back care management
...ing rest periods healthy discs re-absorb water from the body and it is true that you are taller in the morning than in the evening, on average ¼ to ½ inch. Discs are moist, like a sponge with water in it and as a person gets older, either through repeated stress or injury it loses its water retention capabilities and becomes less useful at cushioning the spine. This is known as disc degeneration. The annulus has several layers like an onion and these form rings around the Nucleus. These hold the vertebrae together and prevent the content of the Nucleus from pushing outward. The spine is joined to the pelvis by the Sacro-Iliac joint. Trunk posture and position are influenced by muscles, which work around these joints and attach to the Lumbar spine and Pelvis. Many spinal or back muscles attach to the pelvis and it is the balance of these 2 groups of muscles that play a significant role in human posture. Causes of back pain The most common cause of back pain is muscle spasm. An awkward movement of the back can lead to a severe muscle spasm. The muscles cause the back to ‘lock’ due to involuntary muscle contraction and can cause severe pain. They can also occur when a heavy object is lifted incorrectly and it is the body’s self-protecting mechanism to prevent further damage that sets this spasm off. Severe cases are treated with Physiotherapy and Medication however these tend to resolve in time. Lower Back Conditions A combination of disc and facet degeneration can lead to the vertebrae slipping sideways on each other causing a narrowing of the spinal canal and pressure to be placed directly upon the spinal cord by the bone. This is known as ‘Spinal Stenosis’. The most common cause of disc problems are caused by displacements known as ‘slipped discs’. This term is misleading, as the disc does not actually slip. Over time, because of injury of degeneration, discs may start to bulge or change shape. The discs themselves can swell up, displace or even disintegrate in severe circumstances. Once damaged, several herniations are especially common due to continued poor posture and poor back maintenance and will eventually lead to intermittent pain and numbness, which can cause a weakness in the lower limb due to poor nerve supply. The main lower limb nerve serving the posterior part of the legs is the sciatic nerve and continuous weakness, pain and discomfort in this area is known as ‘Sciatica’ due to the impingement of this nerves root. Ankylosing spondlylitis is a chronic inflammatory condition, which leads to progressive immobility of the joints of the spinal column. It is a disease that begins in the Sacro-Iliac joints that progressively involves the spinal column from bottom to top. Vertebrae become fixed as the spine fuses itself together in an attempt to heal the inflammation and erosion by growing new bone cells. Posture Posture is the position adapted by the body at rest – called static posture Or during motion – c...