What is the spine for anyway? It’s one of those things we take for granted. Humans have spines, the days are longer during summer, and gravity exists. But once you start thinking about it, one question leads to another, and you realise you’ve opened a very fascinating can of worms. (Days are longer in summer because of the earth’s axis – you’re welcome.) But back to the spine, since, as chiropractors that is our area of expertise.
Why do we even have a spine? What is the spine for?
That’s how we (and all other mammals) evolved. If we didn’t have a spine, we’d presumably have some sort of exoskeleton (like an insect) instead – or perhaps have soft flexible bodies like an octopus. But, as vertebrates, our backbones provide structural support for our bodies and protect our nervous systems.
First and foremost, the spine acts as a natural shock absorber. Whenever we walk, run, jump, or engage in any physical activity, our spine helps to absorb the impact and distribute the force evenly throughout the body. Think of it like a trampoline – without the springs (or in this case, the spinal discs), the trampoline would be unable to absorb the impact of your jumps.
The spine protects the spinal cord – the incredibly thin tube of delicate nerve tissues that runs right down the centre of your spine, connecting your brain to your body. The bony vertebrae of the spine act like a shield, encasing the spinal cord and keeping it safe from injury. Without a spine, it’s likely that we would have a very different nervous system. The nervous systems of insects, for example, tend to be much less centralised with ganglia di
stributed throughout the body. It also seems that the complexity of our nervous system is linked to its centrality. (We can’t help thinking about those alien movies with bug people attacking Earth when we ponder this – what would it be like to defend against a highly developed civilisation
of invertebrates? Would their very different nervous systems make communication or mutual understanding impossible? As we said before, once you start asking questions more fascinating questions present themselves!)
But the spine isn’t just a protective barrier – it’s also incredibly flexible. Thanks to the intricate arrangement of bones, discs, ligaments, and muscles that make up t
he spine, we’re able to move our bodies in a wide range of directions. We can bend forward, backwards, and sideways. We can twist and turn. Without this flexibility we could not perform simple daily tasks like tying our shoes, let alone perform complex dance routines (like the Macarena or the Chicken Dance). The spine also plays a crucial role in maintaining our balance and coordination. The muscles that surround the spine work together to stabilise and support our bodies, allowing us to maintain an upright posture and move with ease.
But the spine isn’t just im
portant for physical health – it also affects our emotional well-being. Back pain is linked to depression and anxiety so taking care of our spines also takes care of our mental health. Why would this be? Well, amongst the nerves travelling along the spinal cord are those known as the sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the body’s “fight or flight” response to stress and danger. Given that stress has become a
chronic rather than occasional event in modern life it’s no wonder, the ganglia (clusters) of nerve cells in this system are constantly releasing neurotransmitters to ready the body to respond to danger. When your chiropractor adjusts your spine, they’re therefore doing more than al
leviating back pain, but ensuring your body’s stress regulation system is working well too. This just highlights how important it is to care for your spinal health, maintain good posture and see your chiropractor when necessary. The team at Back 4 Life Wellness will always be happy to see you. Call us for an appointment on (03) 5381 1892. You can also follow us on social media for more fascinating tips and chiropractic information. Follow us out on Instagram or Facebook.
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