Author: Apex Health

Exercise and other kinds of physical activity can go far in keeping your body strong and healthy, able to fight disease and ward off injuries from pulling, pushing and lifting. A healthy and fit body also generally recovers faster from injury and pain.

In general, there are three basic types of exercise: strengthening. stretching and aerobic. Here’s a brief description:

• Strengthening exercises focus on the abdominal and back muscles because these play a key role in supporting your spine and maintaining good posture.
• Stretching exercises target the soft tissues in your legs and surrounding your spine. These muscles provide the flexibility you need to move and get around.
• Aerobic exercises foster a strong and healthy heart and lung function. These kinds of exercises generally involve large muscle groups.

Other kinds of mild exercises include those that help you correct or maintain good posture (with a focus on the neck and back); ease tension from prolongued periods of sitting.

In many cases, temporary pain, and even additional injury, can be minimized and even avoided by a simple application of ice. Ice, applied in a timely manner and in an appropriate way, can reduce inflammation. Inflammation left unchecked can allow the source of the pain to continue doing damage to muscles, ligaments, tendons, and other structures.

Ice causes the veins in the affected tissue area to constrict. This reduces the flow of blood while acting as kind of anesthetic to numb the pain. But when the ice is removed (and this is key), the veins compensate by opening large, allowing a large volume of blood to rush to the affected area. The blood brings with it important chemicals that aid in the healing process.

Ice therapy is not recommended as a form of treatment for any kinds of rheumatoid arthritis, Raynaud’s Syndrome (a circulatory disorder of blood vessels of the extremities), colds or allergic conditions, paralysis, or areas of impaired sensation.

The soft tissues that envelop and support your spine make up an intricate network of muscles.

With the help of your body’s abdominal muscles, this network helps to keep your body stabilized and upright, and allows it to bend and flex.

The types of muscles that support your spine include:

• Extensors – These are composed of back and gluteal muscles. These muscles help keep your back straight, assist in efforts involving lifting, and moving your thigh away from the body.
• Flexors – These are your abdominal and iliopsoas muscle, which support the spine from the front. They also control the arch of your lower back and move the thigh in toward the body.
• Obliques (also called rotators) – These “side” muscles stabilize your spine when you are standing upright, and help rotate your spine and maintain proper posture and spinal curvature.

Your nervous system looks much like an upended tree, suspended from its roots at the base of your brain, its millions of limbs reaching out to every corner of your body.

Your spinal cord is like a thick braid formed by billions of these nerves. Your body has approximately 15 billion nerve cells-all of which receive and transmit nerve impulses by way of the spinal cord. These impulses control virtually all functions of your body-from your senses to mobility.

Nerve roots and your spinal cord
Your spinal cord actually ends near the base of your upper back, shooting out braids of nerves called “nerve roots.” These nerve roots run through a large tunnel-like canal, and at each level of your spinal column, a pair of nerve roots exits from the spine.

Nerve roots are named for the level of your spine they exit from, beginning with a letter and followed by a number. For example, a nerve root in the cervical spine may be called “C6,” while a nerve root in the lumbar region may be called “L4.”

Innate intelligence, the knowledge we are born with, guides cells and organs to receive and transmit impulses to our brain through this vast network of nerves.

A healthy spinal cord allows these impulses to flow freely back and forth. But when your spinal cord becomes misaligned, its parts get out of place and nerves can become pinched. When this happens, the flow of information from your nervous system gets interrupted. This imbalance, called subluxation, can lead to physical and emotional problems ranging from minor discomfort to major illnesses.

The spinal column is an intricate framework of interlocking bones that, when viewed from the side, form a gentle “S” shape. The spine is a sophisticated system-both fragile and sturdy-of muscles, bones, joints, ligaments, discs, a spinal cord, and nerves.

Joints, called “facet joints,” and discs allow the spine to bend and twist and absorb mild shocks and bumps. The brain, spinal cord and nerves manage your body’s movement by sending messages to muscles. Supporting the entire structure is an intricate system of ligaments, tendons, and discs.

The vertebrae, facet joints and discs are vertically stacked in a healthy spine. Ligaments support that alignment and discs, which are flexible, spongy pads, absorb shocks between the vertebrae and joints.

The spine has four natural curves, which help to evenly distribute the loads incurred by daily activity-from sitting, walking and running, to lifting and carrying.

There are three major parts of your spine:

• The cervical spine, or neck
• The thoracic spine, or upper back
• The lumbar spine, or lower back

The sacrum, which lies at the base of your spine between the fifth lumbar and the tailbone, or coccyx, is a triangular-shaped bone made up of five fused parts. These are called “S1, S2, S3, S4 and S5.” These unique parts connect to your pelvis by way of structures called sacroiliac joints.

