Why Proper Spine Alignment Is Important For Your Health

Good spine alignment is crucial when it comes to our overall health. This is because the spine plays a significant role in supporting our basic body functions. Plus, it provides protection for several vital neural tissues such as the spinal cord and brainstem. If you have any kind of underlying health issues regarding your spine, it can easily lead to chronic diseases, the loss of your vitality, and you could also realize a decrease in your quality of life. Therefore, it is important to take good care of the spine and make sure that your spine is optimally aligned.

The 3 Main Functions of the Spine

Before we go any further into the topic of why it is essential to have proper spine alignment, let’s get started with the main functions of the spine. Primarily, our spines are responsible for:

1. Protection: The spine protects the spinal cord and the surrounding structures so that the communication between the brain and the body can go on uninterruptedly.
2. Movement: Our spines allow us to move freely. We can, for example, bend, turn and twist. This is because our major muscle groups are attached to the spine, and there is well-working coordination between them and innate stability provided by the vertebrae.
3. Shock absorption: Due to the intervertebral discs and other cartilage that can be found between our vertebrae, we can participate in daily activities without doing us any harm.

What Happens When the Spine Is Misaligned?

Any kind of spine misalignment can cause serious health problems. Most importantly, the main functions of the spine can be disrupted. And this can lead to chronic pain, poor concentration, fatigue, and many other common health-related symptoms.

Unfortunately, in a lot of cases, spine misalignment remains unrecognized. The reason for this is that a subtle misalignment can easily be overlooked by some health professionals who are not specialized in spine health.

How to Know Whether Your Spine Is Aligned

If you would like to know whether your spine is aligned, the best is to find a chiropractor who is trained to recognize any kind of issues related to your spine and can offer various treatment options to improve your health. However, in case you would like to do a quick check on your spine at home, there are a few guidelines that can help you do that. But always keep in mind that these don’t replace an examination conducted by a specialist.

• Stand in front of a mirror, and check if your ears, shoulders, hip, and knees are horizontally aligned or not. Normally, they should be aligned.
• If you face sideways in the mirror, some of your body parts (head, shoulders, hips, knees) should form an almost straight vertical line. On the other hand, the spine should look like a flattened “S” starting from your head right to your butt.
• Bend a little forward and check if you can see a rib hump on either side. If you can, it may be a sign of a rotated spine.

The Most Common Causes of Spine Misalignment

There are many reasons why a spine misalignment can be developed. Amongst the most common causes we can find the following:

• Growth deformities: Developmental changes in the body can cause spine misalignment.
• Bad posture: A sedentary lifestyle paired with poor posture, and also sleeping in the wrong position can lead to spine problems.
• Poor diet: Eating highly processed food that has almost no nutritional value can significantly increase the risk of spine misalignment due to connective tissue compromise.
• Too much stress: Having poor stress management skills can also play a huge role in developing a spine issue.
• Lack of exercise: If you don’t exercise regularly, and you mostly lead a sedentary lifestyle, you put yourself at a higher risk for spine misalignment.
• Injuries: The spine can get misaligned because of an injury. For example, a fall, a car accident, or even repetitive motions can cause an imbalance in your spine.

What Chiropractic Care Can Do for Better Spine Health?

You are wondering now what you can do to improve your spine health. To begin with, it may be a good idea to assess your lifestyle and make changes if it’s necessary. Try to lead an active lifestyle, eat healthily, pay attention to your posture, and learn stress management techniques. These changes can already give a good base for further developments in your health.

As mentioned above, subtle deformities in the spine can be difficult to recognize. Unbeknownst to you, this can be causing and/or aggravating any chronic health issues and pain. Therefore, you may need the help of a professional who can make a diagnosis for you and, with regular checkups, can follow up on the changes in spine and manage your pain. Chiropractic BioPhysics (CBP) certified chiropractors are the best specialists in spine health with their science based protocol.

Consult a CBP Certified Chiropractor

If you have concerns regarding your spine health, don’t hesitate to look for a corrective chiropractic doctor. Dr. Cynthia Boyd and her team in Oakland and Alameda, CA at Symmetry Health Center are CBP certified and dedicated to improving your overall health with proper spine alignment. Make a call today and discuss how they can help you reach your health goals. Call us now today!