Spinal Dysfunction

Spinal Dysfunction

• Cervical/ Neck Pain
• Lumbar/low back Pain
• Sacroiliac Joint Pain
• Coccyx/Tailbone Pain

The spine consists of twenty-five individual bones. The first seven vertebrae or upper vertebra is known as the cervical spine, the next twelve (or mid-spine) is called the thoracic spine and the last 5 (lower spine) are known as the lumbar spine. Each of these bones or vertebrae is connected to each other by soft tissue called ligaments and spinal discs. The ligaments and discs limit the amount of motion that occurs between each vertebra but also provide flexibility. We are going to use an example of a dog on a leash. When we move, for example, to pick up something off the floor or change a light bulb, a small amount of motion occurs between each vertebra. The discs and ligaments (the leash) allow the vertebrae (the dog) to move freely to a certain length. If the dog (the vertebrae) moves too far then the leash (ligaments and discs) will tighten to a certain extend to prevent it from straying too far. Over time, if the dog (vertebrae) pulls on the leash (vertebrae) excessively there is a chance that the leash will become lax or strained and may break. Now even though the ligaments and discs are important stabilizers for the spine, they are very weak stabilizers (weak leash) and have to also rely muscles for support. In fact, if more than 20 lbs are placed on the spine, the ligaments and discs are susceptible to damage. So what then? What else supports the spine? It’s the muscles that play the most critical role. Correct rehabilitation and training of these muscles are vital for repair, reducing damage and increasing your spine’s tolerance for further injury. Several hundreds of pounds stress can occur on the spine from normal daily activities. Chronic strain and repetitive injury from faulty body mechanics causes breakdown of the vertebrae and the connective tissue. This is what happens with various types of spinal conditions including disc herniations, stenosis, degenerative disc disease and various other conditions.