Restoration of the cervical spine

Kinesiology techniques to help with cervical disc protrusions, repair cervical vertebral misalignment, correct cervical lordosis scoliosis and eliminate headaches due to cervical spine curvature.

How kinesiology techniques can help restore function to the cervical spine.¶

General Kinesiology approaches to cervical spine rehabilitation¶

Kinesiology combines manual, movement and energy techniques to restore health. It is applied in a variety of ways, often in conjunction with nutritional, lifestyle and psycho-emotional adjustments.

Therefore, when setting the task of restoring health from the point of view of kinesiology, we will not consider a person as a set of unrelated body parts and organs, but will perceive him/her as an integral and interdependent biological system.

If a person has problems with the cervical spine (for example, MRI examination revealed a protrusion between the C3-C4 vertebrae or a Schmorl's hernia), it does not mean that yesterday he hit his neck on some object and it happened.

Influence of muscle hypertonus on cervical spine curvature¶

From a kinesiological perspective, problems in the cervical spine (protrusions, Schmorl's herniations, muscle hypertonus) are rarely the result of a single injury. More often, it is the result of a long-term disorder in the body related to a muscular or fascial disorder,

For example:: It may be weakness or hypertonicity of the deep muscles of the neck, but because of the difference in tone in these muscles, there is a disturbance in the stability of the vertebrae.

In the neck region of a person has 4 layers of muscles such as ladder muscles, long head muscle and other symmetrical muscles that are supposed to keep a person's head in balance, i.e. their strength and tension on the left and right side should be equal

Imagine that over the course of days, weeks, months..... let's say that on the right side the ladder muscles of the neck are in constant hypertonus. Such situations very often lead to displacement of the cervical vertebrae in the direction of greater tension. It is this fact can be the cause of the formation of protrusions of intervertebral discs of the cervical spine, and in the long term - and the formation of intervertebral hernias in the cervical spine.

The cause of hypertonus can be the usual chronic stress at work or a long static position with a curvature of the neck - look at how to work, for example, beauticians or dentists: they usually work in one position and on one side.

The cervical spine can also be affected by overloading the trapezius and sternoclavicular muscles due to poor posture (e.g. ‘text neck’ with prolonged use of gadgets).

Anatomical Reference

Trapezius muscle:: Upper part: begins at the occipital bone and cervical vertebrae, attaches to the clavicle and scapula.

Function: : Lifts the shoulder girdle and is involved in turning and tilting the head. In poor posture (slouching, ‘text neck’) - chronically overstretches, causing neck and head pain.

Sternoclavicular Sucker Muscle (SCSM). Location: runs from the sternum and clavicle to the mastoid process behind the ear.

Function : Turns and tilts the head and is involved in breathing. In disorders: Unilateral hypertonicity (e.g., sleeping on one side) causes the neck to curve in the direction of tension. Bilateral spasm causes the head to ‘push’ forward.

Lower body dysfunction (e.g. weak gluteal muscles or flat feet) can cause a shift in the centre of gravity, an increase in lumbar lordosis and consequent overloading of the neck and an increase in cervical lordosis.

If you look carefully at the posture of a person, you will see that the spine has two lordosis (lordosis is a small natural curvature of the spine, which creates a certain shock-absorbing function when walking, i.e. such a soft spring, which softens the force of impact from the foot when walking to the brain) and kyphosis is a reverse curvature of the spine in the area of the shoulder blades, which also performs the same shock-absorbing function.

When these sections are excessively straightened or, on the contrary, excessively flexed, the vertebrae become in an unnatural position and various spinal problems occur, which are referred to in medical language by various terms: spondylolisthesis, scoliosis, spondylosis, osteochondrosis, protrusions, herniated discs, Scheiermann-Mau disease, ankylosing spondylitis (Bekhterev's disease), spinal canal stenosis, spinal segment instability, facet syndrome and even vertebral compression fractures.

Each of these conditions can develop due to chronic biomechanics, muscle imbalances, or progressive tissue damage associated with improper load distribution on the spine.

