Milwaukee Board Certified Chiropractic Orthopedist and Bad Back Doctor writes:
You didn't start out with a bad back. In fact you didn't start with a back at all, not even a front! You started out round...as just a single cell. So there wasn't a front or a back.
Everything that is you developed from that one cell. And through the miracle of life, that one cell became two, then four, then eight and on and on and on... until organs formed and you became recognizably human.
Of course you probably don't remember much about when you were one cell. But at some instant you became aware that there was something happening around you that you didn't cause, and likewise, that you could have an effect on your environment that persisted over time.
You achieved a degree of intentional conscious control over parts of your body. Then you could move from place to place and keep yourself oriented upright in gravity at the same time. That's kinda important. It is much easier to walk when your feet are on the ground rather than on the wall.
Day after day, year after year, your body has adapted to the stresses of its' environment. Sitting in school, lying in bed, lifting, bending, carrying, being carried, all these postures are positions you use to allow yourself to do the things you want to do every day.
In effect, you create your own posture in response to the stresses of your environment and in accordance with the genetic programming of your cells.
If you respond to gravity favorably then your spine develops strong and mobile. Then, with a little attention on how your body feels in its' various postures you can build a nice upright posture and keep your spine healthy for a lifetime.
But just like you can build your back strong and mobile, over time you can actually develop a bad back because of the way you treat it and what you have done in your lifetime. Sitting posture, sports injuries, car accidents, work stresses and strains, and even nutritional factors, all of which were under your control.
All the tissues of the body including the bones of the spine, the muscles, and the ligaments were developed according to the genetic pattern of that one cell. Your job, if you choose to accept it, is to orchestrate the parts and make them work together.
So if what you have now is not working for you, maybe it's because you never really were shown how to claim ownership of your back.
Failing to own your back results in just allowing anything to happen. You may be lucky and get through without a disaster or even an episode, but the chances are about 80% that your back will make you pay attention to it at least once in a while. And if it hasn't yet, that doesn't mean it won't.
Some people are willing to ignore the signs and think they're too busy to accept the responsibility for their health. Then they become victims of their environment. Don't be one of them.
You can take control and make your back do what you want. You can take charge of your health. But you have to be the one who cares more about your health than anyone else. And you can learn how to stay healthy.
You can start by turning your bad back into a good back.
If you or someone you know has a bad back or the symptoms of herniated disc, spinal stenosis, sciatica or degenerative disc disease call us at (414) 355-0433 to schedule a Complimentary Consultation with Dr. Donaldson to find out if you qualify for one of our StandUpRight Spinal Disc Decompression programs or request a free appointment online.
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