Your neck, which is also called the upper cervical spine, is distinguished by two large vertebrae. One is called the upper bone, or atlas, and the other is called the lower bone, or axis.

These bones in your cervical spine do not need discs and protect the medulla oblongata, or lower brainstem. Inside the medulla oblongata are reflex centers that regulate such things as your heartbeat, breathing, the diameter of your blood vessels, swallowing, vomiting, coughing, sneezing, and hiccupping.

Almost half your brain’s 12 cranial nerves originate in the medulla and control such things as balance and hearing, taste, swallowing, salivation, the digestive system, head and neck muscles and the tongue. One can easily see that if the upper bones of your spinal cord are out of alignment, a whole host of things can go wrong in your body, some subtle, some not-so-subtle. However, it is not uncommon for many of us to have some sort of misalignment in these structures, as we go through the daily trials and tribulations of life.

Basically, your spine is composed of four types of material. These are:

• Vertebral bodies – These are the large bony structures you see in the spinal anatomy and essentially are the support column of your back. This amazing structure supports about half of your body’s weight; your muscles do the job of the remaining half. Vertebral bodies are separated by small spaces containing discs. Most of the vertebral bodies in your spine have several joints that allow your back to bend and flex. When you bend forward, your hips provide about half of the impact, while your lower spine, or lumbar, takes on the rest.
• Vertebral discs – The shock absorbers that are found between vertebral bodies, discs are essentially made up of two major parts: a tough outer core and a soft inner core. When you are born, these discs are mostly water. As you get older, the discs slowly lose their water content and get harder. As they dehydrate over time, your discs provide less of that soft and cushy support they provided when they were new. Because they have no blood supply and few nerve endings, discs are unable to repair themselves. Disc degeneration can be painful in later years; in some cases, the inner core of the discs leak proteins that can inflame the nerve roots.
• Spinal cord and nerve roots – As it leaves the base of your brain, your spinal cord weaves through the neck and upper back, ending up at the bottom of your thoracic spine. Actually, your spine ends before it reaches your lower back, shooting off a series of nerve roots that are dispersed through bony canals throughout your body.
• Muscles – The soft tissue surrounding your spine is largely composed of muscles, which support your spine as it bends and flexes. Two large muscles in your lower back, called erector spinae, help hold up the spine.

The spinal column is an intricate framework of interlocking bones that, when viewed from the side, form a gentle “S” shape. The spine is a sophisticated system-both fragile and sturdy-of muscles, bones, joints, ligaments, discs, a spinal cord, and nerves.

Daily activities such as lifting and exercise, or traumatic experiences such as automobile accidents, can sometimes cause obvious, and at other times, subtle, problems with your spinal cord. The most common problem involves a misalignment of the small bones in your spinal cord.

We call these misalignments “subluxations.” Often, these misalignments create pressure or irritation on the various nerves in your spine, and can cause a wide variety of symptoms throughout your body, such as localized pain, soreness, irregularity, and weakness. When pressure is applied on a nerve in your spine, the nerve energy is interrupted, and sometimes this can profoundly affect the function of other systems or organs in your body.

The vertebral subluxation complex is medical terminology for the ways chiropractors categorize the various locations, or “components,” where subluxations are known to occur. The five components of the vertebral subluxation complex:

1. Chemical component – Biochemical abnormalities can sometimes occur when one or more of the other vertebral subluxation components occur.
2. Muscle component – Problems that occur when impinged nerves cause vertebral muscles to malfunction.
3. Nerve component – “Neuropathology” is another term for this, which essentially refers to undue pressure on a spinal nerve.
4. Osseous (bone) component – This occurs when one or more vertebrae are either not in correct position or moving improperly. Sometimes, degeneration of the vertebral bones can cause this.
5. Soft tissue component – When subluxations occur, they can affect the soft tissues, including ligaments and veins, surrounding your spinal cord.

When raking leaves, use a “scissors” stance. This entail keeping your right foot forward and left foot back for a few minutes. Occasionally switch by putting your left foot forward and right foot back. Always bend at your knees, not the waist, as you pick up leaves. Make piles small to minimize the possibility of straining your back.

If it weren’t for our remarkable nervous system, we might never know about most serious problems, or be able to correct them before they get worse.

You may benefit from chiropractic care and treatment if:

• You have developed any kind of pain in your joints or skeletal structures such as your neck, back, shoulder blades, elbows, wrists, hips, knees, or ankles.
• You have developed problems walking, such as erratic movement, loss of rhythm or difficulty with your balance; this may be a sign of muscle weakness or other problem.
• You have developed sensory problems such as numbness, tingling, burning, or localized pain. Nerves in your spinal cord branch off into sensory and motor nerves. A good example of this, and one that is common among people with back problems, is sciatica pain. Sciatica pain usually radiates down one leg or another. These types of sensory symptoms are not normal and may indicate a problem with the nerves in your spine. In some cases, these sensory problems radiate from one area to another.
• Your reflexes are diminished or absent. Reflex reactions are normal if you bump part of your body, such as a physician tapping your kneecap with an instrument. If no reflex reaction occurs in this instance, it could be a sign that you have incurred some kind of damage to your spinal cord, nerve root, peripheral nerve, or muscle.

