Spinal health and the importance of taking care of something that cannot be replaced.
I’ve often pondered would people have better health if they wore their spines on the outside.
As human beings we are obsessed about how we look. The most successful blogs and social media pages are fashion, beauty and celebrity based.
As consumers we are bombarded by images of physical perfection, photoshopped perfection to market an expensive ideal. (There are apps available that make your photo appear photoshopped and perfect *sigh*.) Beauty is a billion dollar global industry that is impossible to avoid.
Since the 90’s, there has been a 465% increase in cosmetic surgeries to make us appear healthy and beautiful on the outside, yet on the inside, spinal degeneration and arthritis continues to rise.
I believe if half the time trying to make ourselves look ‘beautiful’ on the outside was spent looking after our spines I’m sure the nation’s health stats would look significantly different.
Healthy exercise has been replaced with before and after gym shots of six packs. Don’t get me wrong, exercise is crucial for our health and wellbeing but obsession about being muscular is not the same as wanting to be healthy (but that’s another blog completely!)
As a Chiropractor it is my duty to raise awareness of the importance of good spinal health (which includes; good posture, movement and daily care of the spine)
Back problems are the second most common cause for GP visits – second to the common cold.
Back and neck pain is one of the most common causes for absences from work.
Up to quarter of a million people in Ireland fail to seek help for debilitating back pain. And a whopping 80% of people will suffer from back pain at some point in their lives.
While Chiropractic care is very effective at helping people with back and neck problems, Chiropractors prefer to educate people to look after their spines to prevent the onset of these problems in the first place.
Good spinal health begins with regular exercise, awareness of posture along with regular Chiropractic check ups can help to maintain good function, alignment and mobility of the spine and prevent degenerative changes keeping the spine healthy for longer.
Unfortunately, spinal hygiene hasn’t become common practice yet.
Spinal hygiene is the concept of having your spine checked out, similar to having your oral hygiene assessed by a dentist, to catch small problems from becoming too big or painful.
The problem is that the spine is not like the teeth that can be replaced.
If you wish to live life to the full and function fully to old age, it’s a good idea to take care of your spine.
If you have any questions on the your spinal health please call me at my office in Ballincollig in Cork on 021 487 8465 and I will be happy to answer any of your questions.
