The spine is composed of 33 bones.
These bones are called vertebrae and are divided into five sections: the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine sections, and the sacrum and coccyx bones.
These structures are all connected to each other by ligaments, tendons, and muscles to create this amazing, upright and movable structure that provides your nervous system with protection and also allows this superhighway of nerves to communicate with the rest of your body.
As a chiropractor, my job is to ensure that your spine is moving and functioning at its best so that you can enjoy the best spine-related quality of life possible.
Maintaining optimal spinal motion is like brushing your teeth to ensure they don’t decay or servicing your car, so the motor doesn’t break.
Industrial society is as hard on our spines as it is on our teeth. Human spines are exposed to an enormous amount of trauma in industrial society. We now sit for an average of 32 years of our lives1. Further, most of us don’t move enough!
In fact, sitting too much and not moving enough causes segmental scar tissue adhesions, inflammation, and bone density loss in the spine. Not good! This loss of function doesn’t just cause degeneration in the spine, it also leads to a loss of function, increased symptoms, and decreased quality of life1.
A study in the Journal of Clinical Biomechanics found that after just 2 weeks of non-traumatic loss of motion in a joint, the first signs of degeneration in the bone could be seen. These changes were irreversible. It was also found that once the motion was restored, and with the resumption of normal joint activity that there was no radiographic increase in the level of osteoarthritis2.
So, what can you do to ensure that you maintain good spinal motion?
1. MOVE. Get out of that chair! Walk, cycle, swim, garden, go to the gym. It doesn’t matter what type of movement, just pick something you enjoy, that way you’re much more likely to do it on a regular basis.
2. Do your Spinal Hygiene Exercises daily – this is like brushing your teeth for your spine. If you’d like a copy of these, chat with your Caring Hands Chiropractic chiropractor.
3. Get your spine regularly checked by a chiropractor3 – following a thorough examination they will be able to advise you if there are any issues in your spine that need addressing.
Personally, I do all of these things. I have been lucky enough to have my spine checked since I was a small child, and maintaining good spinal mobility has always been a part of my family’s health care.
It is vitally important as we only get one spine. There is no such thing as a spine replacement, so we really need to look after the one we have.
If you aren’t sure where to start, have a chat with your health practitioner or contact us for more information.
Are you as mobile as you think? Try out these self-check video tests to discover how “mobile” you are.
References:
[1] James Chestnut. Wellness and Prevention – Regular Chiropractic Care – Spinal Health Recovery and Maintenance
[2] T. Videman. Experimental Models of Osteoarthritis: The role of Immobilisation. Clinical Biomechanics, 2:223-229, 1987
[3] T. Videman. Experimental Models of Osteoarthritis: The role of Immobilisation. Clinical Biomechanics, 2:223-229, 1987
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