Dealing With Spine and Neck Problems

spinal stenosis

Your spine runs from the base of your neck all the way down to your torso. There are different levels of what we call vertebrae. These are cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and sacral vertebrae. All of them work together to withstand the daily stresses of everyday life.

It is extremely important to know that whatever you are doing whether you are working out, doing household chores, doing your 8-5 job, or even taking care of your kids, you always need to be aware of your proper body mechanics.

There are some common spinal dysfunctions that 80 percent of American populations are experiencing:

1) Herniated Cervical Discs - Since it is located in your neck region, you will feel extreme pain, weakness, tingling or even numbness in your arms and in very rare cases, in your legs. What happens here is that as your cervical discs lose its fluid, they lose the cushioning ability. In some extreme cases, the disc is displaced causing it to come in contact with your nerves and spinal cord. This is commonly referred to as ruptured disc.

2) Sciatica - This condition affects your sciatic nerve causing a sharp pain from your buttocks to your knees. This is caused by pressure more commonly from herniated lumbar disc. The pain you are experiencing is mostly accompanied by burning, weakness, or tingling and usually affects only one side of your body.

3) Spinal Stenosis - This is the narrowing of your spinal column pinching your spinal cord and nerves. This result to back pain and sometimes leg pain. Spinal stenosis is caused by heredity, your age, and some changes in your body. The resulting pain also compromises your leg muscles, its strength and sensation.

4) Scoliosis - This is a curvature of your spine and often surgery is required if not treated early. Tight muscles are very common to patients with scoliosis so the main focus here is to do flexibility exercises targeting tight muscles.

5) Post surgical Issues - Back surgery patients often encounter several issues including but not limited to reduced flexibility, functional changes, and sensitivity to pain, decreased endurance, postural changes as well as poor body mechanics. After back surgery, it is necessary to focus on increasing flexibility, muscle strength as well as increasing your endurance and coordination.

Some common treatments are exercises targeting specific muscle groups, core body stabilization, pain control with the use of ice heat, and massage. Proper posture and good body mechanics should also be stressed. Your spine is not indestructible and constant pounding and pressure from day to day activities requires more attention to what is helping you perform your daily activities.