What is reverse cervical lordosis? 5 Easy Exercises to fix it and other tips

• Loss of cervical lordosis is a condition where the natural curve of the neck is reduced or flattened.
• It can be caused by poor posture, injury, degenerative disc disease, and more.
• Symptoms may include neck pain, stiffness, headaches, and numbness or tingling in the arms and hands.
• Treatment options include physical therapy, pain medication, and surgery in severe cases.
• Preventative measures such as maintaining good posture and practising neck-strengthening exercises can also help reduce the risk of developing this condition.

What does reverse cervical lordosis mean?

Normally, our cervical spine is not aligned straight there’s a curvature in the spine called cervical lordosis¹ which is higher in males than females in normal individuals³. This is important to support your head and spine. When this curve is too straight or even reversed, it can lead to pain and discomfort. This abnormal straightening of the curve is referred to as loss of cervical lordosis or reverse cervical lordosis.

For physiotherapists one of the most important functions of the cervical curve is a shock absorber when walking and running, however, it is not limited to this, it also increases the efficacy of mastication, breathing, vocalization, eye movement, and gaze³.

Majority of the neck pain is frequently associated with loss of cervical lordosis, in fact, according to a Chinese study 70 to 75% of young neck pain sufferers were diagnosed with reverse cervical lordosis. The study also reveals that with increasing loss of curve the associated cervical disc herniation also increases and by recovering the cervical spine curve the disc bulge also recovers².

Fortunately, there are several exercises and lifestyle changes you can make to improve your cervical lordosis and strengthen your neck muscles. In this article, we will learn 5 easy exercises to fix reverse cervical lordosis.

How do you fix a reversal of cervical lordosis?

In addition to the exercises which we are going to discuss, here are a few points to take note of.

1. The first point I would like to suggest is to take note of your posture and try to avoid slouching or hunching over when sitting or standing.
2. Try to follow desktop ergonomics when working on the computer, sit up straight with your shoulders back and your chin parallel to the ground.
3. Also, follow the proper way to sleep with loss of cervical lordosis.
4. Finally, be mindful of your posture throughout the day. Try to take frequent breaks from sitting or standing to stretch and move around.

The exercises we are going to learn are aimed at increasing the flexibility of the cervical spine and strengthening the muscles around the neck to hold the correct position.

#1 Neck stretching exercise for loss of cervical lordosis treatment

Whenever we have a loss of cervical lordosis, the muscles around our neck get tight, and stiffness occurs. This can cause discomfort and even pain. So we need to relax those muscles, and stretching exercises can be very beneficial in this regard.

One simple stretching exercise that can help is to stretch the left side neck muscles.

1. To do this, place your right hand just above your left ear, over the temple area.
2. Now, using your right hand, gently pull your head towards the right side direction. You should feel a comfortable stretch in your left neck muscles.
3. Hold this position for at least 30 seconds to a minute. You may feel a gentle stretching sensation, but it should never be painful. If you feel any discomfort, ease off the stretch slightly until you feel comfortable again.
4. Once you’ve held the stretch for the recommended time, release it and let your head relax.
5. Then, in the same way, you will use your left hand to stretch the muscles of the right side. Place your left hand in the temple area and gently pull your head towards the left side, until you feel a comfortable stretching sensation in your right neck muscles.
6. Again, hold this position for at least thirty seconds to one minute.
7. After the recommended time, release the stretch and let your head relax.

#2 Neck side bending for reverse of cervical lordosis

As we discussed earlier, neck mobility exercises are crucial in reversing cervical lordosis. Our next neck mobility exercise is the neck side bending exercise. This exercise is quite simple and easy to perform, but it can help you significantly improve your neck mobility and flexibility.

1. To perform this exercise correctly, you should start by sitting or standing straight with your head in a neutral position.
2. Then, slowly bend your neck to the left side, as far as you can comfortably.
3. Hold this position for 2-3 seconds, then return your neck to the neutral position.
4. Next, bend your neck to the opposite side, i.e., to the right side, and hold it for 2-3 seconds.
5. Bring your neck back to the neutral position, and repeat the process at least 10 times on each side. This means that you will be performing a total of 20 repetitions in each session.

#3 Neck rotation for loss of cervical lordosis treatment

The next exercise is neck rotation, which helps in improving the mobility of your neck.

1. To perform this exercise, you should start in a comfortable sitting or standing position, just like the previous exercise.
2. Once you’re in position, begin by rotating your neck to the right side as far as you can comfortably go.
3. Hold this position for a few seconds, then slowly bring your neck back to the centre position. From there, rotate your neck to the left side similarly, holding for a few seconds before returning to the centre.
4. Alternate between rotating your neck to the right and left sides, moving slowly and smoothly through each rotation.
5. It is recommended that you repeat this exercise a minimum of 10 to 15 times in a single session or until you feel comfortable and relaxed.