Emotional and psychological factors affecting posture and cervical curvature¶

In addition to occupational characteristics, very often the cause can be an emotional component and chronic stress, which causes spasm of the suboccipital muscles (in kinesiology this phenomenon is classified as ‘anger stuck in the neck’). And also various psychosomatic manifestations: conflicts, stubbornness, fear of expressing oneself - cause blockage of the cervical muscles.

Metabolic factors affecting the disruption of nutrition of tissues and joints of the cervical spine¶

The muscles and tissues of the human body receive approximately the same nutrition, there may be slight differences related to the activity of one or another muscle group. But in general, tissue nutrition provides a general background, so if there is a deficiency of magnesium in the body, it may be the cause of cramps of the neck muscles and, accordingly, the formation of compensatory displacements of the cervical vertebrae and impaired blood circulation.

Dehydration of the whole organism causes a decrease in the elasticity of intervertebral discs and is also the cause of the formation of protrusions and intervertebral hernias in the cervical region.

Kinesiological approach to cervical spine rehabilitation¶

Comprehensive approach to cervical spine rehabilitation¶

Specialists of our centre perform kinesiological muscle testing to identify the primary weakness (for example, of the deep flexors of the neck) and then make a special programme with the use of correction methods through postisometric relaxation, complexes of special practices on special equipment, which allows to clearly monitor the dynamics of changes and promptly make changes in the programme of classes and exercises for the sense of body position in space, its movement and balance, which help us to move smoothly and coherently.

For example, such exercises as:

Standing on one leg

Heel to toe rolls

Balance on a cushion/swaying platform.

improve balance, reduce the risk of injury and help with spinal problems (e.g. neck protrusions) as well as dizziness and neck instability.

Main causes of protrusions and herniations in the cervical spine¶

To summarise the possible causes of various cervical herniations and protrusions, we can say that from the point of view of our centre's specialists, protrusions and various herniations in the cervical spine are the end of a long chain of imbalances in which the causes are:

mechanical problems with posture and musculotendinous chains;
various internal organ problems and reflex spasms of all kinds;
emotional factors and stresses leading to chronic cervical strain;
various metabolic factors associated with micro and macronutrient deficiencies and dehydration of the body.

In our centre we obtain positive results through a combined approach using various manual techniques, directed physical activity, therapeutic exercise with dosed loads, lifestyle correction and work with psychosomatics.

Why are classes on special simulators with our specialists effective for cervical spine problems?¶

Kinesiology considers the body as a unified system, where dysfunction in one department inevitably affects the others. Therefore, when working with the cervical spine, we affect not only the neck itself, but also the underlying causes of the problem.

How do specialised exercise machines help to eliminate protrusions and herniated discs of the cervical spine?¶

It is practically impossible to decompress the spine at home, but the modern exercise equipment at our centre (e.g. kinesiotrainers with unloading system) gently stretch the spine, relieving pressure from the intervertebral discs. This creates conditions for their natural recovery - disc nutrition improves, inflammation decreases, protrusions and herniated discs stop progressing.

Restoration of muscle balance requires constant monitoring by a specialist to qualitatively determine the muscle group and the degree of their imbalance, and this is any imbalance of the neck muscles (for example, hypertonicity of one side and weakness of the other), which is often the cause of vertebral displacement and uncontrolled exercise can exacerbate such imbalance. Exercise machines specifically strengthen weakened muscles (e.g.: deep neck flexors) and relax overstretched muscles (e.g.: trapezius, ladder muscles), returning the vertebrae to their correct position.

Improved body sensation (proprioception) eliminates neck instability, a fact that is associated with impaired neuromuscular control of the neck muscles by the nervous system. Biofeedback simulators (e.g. platform stabilisers) teach the brain to re-sense the position of the head, which reduces the risk of repetitive misalignment.

Why do intervertebral discs recover with special programmes?¶

One of the factors of physical therapy and kinesiotherapy, when performing special exercises, is stimulation of diffuse nutrition of intervertebral discs. Discs don't have their own blood vessels - they receive nourishment from the muscles and tissues that sit next to them through movement.

