Balancing your spine….
In 2007 a study (1) was done to look at the neurone density relative to vertebral motion. They immobilised three motion segments in a rat’s spine and then looked to see if there was a change in the neurone density within the spine.
Neurones are used to send messages of movement between muscles and joints. The larger the neurone pool the healthier. In this study it was shown for the first time that reduced movement to the spine reduced the size of the neurone pool within the spine. This means organisation is worsened as your brain goes on an efficiency drive to shut down function of parts not working properly.
With less movement on the inside, comes a smaller neurone pool which is one side of the see saw that balances pain sensitivity. As the neurone pool for movement gets smaller, low level pain signals get through to the brain. These low level signals could be said to annoy the brain. What the brain does to quieten the annoying signals is to reduce movement further. Here we get in a downward spiral that is reversible (neuroplastic).
Keeping your spine balanced is important for its segmental health. Having stiff segments and flexible segments is a recipe for something to really go wrong. As a Chiropractor I look toward developing balance within spines and the body overall. We know a well balanced spine is a healthy one (2). A well organised body exercises more readily and a body exercised with variety has a greater capacity for organisation.
References
- Bekkum BW et al (2007) Preliminary Morphological Evidence That Vertebral Hypomobility Induces Synaptic Plasticity in the Spinal Cord. JMPT 30 (5) 336
- Anderst WJ et al (2018) Intervertebral kinematics of the cervical spine before, during and after high velocity low amplitude manipulation. Spine 1-10