Did you ever stop exercising because of a tough work schedule or perhaps an increase in family commitments? You may have soon noticed how horrible you started to feel after a while. Your stress level also may have appeared to increase. You figure it out and say I have got to get back to the gym or to running or whatever it is you do. You decide “That’s it! I’m going to get back into it!” Great, you have taken the first step in acknowledging your problem. You commit. You decide you need to put some motion in your life. You start exercising. If you are smart you ease into it. After your first exercise session you feel fantastic—the blood is pumping, endorphins are being released, you sweat a little, you get your heart rate up, your metal state seems clearer and your stress has come down. You even are inclined to make better eating choices.
There is another reason you may have overlooked as to why you feel so good while accomplishing all of the above, —you have engaged your neuromuscular system. You were able to exercise without any lower back or neck pain.
Back pain is one of the most common presenting complaints in health office practice. Approximately 85% of the general population will experience low back pain at some time in their life. Back Pain affects Industry by way of lost working hours and productivity. The cost of treatment, a figure cited by the Institute of Medicine puts lost productivity and costs to business for all workers at $297.4 billion to $335.5 billion for 2010, based on work days missed, hours of work missed, and lower wages. People who work on computers a majority of the time are more likely to experience low back pain due to sustained posture and postural problems. An earlier study from 2003 cited a figure of $61.2 billion as the annual cost for businesses, with most of this from lost productivity while at work rather than absenteeism. Both the figures are large. The large difference between the estimated figures is said to be direct and indirect costs associated with back pain.
What is Spinal Manipulation?
When people have lower back or neck pain it prevents them from doing the activities they love. This inactivity is unhealthy and many times unnecessary. So what do you do to remedy this? Spinal Manipulation for back and neck pain is one of the oldest forms of therapy for back and neck pain. Spinal manipulation is essentially assisted passive motion applied to the spinal facets (zygapophyseal joints). The facets are joints that have a gliding motion and are located at the posterior aspect of the spine.
What is that “cracking” noise?
At the end of this passive ROM (range of motion) of the facet joint we have an elastic barrier of resistance . This barrier has a spring like feel to it. The separation of these articular surfaces, gently forced beyond its elastic barrier makes the joint move apart while making a cracking sound. The cracking sound comes from the facet going from the elastic end ROM to what is called a paraphysiological ROM and its sudden release of synovial gases—a phenomenon known as cavitation of the joint. As the synovial gases are reabsorbed, the intra-articular pressure drops, the pressure upon the nerve drops and in turn, the nerve is then able to “express” itself and return to full function without interference. The manipulation is carefully applied across a joint. This requires precise positioning of the joint and the proper degree of force. This procedure is not painful and reduces pain. This constitutes a spinal manipulation.
In general, a spine will not remain normal if it is not kept in a good state of mobility. This supports the necessity for voluntary exercise of normal joints as a prophylaxis to disease. During normal spinal motion, cineroentgenographic and surgical animal studies have shown us several things are happening at once: the superior and inferior facets constantly glide on one another, causing a barrage of complex signals to the central nervous system (CNS) centers, the intervertebral foramina (IVFs) are constantly opening and closing and therefore are compressing and stretching the contents of the IVFs (spinal nerves, recurrent meningeal nerves, arteries and veins). This dynamic action is also thought to help “milk” cerebrospinal fluid both around the spinal cord and peripherally along spinal nerves.
The physiologic stretching, compression and stimulation of the contents of the IVFs is normal and essential to maintain a healthy spine. If this did not occur the effects would be similar to prolonged immobilization of a limb and disuse atrophy would begin to happen along with circulatory stasis, and other neurotrophic changes. It is well known that that the atrophy of disuse will become degenerative. So the old saying “if you don’t use it you lose it” is applicable here.
So take action & maintain your spine with exercise and get in here for an adjustment and feel good!

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