Take Care of Your Back

spinal stenosis

When we are young we seem to think that we can stand up to anything. We think that our body parts are invincible and that we are going to live forever. We like to think that the human body is a complete, finished design and that it is the most advanced that it will ever be. We think that we are invincible.

But, those of us who suffer from back pain caused by spinal stenosis, herniated, ruptured or bulging disc symptoms, or any form of degenerate disc disease or spinal malady will most likely disagree.

We back pain sufferers sometimes wish spinal discs were more durable and could stand up to more of the stress and trials of aging. Wouldn't it be great if we had a lifetime, money back guarantee for our backs? Sadly, spinal discs are not covered by mother nature's warranty as if they were your pickup truck's last set of new tires.

A natural problem with spinal discs is that they are made out of cartilage. This cartilage, known as fibrocartilage, is "avascular", meaning it is without blood vessels. If these spinal discs happened to have blood vessels, recovery from spinal injuries would happen much more naturally, similar to how a broken bone can mend itself with proper care over time. Comparatively, imagine if our bones were without blood vessels. A broken arm would never heal and life would become increasingly difficult and miserable.

Fibrocartilage acts as a buffering cushion between the individual vertebrae of the spine, and also acts as a protectorate insulator for the spinal cord. Fibrocartilage helps support the backbone in the joints of the spine, known as facet joints. It absorbs shocks and enables flexibility of the spine. This is how we turn our bodies, bend, and perform our everyday activities. This fibrocartilage is a strong, durable, natural tissue, but as we age it tends to deteriorate, and can cause much pain in the backs of those who experience the phenomenon.

Aside from the general process of aging, standing upright and walking is often the number two cause of degeneration of the spine and herniated, bulging disc symptoms. Although we think we are invincible, and that our bodies will last forever, evolution has not brought us entirely to the perfect adaptation of walking upright. The spine of the human species has evolved from ancient times from those of horizontal moving animals, who were amphibious, living both on land and undersea. Working more like a flexible suspension wire in these ancient creatures, the spine supported their bodies' organs horizontally, whereas with modern man, the spine has become a vertical column which bears the weight of all of the body's stresses throughout its natural living actions.

Knowing this, it is wise for all of us humans to be careful with our spinal columns, to treat them with care, and understand that they are not invincible, and cannot last forever. Our backbones are vulnerable and fragile, and until evolution can bring us through another hundred million years, to a point where our spines becomes vascular, strong and self-healing like the bones of our arms and legs, we must take care of our backs.