# 12 THE HUMAN SPINE

The human spine

is composed of 24 vertebrae, 23 discs plus the sacrum and coccyx. Because the spine is supported by the pelvic structure, chiropractors focus on the balance and alignment of that also.

Each vertebral segment is uniquely designed with a specific purpose for movement and weight bearing ability. The balance and symetry of the four spinal curves contributes significanlty to the overall strength Spinal strength. When everything is in line the greatest potential is seen – with the overall and most important function being to protect the spinal cord while allowing foramen (or openings) for the vital nerves (carrying life-giving energy) to exit. Ideally, both spinal cord and nerves are should be able to function without interference to the crucial flow of nerve energy.

BUT what happens if and when there’s interference? What happens if a vertebra of grouping of vertebrae get forced (by trauma or repetitive activity) out of their normal position and get stuck? Given the spine is designed for balance and most of us are creatures with one-sided tendencies (right handed or left) that question is not far-fetched at all. Any unequal repetitive activity has the ability to upset the delicate balance.

Due to the design of the lumbar curve, the weakest position for the human spine is to be in a bending forward position while hefting a weight. Over time, if done repetitively, problems will almost certainly appear. And if we take that bent over position, add weight bearing and also make it intensely one sided, then internally, the vertebra and discs begin to suffer. In the absence of proper bending and lefting techniques, tears can occur inside the disc and micro fractures can begin to form in the vertebra.

For example…think about golfing! Or bowling, or tennis, or whatever you are forced to do on the job…or even when gardening. These are all activities that need warm ups, weight bearing positions. Warm-up stretches and balance will go a long way in prevention.

As a golfer, do you always swing that club from the right? When bending, do you properly hinge from the hips? It also helps to take warm up swings from the left. You don’t need to hit anything…just do enough to balance the hips and spine so movement remains smooth and fluid. And remember the old adage…an ounce of prevention….

Chiropractors hear and see the craziest things - for example, there is always the guy who comes in, suffering, bent over and pretzel-shaped, who tells us he was “perfectly fine” until he dropped the bar of soap in the shower and bent over to pick it up. I can assure you it was not the bar of soap that caused the injury. Generally what we see in this case is the result of imbalance and pressure on the spinal nerves that built up over a period of years. When we try to explain that, we often hear “well, I felt fine yesterday”.

My reply - Duh!

Let’s take a look at the disc on the inside. That design by our creator is equally amazing to the rest of us. The discs alone make up approximately 25% of the length of the spinal column and is primarily composed of water and collagen. Its function is crucial to movement and all weight bearing activities - and it is also one of the earliest tissues in the body to begin to deteriorate. That alone explains why preventive maintenance of the spine is so important.

HERE’S THE DEAL - the discs can and do have the ability to bear enormous weight (we see that in world-class weight lifting competition) - but they also have limited ability to handle twisting motion, especially if the vertebrae get locked out of normal position (a mild form of dislocation which chiropractors call a subluxation).

It’s all about the design…

Look at the middle of the disc. That round shape in the center is the Nucleus Pulposus - it’s designed to bear and distribute weight. If we bend forward it repositions and redistributes to the rear. If we lean to the left, it positions to the right. Soft and gel-like in our youth, it hardens as we age, resulting in increasing internal pressure and diminished function. Surrounding the nucleus. That’s

what holds the center ball bearing in place - the Annulus Fibrosis - this is more leather- like in consistency and is composed of between 10 - 20 concentric rings which are oriented to be obliquely alternated. (check out the picture). What this means is whenever a twisting rotation to the right becomes locked and stuck out of its normal position…then every second ring has the potential to develop small tears (and ditto for locked rotation to the left). The vertebrae are locked; the damage is being done but we don’t stop moving. This forces other areas of the spine to perform motion they are not designed to handle and the damage continues. Give it time and the pressure exerted by the nucleus in the center will begin to force its way out and through the annulus fibers until, inevitably, because of gravity and the natural curves of the spine, the disc begins to bulge in the only direction it is able to do so….which just happens to be where the nerve is exiting the spinal cord. The resulting pressure on the spinal nerves can be intense. Medically, it’s called a “herniated disc” ….the common name is a slipped disc. The pain felt (as a result of this pinching and decreased energy flow) as nerves exit the spinal column and travel down the leg is generally called sciatica.

Questions? Contact Bobbie at DOC KLEINS CHIROPRACTIC IN SHAVERTOWN 570 901 1044