Why is Your Lower Back Injury Prone?
By Randi Morse
Your spine is an amazing thing. It is not only the main support column for your entire body, it also helps to connect all the nerves and blood vessels, allowing them to travel through all parts of the body. Your lower back is especially flexible and strong, but it is that very flexibility that can make it susceptible to injury. Is there anything you can do to prevent lower back injury from happening?
The Lower Back
The lower back needs to be flexible and bendy for your body to work optimally. That is why the vertebra in the lower part of your spine allows for a large amount of motion. The lowest two segments of your back, which are referred to as L4-L5 and L5-S1 are the most prone to injury. Moving incorrectly, lifting a heavy object, or twisting suddenly could cause your ligaments or muscles to develop microscopic tears. You may also find that you have muscle strain, or sprain, due to repetitive motion or even bad posture.
How Can I Avoid Injury?
It's entirely possible to create an environment that keeps your back injury-free. The first thing you need to do is strengthen your core. This includes five main muscle groups that travel from the base of your head down the trunk of your body, providing support for the spine. If your core is not strong, your spine must do more of the work then it was designed to. This makes you highly prone to injury. There are lots of core exercises that you can do which will help to strengthen that core, helping to provide the support structure that your spine needs.
Correct Posture?
Correcting your posture is another quick, easy way to avoid back injury. If you sit slouched over, or walk slumped over, the spine is being forced into an unnatural position. Doing this every once in a while isn't generally that big of a deal, but if you sit, or walk, with poor posture regularly, your lower back may become injured. If you have some disc degeneration already, poor posture can make it worse. By simply using an ergonomic chair, which supports the lower back, and getting up to walk around regularly, you can significantly lower your risk of back injury.
Every part of our body is important, but spine injuries seem to be particularly debilitating. If you are dealing with a spine injury, seek help from a local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic. An experienced chiropractor can examine you and work with you, using various techniques, to help your problem and alleviate your pain.
To learn more about your health, wellness and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Fort Worth, Tex.