Cervical spine and lumbar spine
The cervical spine (short: cervical spine) is significantly less frequently affected by a herniated disc than the lumbar spine (short: lumbar spine). The part of the spinal column between the cervical and lumbar spine – the thoracic spine (thoracic spine) – is affected by a factor of 10 less frequently by a herniated disc, resulting in a ratio of lumbar to cervical spine to thoracic spine of 100 to 10 to 1. A herniated disc in the lumbar spine is therefore a good hundred times more frequent than in the thoracic spine.
How does that happen? First of all, the weight on the lumbar spine is much higher than on the cervical spine. Accordingly, the vertebral bodies are also much more massively built.
However, a degenerated intervertebral disc body causes problems here much more quickly, since the weight of the entire upper body rests on it. The cervical spine has a much more filigree structure than the lumbar spine. Although it must also bear the relatively high weight of the head, it must on the other hand also remain flexible for the various head movements.
This “compromise solution” means that the cervical spine is also relatively often affected by herniated discs. To make matters worse, the cervical spine is particularly affected by incorrect movement patterns and incorrect loading. The neck muscles are also not as strongly developed as those of the rest of the back, which makes muscular relief more difficult.
The following exercise is therefore recommended for the cervical spine: Stand up straight and cross your arms behind your head. Now apply pressure to the crossed arms with the back of your head. After half a minute, take both hands and press them frontally against your forehead.
The head holds against it, so that a balance is achieved. The amount of pressure is variable. This exercise can easily be done at home and serves to strengthen the cervical spine. However, it is important that all exercises are performed continuously and correctly.
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