surgeons should also be aware of the importance of restoring the physiological curvature of the cervical spine when performing spine surgery.