How To Avoid Pain In The Upper Cervicals
The upper part of the neck is where most of the rotation occurs. There’s no disc between the top two vertebra and this allows for much more rotation than other levels of the neck. The top vertebrae actually pivots around the second vertebra.
However, if we spend too much time in a rotated neck position, the joints between the C1 and C2 can become seized. This can cause inflammation and muscle spasm. For some people it can feel as though their neck is stuck. For others it will give them headaches.
The key is to avoid periods of prolonged rotation of the neck. Here’s some examples:
- Looking at a computer screen that is off to one side.
- Watching TV positioned in a place that causes neck rotation
- Talking to someone sitting to one side of you in a meeting, or in a bus, train or car.
- Sleeping on your stomach with your head to one side (so you can breathe!)
- Lying on your side in bed but rolling forward so much that the neck is forced into rotation
Sleeping position is the key
Sleeping positions are the biggest culprit, because sometimes we can spend a lot of time in these positions (and the pillow can end up pushing up against the side of the face, forcing us to one side). When we lie on our side and bend our top knee much more than the bottom one, it encourages us to roll forward into a bad position, so be aware of your leg positions in bed. Putting a pillow between the knees, or hugging a pillow, can help.
Sleeping positions are a habit, and habits can be changed, so just make sure that you are in a good position when going to sleep and change back to a good position if you wake up in a bad position. It might take 3-6 months to change your sleeping habits but then you can enjoy the rest of your life without neck pain!
Chiropractic adjustments can release the stuck joints but prevention is the key.
In this video I show you an exercise that can sometimes release the upper neck joints.