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Anatomy 101 - The Cervical Spine: What You Need To Know | El Paso TX.


Neck pain is one of the most common sources of pain and chronic pain worldwide. According to the International Association for the Study of Pain, each year, around 30% to 50% of the general population experiences neck pain and approximately 15% will, at some point in their lives, have chronic neck pain. Women seem to experience it more often than men, and it is most prevalent at around middle age. Neck pain can be debilitating, impacting a person home life as well as their work performance. It can also trigger migraines and limit the range of motion. Understanding the cervical spine is integral in understanding how to manage pain in that area.

What is the Cervical Spine?

Seven vertebrae make up the cervical spine: C1 through C7. They protect the spinal cord and are part of the system that makes up the neck.

C1 is located at the base of the skull and C7 sits at the beginning of the thoracic spine. While C1 is the smallest vertebrae, each subsequent one is slightly larger as you move down the spine. This is necessary because the farther down the spine, the more weight it must bear.

The vertebrae C3 through C6 are called “typical vertebrae.” Like other vertebrae in the spine, they have a similar construction. The top vertebrae, C1 and C2, are “atypical vertebrae.” Their construction is somewhat different from typical vertebrae due to their specialized function and location.

The atlas, C1, is the only vertebrae that have more of a ring shape than a shape resembling a vertebra. It is what connects the skull to the spine and is responsible for about half of the head’s backward and forward range of motion.

The axis, C2, is the second vertebra and has a unique construction that connects it to C1 at the atlanto-axial joint. It is responsible for around half of the head’s rotation. The vertebra prominens, C7, is much larger than the vertebrae that sit above it and its shape is different to facilitate its connection to T1, at the beginning of the thoracic spine.

cervical spine and chiropractic care el paso, tx.

Neck Pain

The cervical spine has several critical functions. It houses the spinal cord and protects it, supports the head and facilitates its movement, and facilitates the flow of blood to the brain.

The human head is around 10 to 13 pounds and the cervical spine, along with an intricate network of muscles, tendons, and ligaments support it. This is what also allows flexibility to the head so that it can move up and down, backward and forwards, rotational, and side bending. This job alone puts a great deal of stress on the neck and can lead to neck pain. Common causes of neck pain include:
  • Whiplash (whipping the head forwards and then backward very suddenly)
  • Degenerative disc disease
  • Pinched Nerve
  • Age-related conditions
  • Spinal stenosis
  • Sleeping in certain positions
  • Neck strain
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Keeping the neck in one spot too long, such as looking down at a mobile device
  • Herniated disc
  • Neck injury
  • Fibromyalgia

Chiropractic Care for the Cervical Spine

A chiropractor will typically treat a patient with neck pain using cervical spinal manipulation, cervical spinal mobilization, or a combination of the two techniques. Cervical spinal manipulation is what most people think of regarding chiropractic treatment. It involves short, quick thrusts that focus on a single joint at a time, so that range of motion is returned to that area. Cervical spinal mobilization is a gentler, lower impact adjustment that does not use as much force but does move the joint to its correct position.

Other treatments the chiropractor may employ include the application of cold or heat, massage, and exercises to strengthen and stretch the neck. The doctor will carefully consider the patient, their lifestyle, habits, and current level of fitness then create a plan that is tailored specifically for them that will help them manage their pain and return flexibility and range of motion as quickly as possible.

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The information herein is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional, licensed physician, and is not medical advice. We encourage you to make your own health care decisions based on your research and partnership with a qualified health care professional. Our information scope is limited to chiropractic, musculoskeletal, physical medicines, wellness, sensitive health issues, functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions. We provide and present clinical collaboration with specialists from a wide array of disciplines. Each specialist is governed by their professional scope of practice and their jurisdiction of licensure. We use functional health & wellness protocols to treat and support care for the injuries or disorders of the musculoskeletal system. Our videos, posts, topics, subjects, and insights cover clinical matters, issues, and topics that relate to and support, directly or indirectly, our clinical scope of practice.* Our office has made a reasonable attempt to provide supportive citations and has identified the relevant research study or studies supporting our posts. We provide copies of supporting research studies available to regulatory boards and the public upon request. We understand that we cover matters that require an additional explanation of how it may assist in a particular care plan or treatment protocol; therefore, to further discuss the subject matter above, please feel free to contact us. Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, CCST, IFMCP*, CIFM*, ATN* email: coach@elpasofunctionalmedicine.com phone: 915-850-0900 Licensed in: Texas & New Mexico*