The News

Your System and Your Back

The Nervous System and the Back

Your nervous system is about the most important system in your body, and your back, as its protector, comes in a close second.The nervous system communicates the sensations which pass from your skin, eyes, nose and mouth into your brain. Your brain then sends directives back to all the different parts of your body telling you what to do about that information.Your nervous system also includes your autonomic system, which controls your heartbeat, breathing, and digestion. The signals traveling from your brain to your fingertips and back have to pass through the spinal cord, and that is how your back gets involved. Your back is actually a complex system of bone, muscle, tendon, cartilage and some spongy cushions called discs. The components of your back cooperate to accomplish two important tasks: supporting the head and torso and protecting the spinal cord. Obviously, if your back were unable to support your torso, most physical tasks would be very hard to do. However, if your back were unable to protect your nervous system, then any task would be impossible because you wouldn’t be able to move.

Your Circulatory System and Back Pain

A healthy circulatory system requires a healthy back. It would seem that one has little to do with the other, but as with every system in the body, what affects one will surely affect the other. An injured or strained back can generate constant pain. Pain has an effect on every system in the body, but the effect of prolonged pain on the circulatory system can be life-threatening. When the body is in pain, one physiological reaction is to prepare the systems in your body for “fight or flight”. If you must fight or run away from a dangerous situation, then an increased heart rate and high blood pressure can be useful. If, however, you can’t run away from the pain, and your only option is to sit there and think, “Ooh, my aching back,” then your pumped up circulatory system could be dangerous. Back pain is not only annoying in and of itself, but prolonged back pain can be dangerous to your circulatory system and could cost you your life. If your back is in constant pain, then find a way to fix whatever is wrong. Your circulatory system – and your life – may depend on it.

Your Skeletal System and Your Back

Your skeletal system has two main parts – the parts attached to your back, and the other parts. If you prefer the more technical terms, then we have an axial skeleton which consists of the spine, ribcage and cranium, and an appendicular skeleton, which covers everything else. These distinctions are important because they show the central role that the back plays in supporting the rest of the skeletal system. If the convoluted system of bones, tendons and muscle which comprise your back are weakened or become misaligned, then the rest of your skeletal system is affected. If your back cannot support your shoulders and arms, then those bones and joints can become stressed. If your back is twisted or misaligned, then your hips and pelvis will have a hard time moving, which could also affect several other systems in the area. Finally, if your back is bent or stooped, then your ribcage won’t have the room to let your respiratory, digestive, and cardiovascular systems work the way they should. Obviously, then, maintaining the health of your back is important not only for your back, or even just your skeletal system. Your back should be attended to because the condition of your back affects every other system of your body.