Health
Marisa HeinzeNovember 30, 2022
This is how the neck and back affect each other
Neck tension is one of the most common back complaints... Wait, the neck is part of the back? That's actually true, because our spine directly connects our neck and back. This is due to their structure:
The spine consists of 33 vertebrae and is divided into 5 sections, which are named from top to bottom:
- 7 cervical vertebrae
- 12 thoracic vertebrae
- 5 lumbar vertebrae
- 5 sacral vertebrae
- 4 coccyx vertebrae
The cervical and thoracic vertebrae are right next to each other. Therefore, our neck directly influences our back - and vice versa.
But what exactly does that mean when tension occurs? And what can you actively do to prevent your neck and your back from pain? Let's look at that now:
When the muscles tense
Muscular tension is the most common cause of neck and back problems. Tension can have multiple reasons:
Tension caused by stress
Stress causes your muscles to tense up and leads to further complaints. Because the entire musculoskeletal system becomes less flexible, the muscles have less blood flow and, from a complementary medicine perspective, even become overly acidic. High acidity in the body can set inflammatory processes in motion.
Exercise is the easiest way to de-stress and clear your mind. Cardiac muscle and lung performance become stronger, so that all organs and cells benefit from better blood circulation and oxygen supply. Stress hormones decrease, the immune system becomes stronger, muscles, bones and joints become more stable.
Tension due to lack of nutrients
The body needs nutrients such as carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur and about 20 other inorganic elements. The main components are supplied in carbohydrates, lipids and protein. Vitamins, minerals and water are also required.
All this and more must be included in the daily diet. With an unbalanced diet, important minerals may be missing. Make sure to eat your daily dose of fruits, veggies and complex carbohydrates to supply your body with all the necessary nutrients.
Like all other tissues in the body, joints and muscles also need nutrients in order to be able to regenerate. If vital substances and trace elements are missing, the muscles and joints lack what they need for protection and regeneration.
Tension caused by incorrect posture
Neck tension occurs most frequently because we use the muscles in this area incorrectly or too much. At the desk, we often look at the monitor with our necks bent downwards. At the same time, we raised our arms slightly to operate the keyboard instead of resting them at a 90-degree angle on the desk.
A relatively new phenomenon is the "mobile phone neck". Tension arises here because we bend our heads forward to look at the display, which puts extra pressure on your cervical spine and back. The muscles tense up and cause discomfort.
You can prevent back pain particularly well with dynamic sitting. Change your posture every 10 to 15 minutes - for example the height, the tilt of the pelvis or the position of the legs. After 40 minutes you should get up and ideally work standing for a quarter of an hour. Consequently, walk back and forth for a moment before sitting back down.
2 exercises against acute neck and back pain
Massages are a real blessing for tension or pain in the neck and back, but if this is not possible, you can use the following exercises to gently counteract them and mobilize your muscles.
Exercise 1: Shoulder circles in slow motion
It sounds simple, but it's not at all! If your head and neck start hurting again, slowly circling your shoulders in a large radius can loosen the hardening after just a few minutes. To do this, circle your shoulders backwards in slow motion and in a large radius. So, first pull them up to the ears and then slowly circle back and down. And start again. Practice this exercise for two to five minutes.
Exercise 2: Knee swing for the lumbar spine
Lie on your back, bend your legs. Your arms are next to your body. Gently move your knees back and forth in fluid motion.
Your checklist for everyday life:
- Sleep properly: Using the right pillow for neck pain can relieve our neck vertebrae and muscles. Two pillows are usually too high and one pillow is too flat. Choose a side sleeper pillow that suits your anatomy, or use a pillow whose height and degree of firmness can be changed by varying the filling. Such pillows are also suitable for stomach sleepers, as they can reduce the filling to a minimum.
- Exercise and build up muscles: Do 20 or so minutes of cardio after work, take the stairs more often or consciously move your shoulders every full hour - there are no limits to your creativity. In the EVO studios you can strengthen your back and shoulder muscles with explicit equipment to counteract tension and disbalances.
- Harmful substances: Harmful substances can accumulate in the joints and cause problems there. A holistic cleansing frees the body and also allows the muscles to breathe again.
Tension in the neck and back - get active!
All of these steps will help you to actively eliminate annoying neck tension. Exercise, massage, detox, and strength training are beneficial for your entire body and your immune system. Contact one of our club managers to get an appointment and discuss what exercises suit your body and your pain best.