The Back
How the Back Works
The back is a marvelous piece of engineering, and when everything is working correctly, it not only supports the rest of the body, but also allows the various organs and nerves in the body to do their job as well. The back is comprised of 24 vertebrae, an equal number of spongy discs between each vertebra. The combination of bony vertebrae and spongy discs create a strong but flexible spine which supports the torso while also allows it to be flexible. The back also contains a veritable web of ligaments, tendons and muscles which hold things in place but also allow the back to move. Finally, at the center of all this muscle, tendon, bone and disc material, is the spinal cord, which connects every nerve in the body to the brain. If the back is injured, or simply allowed to deteriorate, then the back can be the cause of many, many problems. However, when the back is kept strong and flexible and protected from injury, it can accomplish marvelous things.
Keeping the Back Strong
Keeping the back in shape is the surest way to prevent or minimize the risk of back strain or back injury. The good news is, the back doesn’t need expensive equipment or a personal trainer to stay strong. Gentle exercise like walking or cycling will help strengthen the back and stomach muscles, even if you already have a bad back. If the back is already in good shape, then that condition should be maintained by regular exercise or other activity. Maintaining your weight at a healthy level is also important for keeping the back in good shape. Because the back supports and moves the entire torso, any extra weight on the torso will put extra strain on the back. Finally, keeping the back in good shape requires good posture. The back is a complicated piece of engineering, and is intended to move and sit a certain way. If the person who owns the back is constantly slouching or stooping, then the back is being expected to bend in ways it wasn’t engineered to. Maintaining a healthy back does not require an excess of money or time. What it does require, though, is regular exercise, a fit body, and good posture. When allowed to work under these conditions, the back can continue to do amazing things for a very long time.
Healing the Back After Injury
After the back is injured, healing it requires a slightly different approach than an injured limb or digit requires. First and foremost, most back injuries should not lead to immobilizing the back. Unless a doctor or other health professional tells you otherwise, you should move the back as much as possible; just move it very carefully. Laying in bed or on the couch waiting for your back to heal is a big mistake. The back muscles will lose both their strength and flexibility, making the back even more prone to injury in the future. Secondly, back injuries require pain management and a comprehensive program to minimize inflammation or swelling. If the back muscles are swollen because of the injury, then not only are you in pain, it is also harder for you to use the back muscles without injuring them further. Finally - and this is where we see the similarity between back injuries and other kinds of injuries – the back injury should be followed up by an individualized regimen of strengthening and stretching exercises. If managed right, the back can emerge from an injury in better shape than ever before.