Imagine a dishwashing sponge, if you put a wet sponge on top of a dry one, they will both become wet after a while. That's the same with the intervertebral discs. When making muscle contractions, the periorbital muscles receive an active blood supply, and this is the life-giving moisture that the intervertebral discs need.

Dosed loads on exercise machines activate the metabolism in the discs, triggering their regeneration.

Another important factor in the recovery of cervical intervertebral discs is to reduce the load on the damaged segments. Our specialists design a training programme in such a way that in case of herniated discs it is important not to load the diseased segment, but to strengthen the neighbouring ones. Special simulators redistribute the load, giving the damaged discs time to recover.

How is the spine aligned with regular exercise?¶

If we look at the human body from an engineering perspective, we can see that all bones are connected by ligaments, and muscles crossing the joints allow us to bend them by muscle contraction. For example, if you pull your arm strongly behind your back, there is tension in the pectoral muscles, and when you tilt your head deeply forwards, there is a feeling of tension across the back.

In medical practice, these interconnections are called musculofascial chains. This means that all muscles are connected to each other through fascia and bony structures. This principle is actively used in the correction of musculoskeletal disorders in kinesiotherapy.

Correction of posture through muscular-fascial chains helps to eliminate neck problems, often associated with imbalances of the whole body (weakness of gluteal muscles, flat feet). Exercise equipment affects the entire kinetic chain - from the head to the feet - eliminating the root cause of the curvature.

For effective correction it is extremely important to form a new motor stereotype. That is, habitual incorrect movements (for example, slouching while working at the computer) fix the vertebral misalignment. Special simulators help to retrain the muscles to work correctly, fixing the physiological position of the spine.

Why does it take at least 3 months to recover the cervical region?¶

The kinesiological approach to treating protrusions, herniated discs and other cervical problems requires systematic work. Short-term methods (e.g. massage or single chiropractic sessions) provide temporary relief but do not address the underlying causes. A minimum of 3 months of regular exercise is required for lasting results. This is due to three key factors:

The physiology of tissue regeneration determines the timing of cervical spine recovery¶

Intervertebral discs do not have their own blood supply - they receive nutrition through diffusion during movement, as we have noted earlier.

Modern medicine has numerous studies on the regeneration of intervertebral disc tissue. In particular, in the work of Adams and Rafley (2006) it was convincingly proved that soft tissues of intervertebral discs are regenerated within 90-120 days if the factors causing their destruction are eliminated. At the same time, acceleration of regeneration processes is possible only with systematic and prolonged exercise, for example, with kinesiotherapy.

According to a study published in the Spine Journal (2021), it takes 3 to 6 months for cartilage tissue to partially regenerate in protrusions.

Why muscle and ligament adaptability should be considered when designing cervical spine rehabilitation programmes¶

The second factor that determines the structure of exercise programmes is the ability of muscles and ligaments to adapt to new conditions. If a person has had a stable tone in certain muscles for many years, this state has become the norm for the brain. Therefore, any deviations from this ‘habitual’ norm the brain will try to compensate for by returning the organism to its original, albeit incorrect, state.

Hypertonic muscles (such as stair muscles) require 8-12 weeks to fully relax and regain elasticity.

Weakened deep neck flexors are strengthened exclusively with dosed loads for 3 months.

For example, in our patient with C4-C5 protrusion, daily 15-minute decompression and stabilisation exercises resulted in pain relief after 4-6 weeks, but stable structural improvements on MRI were only evident by 12-16 weeks.

Consolidation of sustainable effects in cervical spine rehabilitation¶

The third factor determining the structure of exercise programmes is neuroplasticity - the ability to consolidate new movement patterns (including correct neck position).

The nervous system needs time to ‘overwrite’ incorrect motor patterns (e.g., habitual stooping):

6-8 weeks is the minimum time for new neural connections to form (according to Nature Neuroscience, 2020);
2-3 months - the period during which the brain begins to automatically utilise correct posture (according to our clinical observations, this manifests itself in the ability to hold the head without excessive tension of the trapezius muscles).

How cervical spine rehabilitation programmes work at our Centre¶

First month: the patient learns to consciously control the position of the neck.

