Healthy Muscles Equals a Healthy Spine
Do you remember the story about my back attack? One backbreaking movement -reaching for a glass of water or bending to pick up a coin or, in my case, grabbing my TV remote – isn’t actually the true culprit when it comes to pain, even though it may seem like it. That single occurrence is simply the straw that breaks the camel’s back!
Maintaining the Health of Your Muscles
The spine is surrounded by muscles. Those muscles offer support, ensuring the spine remain stable, as well as enabling it to move in different directions. So obviously it makes sense that for the purpose of maintaining a healthy spine, it’s fundamental that we do our best to maintain healthy muscle balance where the spine and its nerves can be protected from stress, and thus be able to move freely without any hindrances.
When our muscles stop working correctly, we are bound to face problems. This can occur for a variety of reasons, but in most cases, the cause is brought on by improper body alignment or improper body positions that are held over a long period of time. Our muscles can weaken because of this prolonged stretch, which then forces other muscles to take over.
For the majority of us, muscle imbalance takes place because of cumulative effect of bad posture and poor body awareness. It could be that you just joined a gym or began a new activity, or that you repeatedly perform the same activity and utilize the same set of muscles again and again. Ultimately we’re all in the same boat; either we push our bodies too far, we frequently overstraining or overreaching, or we simply don’t push enough, never getting adequate exercise and spending way too much time in the same sedentary positions.
And we should not forget about stress, of course. It is a big factor! You see, when we feel anxious or stressed out, we are often inclined to tense our muscles. Doing this can cause headaches, tight shoulders, neck soreness, and even a tight jaw. If we do not take action in order to release this daily tension, it will build up and consistently contributes to imbalances of the muscle.
Obtaining a Flawless Posture
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could always stand with our weight distributed evenly through the body, complete with all the joints resting flawlessly in their neutral zones? Rest assured, this is very much achievable. All it takes is awareness combined with just a bit of effort on your part.
Try the following exercise:
Note: You can perform this exercise with or without an inversion table. If you currently feel moderate pain or discomfort in your back, then it is a good idea to perform the exercise with the aid of an inversion table.
Get on an inversion table or stand with the feet hips’ width apart and do ensure that the lower leg is vertical and at a right angle to your foot. The knee joints should be kept in a line but refrain from locking them – simply keep them bent ever so slightly.
Next, keep the pelvis neutral, with the hips over the knees, and let your spine curve naturally. Ribs are soft and breathing is easy and efficient. Keep the shoulders open by squeezing the shoulder blades together in a gentle fashion and then allowing them to drop down.
Lastly, keep your head neutral - avoid tilting too far back or too far forward, centered between the shoulders. Now don’t you feel better? You’re probably even a little taller now!
Try the following exercise:
Note: You can perform this exercise with or without an inversion table. If you currently feel moderate pain or discomfort in your back, then it is a good idea to perform the exercise with the aid of an inversion table.
Get on an inversion table or stand with the feet hips’ width apart and do ensure that the lower leg is vertical and at a right angle to your foot. The knee joints should be kept in a line but refrain from locking them – simply keep them bent ever so slightly.
Next, keep the pelvis neutral, with the hips over the knees, and let your spine curve naturally. Ribs are soft and breathing is easy and efficient. Keep the shoulders open by squeezing the shoulder blades together in a gentle fashion and then allowing them to drop down.
Lastly, keep your head neutral - avoid tilting too far back or too far forward, centered between the shoulders. Now don’t you feel better? You’re probably even a little taller now!
Pain Management
Pain happens as a response to a signal sent to the brain. These signals are transmitted via the nerves, and they are a necessary warning that something is wrong. Pain can manifest in a number of ways - it can be constant, recurring, dull, burning, or sharp.
Depending on your problem, you may also feel a tingling or "pins and needles” feeling in your legs. Pain is also classified as either acute or chronic. Acute pain is the kind that gives a sharp sensation and it happens unexpectedly. It warns of imminent danger or bodily threat. Chronic pain on the other hand is dull, warning us of disease or bad body function.
Chronic pain often gets blocked out by acute pain because the brain isn’t capable of receiving both pain messages at the same time. However, chronic pain usually resumes as soon as acute pain has subsided. While acute back pain usually goes away within a month or so, chronic pain is not as responsive. The good news is that chronic low back pain can usually be managed with regular inversion table therapy.
Back pain can be either mechanical or medical. Mechanical disorders of the spine are usually associated with overuse such as poor posture or injury like a herniated disk for example. These disorders are brought about by local problems of the bones, joints, tendons, ligaments, muscles and even nerves of the low back. The position of the spine as well as activity of the person will affect the level of pain.
Most mechanical problems improve after a certain period of time, and only a very small percentage of cases need to be remedied with surgery. In some cases, pain from a back problem is referred, meaning that you may feel pain in one part of your body but the problem is actually somewhere else.
If the back pain issue is mechanical-related, the pain is usually sensed in the center of the back or a bit off to one side, with succeeding attacks occurring in the butt, the outside of the thigh, into the knee, and sometimes below the knee to the ankle or foot.
How to Ease the Pain
To ease more severe or persistent pain, try the following suggestions:
1) Apply an ice pack (or even a bag of frozen veggies will work) for a day or two to curb pain and swelling. Then switch to a heating pad that has been set on low to promote blood flow, or you can use a deep-heating cream rub for temporary relief.
2) Use an anti-inflammatory drug such as aspirin or ibuprofen to help relieve mild to moderate pain.
How maintaining a healthy muscle balance can result in a healthier spine. Also learn how to attain the perfect posture & tips for managing back pain.
1) Apply an ice pack (or even a bag of frozen veggies will work) for a day or two to curb pain and swelling. Then switch to a heating pad that has been set on low to promote blood flow, or you can use a deep-heating cream rub for temporary relief.
2) Use an anti-inflammatory drug such as aspirin or ibuprofen to help relieve mild to moderate pain.
How maintaining a healthy muscle balance can result in a healthier spine. Also learn how to attain the perfect posture & tips for managing back pain.