The Neck - Osteopathy Information Resource - Melbourne Osteopathy Group

GENERAL INFORMATION, CONDITIONS, INJURIES, AND SELF MANAGEMENT OF THE
THE NECK

Conditions & Injuries

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Stretches and Strengthening

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General Information

The human head weighs anywhere between 4-6kg in adults and comprises of abut 8% of our body mass. The neck, shoulders and upper back act as prime movers for the head and its special sensory system so that we can,for example, listen and look.Its a very important transitional point in the body and often susceptible to injury.

Here are some other interesting facts about the neck:

There are 37 separate joints functioning in many different ways to support movement of the whole body and all special senses of the head.
The neck is designed to be able to move in a wide range of directions.
The head moves on average 600 times per hour whether sleep or away (no other part of the musculoskeletal system moves at this rate).
The vertebrae of the neck are much smaller than the rest of the body and much more complicated.
The discs of the neck are grossly different from a physiological, biomechanical, anatomical, biochemically and embryological perspective.
After the age of 45, there is little or no nucleus pulposis (which is a gel like fluid within the disc).
Neck discs are ligamentous and dry, with little proteoglycan present.
Myelopathy (spinal cord compression) is much more common than Radiculopathy (nerve cpompression) in the neck.
It is one of the most vulnerable structures in the body unlike the well protected skull and chest cage.
The position of the neck provides clues on mood and attitude.
In one study, over 10% of the population recalled having at least 3 episodes of neck pain in the last year.