People with a desk job , IT professionals and couch potatoes usually face frequent backaches. I missed to add people who travel for longer distances. They count in as well.
It all starts with incorrect posture combined with prolonged pressure on your spine especially the tail bone. I’ve also heard from a lot of women about the persistent backaches post caesarian section delivery. I cannot comment on that since I didn’t undergo nor did I came to know of anyone close to me undergoing it. Maybe I will take time to know more about it and make a separate post.
Getting back to the backaches, some happen periodically and some only when the spine is over stressed. A general advice would be to make sure you sit in an erect posture and take breaks at regular intervals so that the spine is not overpressured.
Calcium intake on a daily basis also helps in the longer run. I don’t just mean drinking up gallons of milk so that your calcium levels are high. Make sure to include foods that are rich in calcium, not just the regular milk for calcium.
Adamant creeper which I heard recently or which is probably unknown to many is a great source of calcium especially very good for women to strengthen your pelvic area.
Calcium depletion leading to osteoporosis is altogether a different topic that needs discussion separately.
I recently came across the term ‘chiropractic‘ and the person who practices ‘a chiropractor‘. I’d thought why not share it with you all here so that many would be made aware of such medical treatment that is going to help you with backaches or spinal issues.
Chiropractic and chiropractors
Chiropractic is categorised as Complementary and Alternative Medicine ( CAM) . Mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal system with specific focus on the spine can be diagnosed and treated with chiropractic.
Another interesting fact is that a lot of general health issues crop up when there is a disorder in the musculoskeletal system through the nerves. The therapy mainly involves manual manipulation of the spine. Shocking isn’t it? Yes when I actually saw a video of an ongoing therapy I was wondering how would it actually feel to someone actually moving your spine with force.
It is also called as bone setting as it actually involves correction of the discs. Some chiropractors also claim that chiropractic could cure irritable bowel syndrome and asthma.
Vertebral subluxations or simply termed vertebral joint misalignment seemed to interfere with the body’s function and it’s capability to heal itself with an inborn ability.
Chiropractors use x-ray radiography to examine the bone structure. But the subluxation or the misalignment is mostly unseen this is because it’s not something structural that can be captured on x-ray rather something functional that shows up as a limp or a headache.
When it comes to treatment it usually involves one or a couple more manual adjustments on the joints which have the misalignment. The chiropractic manipulates and uses a controlled sudden force on the joints. The goal is to include prevention of injury and restoration of the specific function in addition to treatment of back pain relieving.
Post the treatment a good nutritional diet and an exercise regime goes hand in hand for the continued benefit. This is best suited to treat acute back pain which are the ones that happen due to furniture movement or lifting and tackling an attack. The pain arise due to the sudden injury in any of the above cases.
It’s a strict no-no for people who suffer from osteoporosis, inflammatory arthritis and compression in spinal cord.
Following the treatment people generally give feedback about their ease of mobility, improved pain relief and great sense of general well-being.
Spinal checkups need to be done regularly to make sure future health issues can be avoided in prior.
Conditions that can be treated
- Slipped disc
- Low back pain
- Frozen shoulders
- Elbow pain
- Knee pain
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Neck pain
- Mid back pain
- Sciatica
- Numbness
- Tingling sensation
- Ankle pain
Chiropractic is hence not a conventional medical treatment but could be combined with conventional medical treatment at times to help relieve certain conditions.
India is slowly picking up on establishing many authorised centers for chiropractic so make sure of you are opting for the treatment you get it done after thorough understanding and enquiry on the facility and the chiropractor.
So maintaining a good posture is all that is needed to save yourself from this chronic condition and treatment to get it relieved.
How to improve posture
- Don’t slouch. Not on the sofa and the work desk.
- No soft mattresses. Use something that is firm and keeps your spine stiff.
- No high heels often and save it for the big night.
- Beware of text neck. Never heard of the term? Don’t tilt your head to look down at your phone . Just lift it up and move the eyes and not the head.
- Make sure you exercise and keep your abs toned. A packed up belly is definitely going to put pressure on your spine.
- Frequently check for spinal issues. If you seem to be doubtful get it checked by the physician right away.
This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla, and generously SPONSORED BY Bugshield Clothing – Enjoy Outdoors More!
That Madras Mom 