Dr David Wellington Greerton Chiropractic www.greertonchiropractic.co.nz

Why is your spine important? Because it's the central structure of the body and you only have one.

1. It provides rigidity to stand upright, supporting the head, chest and pelvis.

2. Allows mobility because of the vertebra and discs between, two vertebra and one disc is a motion segment.

3. And perhaps most importantly, houses and protects the spinal cord and spinal nerve roots.

These combine to perform critical functions we taken for granted:

Posture, Balance, Gait and IS the foundation of voluntary movement.

Obviously we have most control of our hands and fingers also our feet and toes. We are able to reach and grasp with our hands and fingers. We have dexterity to move our foot to put in a shoe, remarkably play a piano and paint with our feet and toes, because we have voluntary control.

Whereas, we have less awareness of the movement of shoulder when moving the hand to reach or grasp something, passing a rugby or netball, swinging a golf club, picking groceries from a shelf, opening a fridge etc.

Ironically, we are virtually unaware of movements of the spine. Yes we can bend and twist the whole spine or turn our head and the neck vertebra will move in unison. But we have virtually no ability to discretely move one vertebra upon another such as C6 to C7. Why? Because the spine is reflexively controlled.

So simple everyday tasks such as getting out of the car, pushing a shopping trolley, vacuum cleaning, all occur without any or absolutely minimal thought regarding how you position, bend or twist the spine to perform the task, you just do it by thinking of the end goal.

Co-incidentally, these three tasks also place a high degree of loading to the spine. We all do activities like this and many more, in / out of bed, walking, running, lifting, carrying, sitting, bending, twisting, driving, riding, and more and more.

So what goes wrong? Why would my back get injured? Why does it cause pain? Why does the pain go and return?

Let's go back, control of spinal motion segments is reflexive. So how can it get injured then? Simply the brain and spinal cord are unable to reflexively stabilise a motion segment to prevent damage to tissues. Depending on the force applied, such as a motor vehicle accident, a fall or chronic postural stress, all can disrupt correct movement of a motion segment. The disruption of function due to inflammation and tissue damage may be perceived; as acute local pain, a muscle spasm resisting stretch, or it may be referred pain in a shoulder or arm, or going down the leg, cervicobrachial headaches, cervicogenic headaches. These symptoms can be the result of a torn joint capsule, an irritation to a disc, or a disc bulge aggravating a nerve root, spinal stenosis, minute disc tears, actually it could be from damage to any tissue or joint with pain receptors related to the vertebral column.

Then how do you achieve correct function, and ideally being pain free, how is it possible to help alleviate chronic pain? By understanding and utilising in built mechanisms to stimulate and help restore appropriate function of the spine. Please contact me to discuss any issue of interest related to your back and musculoskeletal system.