Your Spine

In addition to helping you move, your spine protects the spinal cord, part of your nervous system - the most important and amazing body system.

The nervous system is made of three parts; brain, spinal cord and spinal nerves. Your brain is the control center of every function in your body, and it sends information and energy down your spinal cord.

• Your spinal cord is protected by 24 bones called vertebrae.
• Spinal nerves exit between each vertebra, delivering your brain’s messages to the rest of your body.
• In between each vertebra is a disc, which acts as a spacer and shock absorber.
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Joints and discs

When the joints or discs have deteriorated, or when you have a subluxation, (“stuck” or out of position vertebra) spinal nerves can become compressed, blocking up to 60 percent of the nerve impulses. This means your body may only be receiving 40 percent of the messages your brain is sending! This can cause problems in other areas of your body - not to mention the pain, numbness, stiffness, loss of mobility or loss of strength that can accompany worn out joints and subluxations.

Common Problems

Most problems and pain in the spine come from the discs. When healthy, discs have soft, jelly-like centers surrounded by layers of tough, fibrous tissues. When unhealthy, the most common problems include:

Herniated or bulging discs

This occurs when the material in the middle of a disc ruptures or pushes to one side. This can cause pain, pressure, pinched nerves and swelling. Bulging discs eventually lead to disc degeneration.

Disc degeneration

Healthy discs are flexible, like a moist sponge. However, injuries can cause small tears in the disc, causing the disc to lose fluid and wear thin. Ultimately, the vertebrae on either side of the disc begin to rub together, becoming rough, worn down - or even fused together.

Vertebral fusion

When spinal damage goes uncorrected, and discs begin to degenerate, the body starts to deposit calcium on the surface of the vertebrae. This can result in complete fusion. One of the main goals is to keep the spine healthy and mobile, so fusion does not take place.

Making Your Spines Health A Priority

Your muscles will adapt to supporting the spine incorrectly. This means your body can function at less than optimal level for years without visible symptoms such as pain or stiffness. However, underneath the surface, major problems may be forming. These problems can suddenly come to your attention when an injury - big or small - (or sometimes none at all) occurs that your body can’t adapt to.

Keeping your spine mobile and aligned is a key to optimal health: "A body that is free of nerve interference has more power to heal, think and metabolize. Ninety percent of the stimulation and nutrition to the brain is generated by movement of the spine." Dr. Roger Sperry, Nobel Prize winner for brain research

Making your spine’s health a priority will help you address and provide direction for these issues - or even avoid them in the first place. At Better Health, our goal is not just to help you feel less pain in the area of noticeable symptoms. Our goal is to reliably improve your entire spine as a whole. In this manner, we prevent the development of new problems in areas where you may not yet be having symptoms.