Snaking Bones

We all know we have a spine, and we know it has a long snakelike design.  But not everyone knows what keeps it supple and able to survive all the tension and motion we expect it to handle.  The spine itself is made of vertebrae which are bones.  But in between the bones is a disc.  It’s the disc that provides a cushion for your back bones.  The  disc is made up of mostly water.

Something holds all of this together and that something is ligaments and tendons.  Inside the spine is the spinal cord.  The spinal cord runs from the brain to the end of the spine.  A lot of nerves run out from the spine discs.  Now it’s easy to see how you can have so much back pain, isn’t it?  There are bones, ligaments, tendons, discs and nerves in your back.  Don’t forget the back muscles too.  Any of these back components can be broken, sprained, injured, pulled, torn or bruised.  It makes it really hard to find the source of back pain in many cases.  In other words, be patient with your doctor when he or she has to run a lot of tests looking for answers to your back pain.

Computer Jockeys

There are plenty of people who sit at a computer five days a week all day long.  Office workers used to be called desk jockeys, but now they’re more like computer jockeys.  When you sit for extended periods of time, the back inevitably starts to hurt.   It often begins as an ache in the middle or lower back areas.   Once it starts aching, only getting up relieves the pain.  But the minute you sit down again, the aching starts.

There are some things you can do to prevent the back from ever taking hold.  First, you need to stay aware of your posture at the desk.  Most people slump in their chairs, and that’s so bad for your spine.  Your shoulders should be kept relaxed and the knees bent at right angles.  Also, too many people try to make due with chairs not designed for sitting all day long.  You need a good chair with a backrest you can adjust to support your lower back.

Such a Pain in the Neck

Lots of people go to chiropractors looking for relief from back pain.  If you’ve ever wondered what goes on in a chiropractor’s office, you’re not alone.  Basically the chiropractor tries to relieve the pressure and compression in a spine that’s resulted from tension, strain or even injury.    Stress is a more frequent cause of back pain than people believe.

Spine compression can be really painful.  When the vertebrae in the back compress, they can press on nerves.  When a nerve is pinched, the pain can be ongoing and debilitating.  You can get a lot more than a back ache too when this happens.  You can get headaches or neck pain that keeps you from moving normally.  Chiropractors use manual pressure near and on the spine to decompress the vertebrae and loosen any tight muscles and ligaments.  You can supplement your chiropractor visits with some stretching exercises at home to keep your back nice and limber.

Back Breaking Labor

When you have back pain it feels like anything you do is going to be the final straw.  Even if it’s not back breaking labor, it still hurts.  The best way to deal with back pain that persists but is obviously not due to vertebrae or disc problems is to exercise.  If you don’t do at least regular light exercise, your back muscles get weak.  Just try lifting a heavy box the wrong way and you’ll find out exactly how weak your back muscles have become over time.

There are several important back muscles.  They include the latissimus dorsi which start at the middle of the spinal column and run up to the shoulders.  Other fancy muscle names include the rhomboids, supraspinatus, thoracolumbar fascia and the obliques to name some of the major ones.  Any of these muscles can be injured at any time.  When you exercise regularly the muscles are strengthened so you can do your daily activities with ease.  You’ll have better posture and lot less stress too.

Because I Was an Athlete

There’s a back problem that is most frequently seen in people who are athletically active in their teenage years.  It’s called spondylolisthesis which is where one vertebrae slips over another.  It’s often the result of a spinal crack or defect, but is common in people who have been ballet dancers or football players or involved in other sports activities.  Spondylothesis happens when someone subjects the spine to repeated bending backwards.

The “cure” for spondylothesis is to let the fracture heal.  That’s what the vertebrae slipping is usually due to – a fracture in the spine.    It can usually be corrected with a brace and cessation of athletic activities.  Sometimes surgery is required and the two vertebrae are fused.  Sometimes people go for years with slipped vertebrae.  The fracture isn’t corrected early in life, because there’s little pain to indicate a problem exists.  Unfortunately, this can result in back problems when you get older, because the spine heals incorrectly.

Mystery of the Herniated Disc without Pain

A bulging disc is when the spongy material between vertebrae extends out.  It’s usually caused by too much pressure that’s been put on the spine causing excessive compression.  There are lots of nerves that run out from the disc, so when the disc bulges near one of the nerves, pain develops.  The pain isn’t necessarily in the back though.  The pain can run down the nerves and end up making your legs or even your arms hurt.

The fact is though, you can have a herniated disc and not have any pain. You can actually have a bulging disc that doesn’t affect a nerve and so there’s no pain.  The indications you have a back problem include other things like tingling and numbness in the legs.  So don’t think you have to have pain when you have a bulging or herniated disc.

Erector Spinae Anyone?

The erector spinae are back muscles that run along each side of the spinal column.  When you injure this muscle, it can really hurt.  The best way to control the pain is through exercises that target these muscles.  Too many people forget all about toning up their back muscles when they exercise.  They work their arms, legs and abdomens but leave the poor back out of the picture.

The best exercises I’ve found for the back include the barbell bent row, the deadlift, the pelvic lift, the leg lift buttock tightener and the double leg lifts.   Though some of these exercises sound like they’re meant for bodybuilders or weightlifters, they are perfect for everyone.  You don’t have to use a heavy weight.  In fact, you can use a phone book if you want.  The main point is you need to make sure you include your back in a regular exercise routine if you want to avoid unnecessary sprains, pulls and tears.