Take Care of those Bones this Halloween.

By Dr Dave Edenfield

When it comes to your musculoskeletal system, the years can create tricks that come as no treats.  Through either occupational hazards such as lifting heavy objects incorrectly, or sports-related stresses (yes, playing golf counts in this category), normal wear and tear take their toll on those bones that can add up to pain.  The problem is that most people don’t realize how much damage is done until pain is already present.  But is there a better way to detect any looming problems before pain rears its ugly head?

How Scary is Your Posture?

One way is to stand sideways in front of a mirror and look to see how others see you.  (You can also use a camera with an auto-timer to take a profile snapshot.)  When you look at yourself in profile, does your back and neck have a graceful curve?  Is your head on a level plain with your shoulders, or is it hanging down?  Can you draw a straight line that bisects your hips, shoulders and head? And is the line perpendicular to the floor or at an angle?  It always amazes patients when I show them their x-rays that prove how out of whack their posture has become. 

Poor posture not only affects the spine, it can also adversely affect the entire body.  Since everything from movement to our immune systems are regulated by the central nervous system, any structural anomaly has a tendency to disrupt the spinal nerves that transmit signals to the body.  This can lead to a number of maladies including everything from headaches, to sleep disorders, to digestive imbalances, to nervous disorders.

Areas of distribution of the cutaneous branches of the posterior divisions of the spinal nerves. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Another exercise you can try to test your frame is to stand upright and turn your head to 

the left as far as it will go and then to the right. Then tilt your head forward and back as far as it will go.  Does it move smoothly, or does it start and stop? Do you hear popping noises as you turn or tilt your head?  Does it turn farther one way than the other?  These can all be signs of spinal sublaxations that beg to be corrected.

Structural imbalances such as these not only alter the natural curvature of the spine, they also lead to degeneration of the discs and other problems such as sciatica and arthritis. They can also make sufferers more prone to injury.  Believe it or not, many people who are deemed “accident prone” may in fact have postural anomalies to blame for this condition.

One last exercise that can help you get a bead on structural issues is to do a squat thrust.  When you lower yourself down to the floor and then stand back up again, do you hear any creaking or groaning sounds emanating from your joints?  Is the motion smooth or does it tend to start and stop?  Do you have any difficulty in either the downward or the upward portion of the exercise?  If any of the above happens to you, these are also signs that your body is under inordinate stress and may have been for some time.

The bad news is that once begun, postural abnormalities create a kind of domino effect that causes the brain to try to compensate by telling the muscles and other soft tissues to alter their tension in order to compensate.  This causes yet more stress and imbalance which if left unchecked can result in tingling in the extremities, loss of motion and pain.  The good news is that by visiting your local chiropractor, he or she can diagnose the problem and begin treatment that can correct the anomalies, eliminate the pain and ultimately return you to health.

So when it comes to taking care of your bones this Halloween, if you detect anything amiss, treat yourself to a chiropractic exam that can start you on the road to recovery. 

Dr. Dave Edenfield  and Dr. Steven Warfield are part of the team of doctors and therapists at http://chiropractor-jacksonville-fl.com and http://endyourpain.orgwho are dedicated to helping you and your family lead  healthier, happier and pain-free lives.