I had this question posed to me recently and it's not the first time I've been asked this question. If it sounds like your neck has been spending too much time at the beach then there's a good reason why…
You likely have "neck hypermobility".
This is clinically referred to as cervical hypermobility. And no this is not some sort of death sentence. Let me explain-
The cervical spine is comprised of the 7 vertebra that form your neck. Your skull sits on top of those 7 vertebra. These vertebra are each separate to allow your neck to move. Obviously if your neck were one bone as opposed to 7, neck movement would never occur.
Like virtually anything in life, your neck should have just the right amount of motion. Not too much. Not too little. A cervical hypermobility indicates that there is too much motion. The neck structure does not have the stability it should have and "joint noise " occurs. Imagine two gears that interlock together perfectly. Their contours match each other perfectly and when they move together, they move fluidly. As the saying suggests, they move "like a well-oiled machine".
Now imagine two gears that struggle to fit together neatly. There could be some clunking or grating or scraping that occurs. This is what we visualize happening with joint hypermobility.
But how does hypermobility occur?
1. There can be macrotrauma. The joint has a serious injury to it- like a car accident that causes whiplash and tears the ligaments around the joint.
2. There can be microtrauma. This is the more likely scenario. It is caused by the wear and tear of the joint over time.
Why should a joint wear away over time?
Because the mechanics within the joint are flawed. Why? Usually because of the position we put our joints in during the day aka" posture" or "ergonomics".
If you exaggerate a slouch when sitting and then reach behind your head- you should feel a wrinkle or crease in the middle of your neck. When we slouch like this, this area then becomes prone to increased movement and eventual breakdown from wear and tear. This creasing occurs in the area of the middle of our necks . it's the reason that mid-cervical hypermobility is the most common occurrence.
You likely have "neck hypermobility".
This is clinically referred to as cervical hypermobility. And no this is not some sort of death sentence. Let me explain-
The cervical spine is comprised of the 7 vertebra that form your neck. Your skull sits on top of those 7 vertebra. These vertebra are each separate to allow your neck to move. Obviously if your neck were one bone as opposed to 7, neck movement would never occur.
Like virtually anything in life, your neck should have just the right amount of motion. Not too much. Not too little. A cervical hypermobility indicates that there is too much motion. The neck structure does not have the stability it should have and "joint noise " occurs. Imagine two gears that interlock together perfectly. Their contours match each other perfectly and when they move together, they move fluidly. As the saying suggests, they move "like a well-oiled machine".
Now imagine two gears that struggle to fit together neatly. There could be some clunking or grating or scraping that occurs. This is what we visualize happening with joint hypermobility.
But how does hypermobility occur?
1. There can be macrotrauma. The joint has a serious injury to it- like a car accident that causes whiplash and tears the ligaments around the joint.
2. There can be microtrauma. This is the more likely scenario. It is caused by the wear and tear of the joint over time.
Why should a joint wear away over time?
Because the mechanics within the joint are flawed. Why? Usually because of the position we put our joints in during the day aka" posture" or "ergonomics".
If you exaggerate a slouch when sitting and then reach behind your head- you should feel a wrinkle or crease in the middle of your neck. When we slouch like this, this area then becomes prone to increased movement and eventual breakdown from wear and tear. This creasing occurs in the area of the middle of our necks . it's the reason that mid-cervical hypermobility is the most common occurrence.
So while there's much that can be done improve the health of our necks and reduce their noises, one very simple thing that can be done to reduce the strain and potential worsening of our neck hypermobility is merely to-
Improve your daily posture.
This will eliminate the crease and now your neck works much more efficiently again. It won't eliminate the hypermobility, but it will keep it from getting any worse.
Of course, visiting your local physical therapist to learn specific strengthening exercises will help stabilize the area, which isn't a bad idea either! This will improve the stability around the area. I've found that within 3-4 weeks of exercises, you will have a noticeable decrease in that annoying joint noise in your neck.
So if you want that sand out of your neck- improve your daily postures and… visit your physical therapist. Getting some tips on how to improve the health of your neck is the best way for you to avoid long-term problems down the road.
Improve your daily posture.
This will eliminate the crease and now your neck works much more efficiently again. It won't eliminate the hypermobility, but it will keep it from getting any worse.
Of course, visiting your local physical therapist to learn specific strengthening exercises will help stabilize the area, which isn't a bad idea either! This will improve the stability around the area. I've found that within 3-4 weeks of exercises, you will have a noticeable decrease in that annoying joint noise in your neck.
So if you want that sand out of your neck- improve your daily postures and… visit your physical therapist. Getting some tips on how to improve the health of your neck is the best way for you to avoid long-term problems down the road.
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