The Importance of Back health

The Importance of Back health
Foothills Training Services

I was at a recent training intensive where we did 3 days worth of training. Day 1 was 15hrs or training with few breaks for meals, day 2 another 15hrs but included more breaks and lecture, and day 3 was much more relaxed consisting of about 7hrs but only 2 of those were intense physical activity.

Mid way through day 1 my back was killing me. More interestingly though is that nearly 50% of the attendees over the age of 30 years old were having the same issue! Back pain was plaguing nearly half of the attendees in my group. It was a real wake up call to me and I decided that this is unacceptable and to do something about it.

What causes back pain? Back pain may be caused by two parts of the same system. It can be caused by soft tissue damage or by spinal damage. Often the two go hand in hand. The spine is pulled out of alignment due to muscle tightness or strain, sport injuries, automotive collisions, slips trips or falls, poor posture, and many other reasons. When this happens the soft tissue attempts to compensate and begins pulling in unnatural and unhealthy ways. The reverse order can occur. Due to a over tightening in one area or a looseness of muscle in another area our back can be spine can be pulled out of alignment. Again the muscles attempt to compensate and the problem gets worse over time.

Why get early treatment? If the problem persists sublaxation can occur and the nerves feeding the spinal column can get pinched and damaged. The spine is the transmitter from the brain to all the major organs and tissues of the body. It is key to the central nervous system. On top of severe pain and discomfort poor back health can result in tissue and organs not functioning properly, not healing, or in immune system issues and sickness. As well back pain can drastically affect quality of life, performance levels, and recreational activities. Nerve tissue is very slow to regenerate so the quicker you can begin to reverse the process the better.

What treatments are available? The good news is that there are a variety of treatments available depending on what’s causing the damage. To relieve soft tissue tightness stretching, massage, and acupuncture are popular treatments. Fitness and exercise is key to obtain homeostasis between the major muscle groups including the hamstrings, gluteus, latissimus, trapezius, and abdominals. To realign the vertebrae of the spine chiropractic care may be necessary.

Where to go for treatment. FTS Inc. Health and Wellness offers deep tissue to hot rock massage as well as fitness and stretching training. For acupuncture or shiatsu massage we recommend Take Dojo (ph. 403 835 1371) and for chiropractic care we recommend our community partner Adio Chiropractic (visit My Site - Home). Of course if you’re experiencing any discomfort or health issues consult your physician before beginning any treatment routine.