Question: It seems to me that everyone I know has a back problem. Is it normal to have back pain and why do so many people have back problems?
Answer: Worldwide, the statistic for percentage of the population with back pain is 80 percent. This number has increased exponentially over our evolutionary development into the modern era due to various reasons. Our lifestyles have radically changed and adapted to high stress loads in business, family and personal life. The high pace of society has infiltrated even the most remote areas of the world and the effects have resulted in increased tension, which is expressed through physical irritation.
Our spine makes up more than a third of our body and is responsible for all the weight bearing we put it through on any given day. Combine improper daily preparation for our daily activities, with being overweight, sedentary, and putting ourselves in a seated or forward leaning position — examples are driving or working at the computer — predisposes our back to pain and discomfort. Many back conditions are perpetuated by poor posture and body movement habits day after day.
Many back problems originate from acute trauma, such as sports injuries, slips and falls, motor vehicle accidents, and work injuries. Interestingly, we can develop our back problems from modeling those older than us such as family members or friends. We may subliminally model their postures and behaviors. What appeared normal to us may be a dangerous or potentially detrimental behavior.
The magnitude of the abundance of low-back pain victims is abounding. The leaders to the solution are absolutely chiropractors, whom have expertise in the field of the spine and its dysfunctions. Chiropractors thoroughly understand how the human body should work and its proper homeostasis. The chiropractic adjustment is essential, but educating the patient as to the source of their back problem, what improper behaviors exist, and giving the patient self-help solutions is a full well rounded method towards correction.
Quote of the week: “Success in this game depends less on strength of the body than strength of mind and character.” — Arnold Palmer