Welcome to the CoreWalking Podcast, with your hosts Jonathan FitzGordon and Alex Mabilon. Join them on a journey into the body and mind gaining insights for moving, healing and aging gracefully.

Today's Episode:

Episode 8: The Cervical Spine

The head is very heavy—anywhere from eight to ten pounds. If it sits in the correct position atop the cervical spine you are holding up the actual weight of the head when standing. The common wisdom holds that for every inch that your head moves forward of the spine it adds an extra ten pounds of weight for your neck to hold up.

PLAY

Listen to Episode 8: The Cervical Spine

Listen on Stitcher

Subscribe to the podcast on Itunes

In this Podcast...

We discuss:

• The direct relationship of the pelvis to the cervical portion of the spine

• The suboccipital muscles and the importance of their muscle tone in achieving good posture

• The design of the shoulder girdle versus conventional wisdom

• The freedom of rotation of the cervical spine and its dangers

• Core strength and how it can help avoid neck injuries

• Bulging and ruptured discs, stenosis and other ailments associated with poor cervical vertebral alignment

Time guides:

2:55

09:38

15:43

20:33

27:07

33:01

39:10

"I think our pelvises are misaligned. I always come back to the pelvis..."

"I was 35 when I got Rolfed, myofascial release, structural integration, one of the many things it can be called these days..."

"When the third person came in and said 'I'm getting less headaches', I really did not see it coming..."

"Take your shoulders back is the worst instruction in the history of the world!"

"You're talking about the cervical spine and how it's connected to your shoulder and it's connected to your sternum, and if you went to physical therapy, they would just treat the back of your neck..."

"If you have a balanced core, and you go to move your head, the ideal movement is coming from the belly, it's coming form the center."

"Spinal Stenosis is a narrowing of the spine."

Show Notes...

Blog Posts:

Forward Head Posture and the Cervical Spine

Cervical Spinal Stenosis

Core Tone and the Curve of the Neck

Neck Pain & Lower Back Pain: Peas In A Pod

Yoga Instructions: The Upper Back Doesn't Bend

What is Fascia? (and what is Rolfing?)

Images: