Back Care Awareness: Three Fives

In this month’s blog, I am marking back care awareness week with 5 factoids, 5 back issues you can spot yourself and 5 principles for looking after your back.

Our backs are an engineering marvel: a stack of vertebrae, flexible joints, resilient ligaments, powerful muscles and a nervous system hub that act as team to coordinate the spine and enable you to absorb shock, transfer force between the upper and lower body, protect the spinal cord and support every breath and step you take.

5 things you might not know about this engineering marvel:  

1.       It’s packed with shock absorbers - Your spine is partly cartilage which is why it can behave like a shock-absorbing spring. The intervertebral discs are not bones but hydrated gel-like cushions. So, it's important to keep the discs happy with regular low impact movement and a decent night’s sleep to let your discs rehydrate. Oh, and if you are planning on doing a height comparison, always do it in the morning as you are slightly taller because your discs re-absorb fluid while you lie down!

2.       It’s your body’s superhighway - The spinal cord is thin but connects to everything.  In some parts, it's only a few millimetres across but carries motor and sensory signals between brain and body and also contains local circuits that control reflexes.  So look after your neck and back and the muscles that support them!

3.       Your back “remembers” pain separately from your brain – after an injury the nervous system becomes sensitised and spinal neurons can amplify pain signals so you feel more pain long after tissue healing.  This is one reason small movements can still hurt after an old injury and why chronic pain can persist without visible damage

4.       It keeps changing until your mid-20s - The spine begins forming in early embryonic life and keeps changing structurally and functionally through childhood, adolescence and into the mid-20’s before age-related wear begins in adulthood.  This is one of the reasons so called ‘tech neck’ is an issue – kids and teens bending over their mobile are loading their necks with the equivalent of the heavy suitcase that you take on holiday! Have a look at my August blog – Growing Strong – for further advice.

5.       There is no such thing as the perfect posture - Posture is important, but movement variety matters more than “perfect” posture. Prolonged static position (even an ideal one) increases load and fatigue so frequent changes in posture, micro-breaks and alternating sitting/standing beats a textbook posture every time.

5 common signs that your back needs some ‘TLC’:  

We tend not to give our backs much thought until we experience pain, but awareness is everything. Here are five common signs that your back needs some ‘TLC’ and what to do:

1.       Veering when you walk – Does your walking partner always have to take a particular side because you veer towards them? That can be a sign of a sacroiliac ligament or joint strain.  A wrapped ice pack for 15 mins, twice a day for 4 days should help to reduce inflammation.

2.       One-sided back pain - If you get occasional pain down one side of your back, the pelvic stabilising system - including the latissimus dorsi - may be pulling unevenly because it spans the chest, spine, and upper arm.   As above, apply a wrapped ice pack for 15mins, twice a day for 4 days.

3.       Sudden weak grip - A sudden reduction in grip strength can come from restricted wrist bones, often the scaphoid.  It’s worth getting your mobility checked.

4.       Flu like infections followed by neck pain and headaches - Viral illnesses commonly leave the upper neck and upper thoracic joints stiff and painful, producing headaches and neck ache. Using heat and gentle side-to-side neck stretches will ease symptoms

5.       Hip movement limiting daily tasks - Early hip wear causes reduced range and discomfort with actions like putting on socks or tying laces. Chiropractic mobilisation of the hip combined with soft tissue release, plus home stretches and strengthening exercises, can delay progression and make daily tasks far more manageable.

5 principles for looking after your back:  

1. Move often - sitting for long periods stiffens joints and shortens muscles.

2. Load sensibly - lift with the legs, keep objects close to your body and avoid twisting under load.

3. Focus on sleep and posture - good support and neutral spine positions let tissues recover, and watch out for ‘tech neck’!

4. Feed your bones – Foods like prunes and chia seeds supply the nutrients and plant compounds that preserve bone density.  Both can be added to your breakfast in small amounts and with little effort!

5. Treat early - small niggles can become persistent problems if ignored; early assessment is smarter than prolonged guesswork.

In summary, I know from 35 years as a chiropractor that back care is habitual. Small, sensible choices - move more, load sensibly, vary posture, add a few bone-friendly foods and treat niggles early – add up to years of easier movement. Treat your back like the clever machine it is, and it will keep carrying you, literally.

I hope you found this month’s blog informative and valuable.  I always appreciate hearing from you with feedback, questions and topic ideas for future blogs, so do get in touch!

Charles

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