Second month: correct movements begin to automate.

Third month: the new pattern becomes habitual and the ‘return’ to the old posture disappears.

How to address compensatory changes throughout the body to prevent recurrences in the cervical spine¶

The neck is part of the body's unified biomechanical system.

For example:

Flat feet cause pelvic misalignment

Pelvic misalignment leads to compensatory scoliosis of the spine.

This results in overloading of the cervical spine.

Another example:

Weak gluteal muscles increase lumbar lordosis.

This shifts the centre of gravity.

The trapezius muscles become hypertonic, which directly affects the cervical spine.

As a rule, in such cases, they try to influence locally - apply ointments to the neck, although the cause of the problem may be in a completely different place.

It takes 2-3 months to stabilise and correct the pelvis. During this period:

The imbalance in the lower parts of the body is eliminated
The position of the feet is corrected
Alignment of the pelvis

Why is it important?¶

Because all body systems are interconnected, the cervical vertebrae are directly affected by the position of the pelvis. Compare:

Size of the pelvic bones
Size of the cervical vertebrae

Important!

If you correct only the small cervical vertebrae, the massive pelvic bones will inevitably bring everything back to its original position. The pelvis is the foundation of the spine, including the cervical spine, and the legs are the supports of this foundation.

Therefore, the first priority is to:¶

correct the position of the pelvis
Then allocate an additional 1-2 months for the cervical spine to adapt to the new conditions.

Important!

Premature cessation of exercise will lead to a return to habitual (but pathological) motor stereotypes and a recurrence of the problem.

What are the features of the cervical rehabilitation programmes at our centre?¶

To summarise very briefly the minimum tasks we address at different stages of cervical spine rehabilitation, in the first month we focus on reducing swelling and pain and teaching basic exercises. This results in a 50-70% reduction in pain and an overall improvement in mobility of the cervical spine.

From the second month we work on correcting muscle imbalances and posture. As a result, by the second or third month the patient's dizziness usually disappears and the position of the head is levelled.

The third and fourth months are aimed at consolidating the results and stability training. As a rule, already in the 3rd month, the recovery of the cervical discs on MRI is noticeable and, as a consequence, no recurrences.

Why can't I take a shorter time frame when doing cervical spine recovery exercises?¶

If you exercise for only 2 weeks - it gives only temporary relief (muscle relaxation, but does not affect the elasticity of the intervertebral discs).

If you exercise for 1 month - it partially improves blood flow, but does not change your posture.

If you exercise for 3-4 months - the minimum period for tissue and nervous system reorganisation with guaranteed positive changes in correcting posture and cervical spine condition.

3 months is not marketing.

This is a physiologically reasonable period for cervical recovery. Shorter programmes simply do not have the time to treat the cause of the problem.

What should I do after 3 months of cervical spine recovery?¶

To maintain results, we recommend:

1-2 times a week - preventive exercise on exercise machines.
Daily - 5-minute neck exercises (we will teach you how to take care of your neck and avoid repeating the unfortunate experience).
Every six months - a check-up with a kinesiologist.

This will ensure that your neck stays healthy for years to come!

Make the right decision!

If you are suffering from neck pain, dizziness or if you have been diagnosed with cervical protrusions/ hernias - do not postpone solving the problem!

Our centre uses a unique kinesiological approach that addresses not only the symptoms, but also the root causes of disorders.

Our specialists will use accurate diagnostics to identify muscle imbalances, posture problems and draw up an individual recovery programme using special exercise equipment.

After 3-4 months of regular exercise you will be able to: get rid of pain, improve neck mobility, correct posture and prevent relapses.

Remember: the neck is just the tip of the iceberg, and often the root of the problem lies in the imbalance of the whole body. Trust your spinal health to the professionals - book a consultation today!

Why choose our centre:¶

Comprehensive approach (muscle-joint-psychosomatic)
Specialised equipment for safe decompression
Programmes based on scientific data on tissue regeneration
Visible results on MRI after 3 months
Guaranteed recurrence-free treatment if recommendations are followed

Don't wait for the problem to get worse - start your journey to a healthy neck now!