Your back is stronger than you think
My most popular blog post so far (particularly with American readers - hello!) is “have you got a crumbling spine?”* Today’s post is a follow up to hopefully help restore your confidence in your back!e it stand out
*Spoiler: NO!
You’re made of tough stuff:
Springy spine: the “S” shape of your spine allows it to act like a spring. It helps to absord shock, spread weight, and increases flexibility
Strong bones: your vertebra are strong - a lot of people don’t realise that you can actually increase the strength of your bones with weight-bearing exercises (think running, dancing, tennis and more)
Secure discs: these sit in between each vertebra and are made up of two sets of fibres. The inner, softer portion absorbs shock and the tougher, outer portion helps to keep the inner fibres in place (P.S. discs don’t really “slip”, but that’s a topic for another day!)
Muscle power: the muscles that attach to your spine are strong, and if you look after them they can get even stronger! If you don’t have a sensitive stomach (and don’t mind the odd swear word!) then check this video out which shoes how difficult a dead human spine is to move with just your hands
So why am I telling you this?
We want to avoid “fear avoidance behaviour”. This essentially means when you stop doing things due to fear of pain, you enter a vicious cycle where the pain actually gets worse due to lack of use - the phrase “use it or lose it” springs to mind! If the cycle isn’t broken it can lead to issues with chronic pain.