The neck is made up of the following:
- 7 cervical vertebrae
- Intervertebral discs
- Spinal cord and nerves
- Ligaments
- Muscles
The term cervical spine refers to the cervical vertebrae, spinal cord, nerves and interveterbral discs. The cervical spine is surrounded by ligaments and muscles that help hold our head up and support our neck whenever we move.
*Click on the images below to view the muscles of the neck.
Muscles of the neck
Fun fact: the semispinalis and splenius muscles actually continue down the spine. Capitis/cervicis is just the section of the muscle that specifically acts on the neck. This is a great example of how the body is all connected and works together.
Major muscles of the neck, categorized by function:
- Flexion: sternocleidomastoid (SCM) and deep neck flexors.
- Extension: upper trapezius, splenius capitis and semispinalis capitis.
- Rotation: sternocleidomastoid.
- Sidebend: sternocleidomastoid.
The deep neck flexors are important in maintaining good posture. Just like the small/large muscle competitions in the shoulder, hip and abdominals, the deep neck flexors become overpowered by the SCM when your head is in a forward position. Poor posture also places a large amount of unnecessary forces on your cervical spine, so be nice to your neck and sit up tall!
Created by: Missy Albrecht DPT, CSCS, FMS
Reference: Dutton, Mark. Orthopaedic Examination, Evaluation, and Intervention. Second edition. The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc, 2008: 1293-1377.
