The real cause of back pain
Sooner or later most of us will have to deal with back pain so it is interesting to know a little bit more about it. The cause of back pain has genetic and epigenetic elements, that means there are some hereditary issues and some others are caused by the way we use our back.
The malfunctioning of certain vertebra provokes nerve irritation and therefore pain. When we try to avoid this pain, we compensate by using our muscles in a different way. The irritation of the nerves influences the capacity to transport information. This may also affect the organs because the nerves are receiving and sending false information to the brain.
When you treat your spine, you can recover the normal functioning of the vertebral column relieving pain and at times improving organ function.
After the treatment, we advise you to have regular check ups ( twice a year ) to prevent the recurrence of back pain in the future.
Back problems and building the spine
The spine extends from the coccyx to the skull. It is made up of 24 vertebras,7 cervical vertebras, 12 thoracic vertebras and 5 (sometimes 6) vertebras in the lower back.
The thoracic vertebra are connected through the ribs to the sternum, forming a cage that protects our most important organs (heart, lungs, liver…).
The way this cage is built, forming this scaffolding around the spine, limits some of the movements of the vertebras and makes it harder to get intervertebral problems, therefore pain.
In the other hand, the neck and low back are areas where more vertebral movement is possible, and this is where most problems occur. The main movement of the spine in the lower back and neck is bending and extending and those are also the movements that become more restricted when a problem arises.
Back problems and the use of the spine
Some people may lift enormous weights without suffering any pain, while others get injured when lifting a pen from the floor. Why does this happen?
It depends on how you are treating your back. If you train your muscles, without taxing them over, they become stronger. Not only the muscles, but in a minor extent, also the bones and cartilages.
Besides training the back also our posture is important. In some professions this is taken into account but when you work behind the computer and you don’t take care of your attitude, many problems can arise.
We can understand then, how the back itself is continuously adapting to the prevailing conditions. And it is in our hands to create better ones.
Prevent the further development of your back pain
To prevent this irritation you change the way you move. This adaptation of movement can lead to new problems in the rest of the back. So you get into a vicious cycle of symptoms. A number of treatments with manual therapy can make your back problems disappear completely.
Back pain is one of the most common problems: nearly 80% of people have to deal with it.
What is the origin of pain associated with back pain? All pain is transmitted through nerves. This pain stimulus makes you aware that there is something wrong somewhere in your body. If we look at it like that we can see that feeling pain can be very useful. Back pain can be very annoying, but it can save you from further irritation or damage.
When people have pain on their backs they often think of a hernia, but in most cases there is only an irritation of a nerve. This irritation usually goes away within two weeks. If there are still symptoms after this time, treatment is needed. Because there is a chemical change in the structure of the tendons that does not go away automatically unless it is treated by manual therapy.
Read more about the treatment of back pain
Some back problems arise acutely and others are gradually formed.
In the case of acute back pain, which is often caused by a dysfunctional spine, the preferred method to get rid of the symptoms is manual therapy.
When a complaint develops gradually, there are usually 'muscle influences´ and the body will compensate to prevent pain. So even when the vertebras are functioning properly the muscles can create compensations that could provoke back pain. This can lead to recurring back problems.
With exercise taught individually we can adjust your posture to correct the malfunctioning of the spine. The exercises should be repeated at home until the body has integrated this new pattern of movement. In this way you can prevent the recurrence of the back pain and solve your back pain infinitely.
Getting the source of the problem.
Instead of treating the symptoms, we address the underlying cause of the symptoms. This prevents the return of the problem.