Headaches, dizziness, tinnitus – there are many complaints that can have all possible causes. But what is sometimes overlooked is the atlas vertebra, the top vertebra of the spine. He suffers particularly from poor posture, which people constantly assume when using the computer or mobile phone. Heike Höfler has been giving courses for the cervical and neck spine for years and teaches simple techniques that can also alleviate severe discomfort.
ntv.de: Many people may not have heard of the atlas vortex.
Heike Höfler: But that is changing. In recent years there has been a veritable run on atlas therapists who want to put the atlas in order. This includes, for example, osteopaths. I had written and taught other books on the cervical and cervical spine and jaw problems prior to my current Atlas book. I noticed that a lot of people have problems up in the neck, in the atlas area.
Neck problems are the affliction of computer workers. What is the role of the atlas vertebra?
Because it is the uppermost vertebra in the spine, it has a special position and is also particularly susceptible to disruption. This is not only due to the desk monitor work, but especially to the cell phones. Many use them not only professionally, but also use their smartphones or tablets in their free time. If you bend your head forward, many also pull it back. The head weighs about 6 kilograms. But if you bend it about 15 degrees, 12 kilograms already act on the cervical spine, at 60 degrees it is even 27 kilograms. The atlas is affected. The inventor of the Alexander technique, Frederick Matthias Alexander, said that everything starts with the head.
What does this wrong load cause?
The swivel gets put in an incorrect position, which wouldn’t be a problem if it’s only for a while. But if that is several hours every day, then it becomes problematic. Even when I’m sitting up straight, my head always goes in the direction you’re looking. But very few people sit upright and get into a slightly rounded posture with their shoulders forward. This means that you have to bend your head a little at the neck, and this puts the atlas in the wrong position. It no longer sits perpendicular to the cervical spine. However, the spine is designed in such a way that we hold ourselves upright so that vertebra after vertebra are on top of each other. They call it axial. If you constantly deviate from this, the muscles will contract differently. Some, like the anterior muscles of the neck, weaken, while others become tight and painful. This runs from the atlas down to the lumbar spine and even lower.
What troubles does this cause?
There are many nerves in the upper neck area, one even speaks of a nerve receptor field. It’s all located near the inner ear and of course the brain. Headaches and tinnitus can occur, but also problems with balance or concentration problems. Even eye problems or jaw pain can have their roots in the incorrectly positioned atlas. It should always be noted that this leads to muscular tension.
Should one also include the atlas vertebrae in these complaints?
With many complaints, you first think of another cause and go to an ear, nose and throat doctor, for example. But it could also be due to the wrong attitude, you have to come to that first. If you become aware of the attitude, you can also change a lot for the better. Muscles can be influenced well by exercises.
What do you need to do for that?
Above all, you should look at: How do I stand or sit? how do i hold my head Is it heavy on the spine or is it almost floating upright? In the courses I always use the image that one should imagine that a thread on the crown would pull the head up. Because then there is space in these small joints that lie between the cervical spine and the skull. This is good for people with these areas of pain. Or you stand in front of a wall with your heels and cross touching the wall. Then push your chin back so that the back of your head also touches the wall and push the back of your head up like a telescopic tube. Push your shoulders down rather than letting them fall forward.
What do people who take your courses learn?
The first thing you learn is this upright position of the head above the spine. Incidentally, this is also possible on the monitor. When it comes to smartphones, the following rule applies: it’s better to have your phone up than your head down. In everyday life, the bad posture of holding the chin too far forward or up is common. Also in the supine position. In addition, there are loosening and mobilizing movement exercises for the often rigid atlas vertebrae blocked by muscle tension. For example, imagine a brush on the tip of your nose and paint flat, lying figure eights with it. Many hear it crunching in the neck. Then we do stretching exercises for the tight and sometimes stiff muscles, as well as strengthening exercises. It is also important to learn to relax the area as well. Because only relaxed muscles allow free movement. You can use your breath to do this by stretching your head up, breathing in and trying to keep your head in this stretch as you breathe out. Or you can pull your chin towards your breastbone with your spine upright and let your breath flow naturally into the stretched neck area.
Is there an exercise that you can do over and over again?
Fortunately, you don’t need a lot of space for atlas exercises. I know, I’m repeating myself: pay attention to the position of your head. Or the exercise with the tip of the nose, which I have already described. You can also pull your chin in and then make a little nodding movement. These are exercises that you can do anywhere, even while sitting, and that do you good in between. Using the edges of your hands to massage the nape of your neck right at the hairline, starting from the hairline and then slowly down the nape of your neck, rubbing that area between the ears with the side of your little finger often helps. This relaxes and loosens the tight muscles. If you want, after releasing the muscles, you can still stretch these muscles and mobilize the atlas by sitting in a chair, leaning forward and resting your elbows on your knees. Then pull your chin to your breastbone and make a little no motion. These exercises help you to help yourself and are very effective if you do them regularly.
Solveig Bach spoke to Heike Höfler
(This article was first published on Sunday, January 22, 2023.)
