Is Your Back Feeling Attacked?

Let's talk about BACK PAIN! It seems to get us all at some point; active, inactive, old, young and everyone in-between. Is that true? Are there things we can do to prevent it? More precisely, what can we do to remedy the problem once we are there?

The Prevention

It's a lot easier to prevent a problem - than to fix a problem. However, most of us do something called retroactive problem solving, where a problem has to show up before we really think about how to fix or deal with it.

The recommendation for back pain: Living an overall healthy, active lifestyle can help prevent back pain lower down the line. Annual visits to a chiropractor/physiotherapist can also be a huge help as they can notice problems as they happen and fix them before it gets worse.

Why does eating right and maintain a good activity level effect our back pain?

One of the most common causes of backpain is actually blood flow! By increasing blood flow, you are begin to reduce stiffness, relax the muscles and promote more flexibility and overall comfort for the affected area. A great way to increase blood flow is through daily stretching.

The back has two types of main arteries that can bring in fresh blood flow to maintain operation. The ASA (single anterior spinal artery) & the PSA's (two posterior spinal arteries) are the main arteries responsible for bringing blood supply to the different parts of the spine.

Sometimes, through improper amounts of exercise or ingesting high levels of saturated/trans fats in the diet, these arteries can become clogged, restricting blood flow, causing inflammation and discomfort. By focusing on activity, healthy unsaturated fats and high fiber foods we can work to reduce the amount of build up in the arteries, reducing the chance for back pain!

A Back (Or Any) Injury

Injuries never happen at "convenient times," and back injuries are no exception! You use your back for everything, so prepare to take a few off of your regular routine.

Most commonly back pain comes from:

#1 - Injury through repetitive or habits