A healthy diet and proper nutrition are essential for the body’s overall health and physical wellness. Improper nutrition can lead to the body’s inability to repair muscle, affect muscle density, affect fluid levels in the cells, organ function, and nerve function. Individuals who receive chiropractic treatment regularly tend to experience fewer colds and illnesses, reduced aches and pains, and improved mood overall. There are nutritional options and certain foods individuals are recommended to follow to get the most benefits from the chiropractic treatment. A healthy diet, proper hydration, exercise, and rest can help keep the body on the road to optimal health.
Poor Diet Inflammation
A poor diet and bad eating habits cause the body not to operate efficiently. The body becomes weary and tired, causing it to break down. Those who favor processed foods, sugar, and empty calories that have no nutritional value put their bodies at risk for inflammation. Inflammation can lead to muscle pain, joint pain, and other health conditions. Chronic inflammation over time can lead to:
DNA damage
Tissue death
Internal scarring
All are linked to the development of several diseases, including cancer.
Physical Wellness Foods
Individuals begin to feel much better and healthier when eating whole foods. It can be hard to make the switch for those that have been eating poorly for years, but once begun, most individuals feel better almost immediately.
Steamed Vegetables
Eat a variety of tolerable vegetables.
Steaming improves the utilization/availability of the food substances and reduces the irritating residue in the gut, allowing it to restore itself.
For anti-inflammation, it is recommended to avoid tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, and bell peppers.
Nuts
Any nut that is tolerable except peanuts, like almonds, cashews, brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, and walnuts are all recommended.
Legumes
Any legumes tolerable like split peas, lentils, kidney beans, pinto beans, soybeans, mung beans, garbanzo beans, and adzuki beans.
Grains
It is recommended to eat one to two cups of cooked grains per day.
These include millet, basmati or brown rice, quinoa, barley, buckwheat, oatmeal, and amaranth.
It is recommended not to eat wheat, whole grain, or otherwise.
No bread, plan meals so that bread is not required, as bread can raise sugar levels and increase an inflammatory marker.
Fish
Deep-sea fish is preferred that includes salmon, halibut, cod, sardines, tuna, mackerel.
The fish should be poached, baked, steamed, or broiled.
No shellfish or swordfish.
Chicken and Turkey
Eat only white meat and do not eat the skin.
The chicken should be baked, broiled, or steamed.
Free-range or organic chicken is preferable.
Fruit
Raw is best, can be baked at a low temp and made into juice.
One of the essential things that chiropractors recommend is to cut out artificial sweeteners and excess sugar.
Small amounts of maple syrup, rice syrup, barley syrup, and honey can be used.
Sugar cravings can be avoided by eating protein with each meal.
Water and Herbal Teas
Drink 8 to 10 glasses of water every day.
Drink 2 to 4 cups of herbal tea, sipped slowly in the evening.
Body Composition
Antibiotics
Antibiotics are designed to cure bacterial infections by killing invading bacteria. However, antibiotics don’t separate the good bacteria from the bad. As a result, antibiotic therapy of only three to four days can alter gut microbe population and diversity. Studies have shown that children are particularly at risk as reduced gut bacteria diversity has been linked with childhood obesity. For this reason, make sure to follow a physician’s instructions when using antibiotics. Spending time outdoors regularly can help increase the body’s exposure to microbial diversity. Gardening is a great way to get dirty with soil to reacquaint the gut flora and maintain the body’s physical wellness.
References
Fritsche, Kevin L. “The science of fatty acids and inflammation.” Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.) vol. 6,3 293S-301S. 15 May. 2015, doi:10.3945/an.114.006940
Kapczuk, Patrycja et al. “Żywność wysokoprzetworzona i jej wpływ na zdrowie dzieci i osób dorosłych” [Highly processed food and its effect on health of children and adults]. Postepy biochemii vol. 66,1 23-29. 23 Mar. 2020, doi:10.18388/pb.2020_309
Ricker, Mari Anoushka, and William Christian Haas. “Anti-Inflammatory Diet in Clinical Practice: A Review.” Nutrition in clinical practice: official publication of the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition vol. 32,3 (2017): 318-325. doi:10.1177/0884533617700353
Serafini, Mauro, and Ilaria Peluso. “Functional Foods for Health: The Interrelated Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Role of Fruits, Vegetables, Herbs, Spices and Cocoa in Humans.” Current pharmaceutical design vol. 22,44 (2016): 6701-6715. doi:10.2174/1381612823666161123094235
Wahlqvist, Mark L. “Food structure is critical for optimal health.” Food & function vol. 7,3 (2016): 1245-50. doi:10.1039/c5fo01285f
The thoracic spine, also known as the upper or middle back, is designed for stability to anchor the rib cage and protect the organs in the chest. It is highly resistant to injury and pain. However, when thoracic back pain does present, it is usually from long-term posture problems or an injury. Thoracic back pain is less common than lower back and neck pain, but it does affect up to 20% of the population, particularly women. Treatment options include chiropractic for quick and long-term pain relief.
