The last man standing could be your spine

So long as you’re standing you take your spine for granted. So long as you don’t experience pain in your back you can’t appreciate the miracle of movement.

“We become the pain in the back,” was how chiropractic physician James Pardis put it deploring at the way patients remember him only when they experience discomfort on their backs.

Underscoring the significance of the spine, Pardis said that the spine is what makes man an advanced mammal because of his physical make up to stand and defy gravity. “It is a miracle of creation that you can stand upright with the spine,” Pardis said. Sadly, the faithful of this world belittle this miracle that instead of relishing on this blessing, hardly do people take serious care of their spine.

In most cases, people invest thousands upon thousands of pesos to improve their looks whether it is a nose job, bust job or skin peeling, change their hair or change their shape through liposuction but hardly can they spend a few thousand pesos to care for their spine. People are just too busy about their looks to care about the bone of their existence.

Every move you make.

The spine is the backbone on which man lives and moves his being. Every move we make affects and is affected by the spine. Spinal anatomy is unique in form and function because it is designed to be strong protecting highly sensitive nerve roots, yet flexible providing for mobility in different planes.

Until a person can no longer sit in bed or walk without pain in the back or legs, only then does he remember he has a spine or that his spine was already taken for granted.

Pardis said spine care begins with good body mechanics and that means proper posture and engaging in activities where the back is well supported.

Spine care must also be done on a regular basis and not only when a person is in pain, feels discomfort or has injury. Every person on earth needs their spine checked regularly and consistently from birth throughout their entire life because no matter what you do, no matter where you go, no matter how careful you can be, spine misalignment is sometimes as inevitable as getting a cold. For as long as a person is alive, kicking or moving, the spine is not spared from trauma and misalignments.

Taken for granted, a neglected spine can become a pain in the back. Studies show that some of the common causes of lower back pain are sudden injury to the back like an auto accident, fall or sports, gynecological conditions like menstrual cramps and pregnancy. Stress to the muscles, nerves or ligaments, slipped discs, being sedentary or being overweight and aging can cause back pain.  

Because movement naturally causes misalignments, regular spine check and care like regular physical examination may actually be more cost saving than visiting a medical doctor when one feels sick. Spine care is more preventive and recuperative rather than invasive or intrusive.

Preserve and restore.

The problem is that many people have skewed perceptions of chiropractic medicine. They incorrectly assume that chiropractors treat only back and neck ailments or those with bone and muscle injuries. While chiropractic doctors can effectively eliminate back and neck pain, it is not the only goal. The goal is to optimize human health by focusing on the relationship between structure that is primarily the spine and function or coordination with the nervous system and using this coordination to preserve and restore health.

Pardis said most medical doctors don’t enjoy treating the spine because it is basically a mechanical problem. Instead of aligning the spine, they would rather prescribe pain relievers or surgery. “And often these have bad results on back pain,” he said.

If you visit a chiropractor for bone injuries or back pain, you will be surprised at how consistent treatments can improve shape, looks and overall health and performance — something that parlors, spa and slimming centers could never offer.