First, ask yourself the following questions to get an idea of your spinal health:
1) Do your heels wear out unevenly? This may indicate an uneven leg length, which will cause stress along the spine.
2) Do you “crack” your neck, back or other joints frequently? If so,
your spinal column may be out of alignment, forcing other joints to
compensate and pop frequently.
3) Do your feet flare when walking? If your
feet are not parallel (both facing forward) there may be a problem with
the lower spine or hips.
4) Do you feel stiffness in the back or neck? Subluxations may cause stress to muscles by forcing them to tense frequently.
5) Do you have bad posture? If you stand on two bathroom scales, you
can see if you carry your weight in an unbalanced way, forcing the
spine to curve to one side or the other. Slouching, too, can cause
vertebral damage over time or force a disk to bulge backward.
We might add to this list a general feeling of fatigue or uneasiness. Although fatigue can result from many things, it may indicate that the body is using some of its energy to correct an unbalanced spinal column. If the spine is aligned, then the body can direct its energy toward more productive tasks.
How, then, do we throw our spines off balance? The short answer is
we do it everyday, without thinking about it. Most spinal injuries are
the result not of a single accident, but of habitual misuse. Take
sitting, for example, an apparently innocent and harmless activity.
When standing, we put about 25 pounds of pressure on our backs.
Sitting, however, puts almost 250 pounds of pressure on the spine.
Imagine all the time you spend sitting at work, at home or in the car.
A good recommendation is to take stretch breaks to restore the natural
spinal curves and relieve muscle tension.
Another way we throw our backs off kilter is by twisting and turning
our backs in daily life. A repetitive twisting motion, such as reaching
for items around your desk, stresses and shears the facet joints on the
vertebrae.
Dr. Tuchinsky a Pembroke Pines Chiropractor is now taking on new patients.
Thank you for this helpful information on spinal health, back pain causes and symptoms. I hadn't thought of some of these. I did know of the abuse or overuse, bad posture, turning or lifting incorrectly or awkwardly, but hadn't thought of the others. Being a prior chronic back pain sufferer, any information is helpful to help people become more proactive in stretching, strengthening, and using their backs properly.
Thank you again. I've bookmarked your site and will spread the word. Very helpful information.
Posted by: Back Pain Cause | 10/30/2009 at 12:23 PM
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Posted by: Emerson | 04/16/2010 at 04:21 AM