Here at Lexington Chiropractic, we know that the better you understand your body, the better you will be able to take care of it. In our previous brief anatomy lesson, The Amazing Spine, we mentioned that the spine is divided into the cervical spine, the thoracic spine and the lumbar spine. Let's get to know the cervical spine a little better.

To recap, the cervical spine, or neck, consists of the first seven vertebrae. Interestingly, a giraffe also has seven cervical vertebrae - they are just a lot bigger! From Greek mythology, C1 is also called atlas. After losing in battle, Atlas was condemned by Zeus to bear the weight of the heavens for eternity, just as C1 bears the weight of your head. C2 is also called axis, and is the first mobile vertebra.

The spinal nerves which exit between the cervical vertebrae send and receive messages to the arms, top of the chest and back and the back of the head. Damage to those nerves, either from trauma or from constricted openings between the vertebrae, can cause pain and dysfunction throughout the areas served by those nerves.

The spinal cord passes through the large opening in each vertebrae called the vertebral foramen (plural is foramina). Damage to the spinal cord in the neck can result in significant loss of function below the point of injury, or even death. The higher the injury is in the cord, the greater the potential loss.

The human body is a precision machine. If the spine is not aligned just as it should be, our body cannot operate the way it should. With gentle chiropractic manipulation and other state-of-the-art techniques employed by Dr. Gallentine, we can help your spine be happy again.

To find out how a healthier spine can improve your life, please contact us. We'd love to hear from you.

Remember, you don't have to live with the pain!