Thoracic Back Pain and Soreness
The thoracic area is vital for various functions related to:
Upper back pain usually feels like a sharp, burning pain localized to one spot or a general achiness that can flare up and spread out to the shoulder, neck, and arms.
Types of Upper Back Pain
These include:
Myofascial pain
Spine degeneration
Joint dysfunction
Nerve dysfunction
General spinal misalignments
Depending on what specific tissues are affected, pain can occur with breathing or arm use. It is recommended to have a healthcare professional perform an examination and get an accurate diagnosis. A chiropractor understands the delicate balance and functions that the thoracic spine provides and can develop a proper treatment plan.
Chiropractic
Treatment options will depend on the symptoms, underlying dysfunctions, and individual preferences. Recommendations for treatment often include:
Spine adjustments to improve alignment and nerve integrity.
Posture training to maintain spinal alignment.
Therapeutic massage.
Exercise training to restore muscular balance.
Non-invasive pain-relieving techniques.
Health coaching.
Body Composition
Plant-Based Diets for Weight Loss
Individuals who follow vegan, vegetarian, and semivegetarian diets have reported and shown they are less likely to be overweight or obese. This can indicate that reducing intake of meat and animal products is beneficial for weight loss. Studies have found that individuals who follow a vegan diet may lose more weight than individuals on a more conventional weight loss diet, even with similar calories consumed, and often have significant improvements in blood sugar and inflammation markers.
Plant-Based Protein and Muscle Gain
Some plant-based proteins are just as effective as animal protein at promoting muscle gain. A study found that supplementing rice protein following resistance training had similar benefits to whey protein supplementation. Both groups had:
Briggs AM, Smith AJ, Straker LM, Bragge P. Thoracic spine pain in the general population: prevalence, incidence and associated factors in children, adolescents and adults. A systematic review. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2009;10:77.
Cichoń, Dorota et al. “Efficacy of Physiotherapy in Reducing Back Pain and Improve Joint Mobility in Older Women.” Ortopedia, traumatologia, rehabilitacja vol. 21,1 (2019): 45-55. doi:10.5604/01.3001.0013.1115
Fouquet N, Bodin J, Descatha A, et al. Prevalence of thoracic spine pain in a surveillance network. Occup Med (Lond). 2015;65(2):122-5.
Jäger, Ralf et al. “Comparison of rice and whey protein isolate digestion rate and amino acid absorption.” Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition vol. 10,Suppl 1 P12. 6 Dec. 2013, doi:10.1186/1550-2783-10-S1-P12
Joy, Jordan M et al. “The effects of 8 weeks of whey or rice protein supplementation on body composition and exercise performance.” Nutrition journal vol. 12 86. 20 Jun. 2013, doi:10.1186/1475-2891-12-86
Medawar, Evelyn et al. “The effects of plant-based diets on the body and the brain: a systematic review.” Translational psychiatry vol. 9,1 226. 12 Sep. 2019, doi:10.1038/s41398-019-0552-0
Newby, PK et al. “Risk of overweight and obesity among semivegetarian, lactovegetarian, and vegan women.” The American journal of clinical nutrition vol. 81,6 (2005): 1267-74. doi:10.1093/ajcn/81.6.1267
Pope, Malcolm H et al. “Spine ergonomics.” Annual review of biomedical engineering vol. 4 (2002): 49-68. doi:10.1146/annurev.bioeng.4.092101.122107
A nerve injury is often caused by a sudden traumatic event, like a slip and fall, personal or work injury, an automobile accident, or a sports injury. Overall stresses of the body from poor posture and being overweight can also lead to nerve pain over time, known as cumulative trauma. Where ligaments and bones are not aligned correctly, nerve pain and damage can occur. When nerve pain presents, there is pressure being placed on that nerve/s. Nerve pain symptoms include burning, tingling, or numbness-type sensations in the tissues controlled by that nerve. Orthopedic and neurologic testing will determine what specific nerve is affected. Chiropractic adjustments realign the spine and relieve the pressure on the nerve, thus eliminating the pain and correcting the problem.
Nerve Injury
Too much pressure from surrounding tissues compresses and irritates the nerve and interrupts its ability to function correctly. Pinched nerves are most vulnerable at points in the body where they pass through narrow spaces and have little to no soft tissue protection. Symptoms include:
Pins and Needles Sensation
Numbness
Pain
Weakness
A pinched nerve can decrease the range of motion and cause muscle spasms. If left untreated, a nerve injury can leave an individual with chronic pain and lead to permanent nerve damage.
