Why does my spine keep going out? Will my spine ever get better? What can I do to make it better? and other small variant's of those questions.
Sometimes, I write about amazing things I've learned and feel it can benefit your life. Sometimes I write about things simply because multiple people ask the same question, kind of like This weeks trend. So, I figure more people are probably wondering...
This may give you some insight if you are a football fan.
"NY Giants WR Victor Cruz can recover from knee injury, but will likely never be the same, doctor says" -NYDaily News headline Oct. 13, 2014
Getting over a significant injury isn't that easy and will likely linger forever. Victor Cruz tore his patellar tendon Monday night trying to catch a football, there was no contact involved. So, this could be me or you playing in the backyard with our kids.
This injury is most likely due to significant, repeated stress, that weakened the tendon until the last straw that finally breaks. I've never seen a patient with this injury, because it's not all that common. But, I've seen thousands of back injuries that occur the same way.
Most people have a series of small back pains / injuries through out the years. Injuries digging holes in the garden, moving rocks, lifting furniture, falling off bikes, throwing bowling balls, lifting kids, you get the idea. They aren't debilitating, but they are repeated stressors on the spine. Then one day, the big, big, big one hits seemingly out of the blue. Kind of like a pro football player jumping to catch a pass, he's caught a thousand times, except this time, his knee blows out.
Here's where the problems begin. Tendon's, like ligaments, (ie...most spine problems) heal really slowly. I mean 6-12 months slowly. Why, might you ask? Well, very simple, they have hardly any blood supply. Blood=healing. It would have been, significantly better for Victor Cruz to break his leg.
To the professional wide receivers reading this blog, you have it good. For the rest of you, who have to get back to work, watch kids, mow the grass, and basically lead a normal life, getting better, fully better, is much harder.
#1 problem I see, is people don't, won't, or can't give themselves enough time to heal.
#2 Good healing needs good nutrition. A lot of people are living off of processed foods devoid of real vitamins and minerals. Injuries don't heal with cereal.
#3 Spinal injuries in particular need motion to properly heal. Not exercise motion. Motion that should exist between the joints. Chiropractic adjustments are the only way to get intersegmental motion restored. Stretching doesn't get that specific. Motion is the key to life, especially in your spine.
The doctor says Victor likely never be the same. I see that in my own life and in patients. The injuries I got 21 years ago are the first things to hurt if I increase the 3 T's of stress.
More than 100 years ago chiropractors identified 3 things that increase subluxations (joint misalignments, stiffness, and dysfunction).
Trauma - This is an easy one. Everyone gets this. Repeated physical stress to an injury keeps it from healing or allows reinjury easier. (ie...desk jobs)
Toxins- This is one most people don't consider. Bad diet, bad water, bad air quality weaken you.
Thoughts - This is another one that flies under the health recovery radar. Financial stress, relationship stress, job stress, mother-in-law stress, deaths, marriages, divorces, job changes, moving, etc. all can increase your likelihood of not getting better.
So, can your spine get better? Sure, but it's tough for many people in a modern society. The best things I see.
#1 Get adjusted at least once a month, for good spinal health.
#2 Eat good, clean, whole foods. Eating out at restaurants every day is not good.
#3 Focus on eating more anti-inflammatory foods, fruits, veggies, and fish.
#4 Be taking Cod Liver Oil. More on that later, just do it.
#5 Get some weight lifting in. Get coaching if you have no experience.
#6 Spend time destressing your life, or thinking about how to change. If you are in a highly stressful situation I find that prayer, meditation, and breathing exercise help immensely.
There is more you can do, but this is a good start. If you have questions, just ask.