#4 Neck flexion-extension exercise to cure straightening of the cervical lordosis

The next exercise for loss of cervical lordosis is neck flexion and extension, which involves forward and backward bending movements of the neck.

1. To perform this exercise, start by standing or sitting in an upright position with your shoulders relaxed and your chin parallel to the floor.
2. Slowly bend your neck forward, bringing your chin towards your chest.
3. Hold this position for a few seconds, then slowly bring your head back up to the starting position.
4. Next, bend your neck backwards, looking up towards the ceiling while keeping your shoulders relaxed.
5. Hold this position for a few seconds, then return to the starting position.
6. Repeat this movement at least 15 to 20 times in a session. It’s important to perform this exercise slowly and gently.

#5 Chin tuck exercise to fix straightening of the cervical lordosis

The chin tuck exercise is a great way to help fix the straightening of the cervical lordosis.

1. To perform this exercise, start by tucking your chin towards your neck, as shown in the figure.
2. It’s important to note that you should not bend your neck forward but instead focus on tucking your chin to your neck.
3. To make it a little bit easier, you may keep a finger over your chin to give the direction of movement.
4. Hold this position for ten seconds, maintaining the tuck throughout the hold.
5. Then, release the tuck and relax your neck muscles.
6. You should perform this exercise at least 10 to 15 times in a session. You should notice a slight release of tightness or stiffness in the back muscles as you perform the exercise.

There’s a high chance that one may also develop shoulder pain along with this issue of straightening of the cervical spine. There are very effective exercises to manage shoulder pain, we recommend following these 9 Best Exercise for Shoulders to Fix stiff, painful shoulder.

#6 Towel roll exercise to restore cervical curve

Our last exercise for loss of cervical lordosis is the towel roll exercise. To perform this exercise, you will need a standard bath towel and a firm surface such as the floor or a firm bed. This simple yet effective method helps to enhance the curvature of your neck.

1. To start, lie flat on your back with your head and shoulders fully resting on the surface.
2. Place the towel roll directly in the curve of your neck. As you lay on the towel roll, you should feel slightly upward pressure on your neck. The roll is too thin if you don’t feel the upward pressure. We suggest starting with a towel roll that exerts a slight upward push on your neck without lifting your head or shoulders off the surface. If the roll is too thick and your head or shoulders aren’t in contact with the floor, unroll the towel slightly to decrease its size and try again.
3. You can initially maintain this position for up to 10 minutes and then gradually increase the duration to 15 minutes per session as you improve.

We recommend doing this exercise at least 3 times per week, but increasing the frequency to 5 to 6 times is beneficial as long as it doesn’t result in increased soreness.

Other home tips

How to sleep with loss of cervical lordosis

Now, the tips I’m going to give are essential, that is, in which position you should sleep while sleeping and how you should use the pillow. Before starting, let me tell you some essential things related to this: you should strictly avoid using a thick pillow. if you put on a thick pillow, then again, the problem of reversal of cervical lordosis will increase, and it will not be good for you.

Now, you can not sleep even without a pillow, so the easiest way is to take a towel. Take any simple towel and make it a roll. You can even use the bedsheet and make a roll, as shown in the figure. Now, use this instead of a pillow.

Let’s see how to do it. So you will put the roll in the bed and your neck like this—see the figure—under the neck, not under the head, under the neck in this way. You have to make adjustments a little bit. If it is getting too thick, then you will thin it a little. After that, you will keep it, and your head should touch the bed.

So, as you are comfortable, do as many rolls as you want to make. Due to this, your curve is getting support, see the curve is getting support and that curve is helping it to become more curve instead of flat. That’s why this position is beneficial to fix the loss of cervical lordosis.

If we use a thick pillow instead, observe that the curve does not get any support; instead, it becomes flattered. That is why I see people applying double pillows many times. If you have this habit, then you should avoid it and never practice it. 

Adopt good posture when using computing device

Using computing devices like mobile phones, tablets, laptops, and desktops in a flexed or even hyper flexed neck can result in loss of cervical lordosis. In a study conducted in Istanbul, Turkey, the researcher studied 156 neck pain sufferers and questioned their usage of these computing devices. The study linked the loss of neck curves with the use of computing devices, especially mobile telephones, in a neck-flexed posture⁴.

The study also stresses the ergonomic way of sitting on a desktop and using a mobile that prevents excessive neck bending⁴. So next time when working on a mobile or laptop, take note of your neck posture. There is a small wearable device called Strack which is developed in such a way that it will keep reminding and prompting you to straighten yourself when unknowingly you would stoop forward working on a desktop. You can learn more about Strack here.

Keep Reading: How to Cure Vertigo Permanently? These tips & exercises would help

Sunit. S. Ekka

Dr Sunit Sanjay Ekka is a physiotherapist in practice for the last 15 years. He has done his BPT from one of the premium Central Government physiotherapy colleges, ie, SVNIRTAR. The patient is his best teacher and whatever he gets to learn he loves to share it on his Youtube channel and blog.