Here are some common symptoms that may indicate that you have a subluxation or other spinal-related disorder:

• Blurred vision
• Bowel or bladder problems
• Dizziness (also vertigo)
• Earaches or ringing
• Fatigue
• Headaches;
• Irritability
• Leg cramps
• Muscle twitching
• Nausea
• Numbness and/or tingling
• Stiffness
• Swallowing difficulty
• Walking or gait problems
• Weakness in your arms or legs
• Pain
• • Low back pain and/or stiffness
  • Neck pain and/or stiffness
  • Pain between the shoulder blades
  • Pain in the arms or legs, feet and hands
  • Pain in the jaw or face
  • Shoulder pain

• Strong abdominal muscles may actually prevent you from incurring a back injury, since these muscles are so critical to maintaining your spine’s position, as well as assisting you with lifting.
• Strong abdominals can also lower, minimize, or avoid back pain from excessive strains, help your body deal with sudden bouts of stress, and play an important role in healing after spine surgery or a debilitating back injury.

Here is a simple exercise for strengthening your abdominals:

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
• Tighten your abdominal muscles and tilt your pelvis backward, pushing your lower back toward the floor.
• Hold 5 seconds, then relax.
• Do 20 repetitions.

Did you know that people lose 20 to 40 percent of their muscle (and along with it their strength) as they age? Our population is aging rapidly as a result of the huge baby boom in the 1950s and 1960s, followed by declining birth rates in the succeeding decades. Thanks to remarkable advances in medicine and science, however, that rapidly aging population is more physically fit and, in general, destined to live longer than any generation that came before.

As a rule, the importance of proper nutrition and physical exercise does not diminish as one gets older. In fact, it can be argued that staying physically fit becomes more critical the older we get. This helps ward off the effects of aging immune response, circulatory and musculoskeletal systems in our body.

With all the technology and leisure time we enjoy today, it is mildly ironic that Americans sorely lack in regular physical exercise and proper diet, and at considerable risk. Lack of physical activity combined with a poor diet is the second leading underlying cause of death in the United States.

Here are some simple tips for staying healthier as you get older:

• Avoid stress.
• Eat healthy. Eat foods high in Vitamin C (such as broccoli, bell peppers, citrus fruits, cabbage, cauliflower, spinach, and strawberries). This will help ward off osteoarthritis.
• Fortified dairy products and fish rich in Vitamin D help preserve your cartilage. Calcium (milk, broccoli, salmon and kale) keeps your bones strong.
• Follow proper guidelines for posture when standing or sitting for prolonged periods of time.
• Get regular physical checkups with your doctor.
• Keep your weight down. This reduces force and excessive stress on your body’s musculoskeletal system.
• Protect your joints with comfortable yet firm footwear. Use wheeled carts to haul heavy items around the house.
• Do not smoke.

Ask your physician if it is all right for you to exercise, what kind of exercise is best, and whether any medications you are taking may make exercise a hazardous endeavor. In addition, do not undertake any exercises if your physician has consulted you against doing so. Immediately STOP any form of physical exercise if you experience pain, dizziness, shortness of breath, or other unusual symptoms. And always remember to breathe normally when performing any exercise.

Choose a type of exercise that you enjoy! One of the reasons many people stop soon after embarking on a form of exercise is that it’s too boring, unchallenging, or discomforting. An ideal length is about 30 minutes daily or several days a week.

Types of exercises may include:

• Balance training – These kinds of exercises challenge your equilibrium by performing such activities as standing on one foot, then the other, without support.
• Endurance exercising – This type involves activity that forces you to breathe harder than you are used to.
• Strength training – This helps you tone muscles and lose fat. It also helps to keep your bones strong, which helps you avoid fractures as your bones weaken with age.
• Stretching exercises – These help improve your range of motion and flexibility.

A note about posture

Older people should be ever mindful of their posture. Poor posture and its attendant strains on your spinal structures and muscle groups can significantly increase your risk of degenerative arthritis, and muscle and joint pain.

Posture that fails to keep your spine in its natural position can lead to a loss in range of motion, increased pain and discomfort, muscle aches, headaches, jaw pain (from a forward or downward slackening of the head), shoulder, knee and ankle aches and pains, and diminished lung capacity (from the downward pressures of your rib cage against your lower back and hips).