Tingling and Numbness
Tingling and numbness are unusual or unpleasant physical sensations, most commonly experienced in the arms, hands, fingers, legs, feet, and toes. Tingling and numbness come in two forms:
To determine the appropriate course of treatment, a doctor of chiropractic must diagnose the cause of the nerve injury. Depending on the nature or severity of the sensation, the examination will include:
Muscle tests
Range-of-motion tests
Neurological tests
Orthopedic tests
The chiropractor will palpate the effective areas and order imaging tests like X-rays if necessary. If further testing is needed to diagnose the source of the nerve injury, the doctor may order an MRI or CT scan. Once the underlying condition is diagnosed, a chiropractor will develop a treatment plan to eliminate irritation, correct misalignments causing pressure, and restore proper nerve function. Treatment plans vary from case to case but can include:
Therapeutic Massage
Body adjustments
Spinal manipulation
Heat and Ice
The objective is to relieve/release the pressure on the nerves. Chiropractic adjustments help reposition the muscles and nerves. Deep-tissue massage helps to release tension and eliminate toxins that worsen the sensations. Treatment improves circulation and relieves pressure on the neural pathways necessary to restore normal neural signaling between the body and the brain.
Body Composition
Why The Brain Needs Sugar
The brain needs half of all the body’s energy supply because of its complex nerve cell system. The brain requires glucose for brain cell energy. Because neurons can’t store energy, they need a continuous fuel supply to function correctly from the bloodstream. The ability to think, learn and recall information is closely associated with glucose levels. When blood glucose levels are low, the ability to think is inhibited as the production of chemical messengers/neurotransmitters, are reduced, disrupting communication between the neurons. Natural sugar can boost brain health because it requires glucose for functioning. Sugar is released slowly into the bloodstream when taken naturally from sources like apples and bananas, keeping the energy levels steady, without craving more sugar.
References
Ameh, Victor, and Steve Crane. “Nerve injury following shoulder dislocation: the emergency physician’s perspective.” European journal of emergency medicine: official journal of the European Society for Emergency Medicine vol. 13,4 (2006): 233-5. doi:10.1097/01.mej.0000206190.62201.ad
Nichols, J S, and K O Lillehei. “Nerve injury associated with acute vascular trauma.” The Surgical clinics of North America vol. 68,4 (1988): 837-52. doi:10.1016/s0039-6109(16)44589-5
Ruggiero, S L. “Trigeminal nerve injury and repair.” The New York state dental journal vol. 62,8 (1996): 36-40.
Welch, J A. “Peripheral nerve injury.” Seminars in veterinary medicine and surgery (small animal) vol. 11,4 (1996): 273-84. doi:10.1016/s1096-2867(96)80020-x
WOODHALL, B. “Peripheral nerve injury.” The Surgical clinics of North America (1954): 1147-65. doi:10.1016/s0039-6109(16)34299-2
Chiropractic can enhance the effectiveness of an exercise program. Chiropractic works on the neuromusculoskeletal system, which comprises the nervous, muscular, and skeletal systems. It produces an indirect effect on the immune system, involving the body’s processes resulting from exercise and muscle development. Most individuals are familiar with the benefits of regular exercise and physical activity. Regular physical activity and exercise:
Increases circulation
Improves strength
Increases immune system function
Produces brain-boosting endorphins and chemicals
Improves mood
Increase muscle mass
Contributes to enhanced flexibility and mobility
Exercise-boosting practices can multiply the effectiveness of a workout program. Exercise-enhancing methods that are well known include:
Incorporating rest days
Staying hydrated
Consistent and high-quality sleep
Utilizing supplements that enhance the body’s ability to produce and sustain muscle.
A chiropractor can develop a personalized treatment plan to support and enhance an individual’s workout/exercise program. This plan can include specific interventions to improve alignment or maintain muscle relaxation and prescribed stretches and movements to decrease the strain from an exercise regimen.
Nervous System
Chiropractic helps to balance the nervous system. Treatment allows pressure to be removed from compressed, bruised, and severed nerves. Chiropractic decreases and eliminates pain originating from inflamed muscles, joints, and tissues. When it comes to exercising, nerve pain usually originates from vigorous movement. Swelling and inflammation in the body can cause nerves to become inflamed or compressed. Misalignment in the spinal structure and joints can occur during strenuous exercise, particularly when weight resistance is involved. It can also constrict/pinch nerves, contributing to sciatic pain, which originates in the lower back and spreads down the gluteal muscles and back of the legs. Chiropractic can help:
Reduce pain and discomfort
Improve physical responsiveness
Decrease inflammation
Improve immune function
Muscular System
The muscular system is interconnected with the nervous and skeletal systems. Manual chiropractic manipulation helps to:
Reduce pain in inflamed muscles that have been utilized during exercise
Release tense and strained muscles
Remove muscular knots
Accelerate muscle repair
Improve exercise performance
Skeletal System
The skeletal system is the foundation for all physical movements and activities. It plays a role in physical activity/exercise, recovery, and the development of strength and musculature. During exercise routines, the joints can become misaligned, especially with weight-bearing or lifting activities. Chiropractic for the skeletal system can:
Rebalance the system
Realign bones and joints
Decrease muscular strain
Improve posture and form
Reduce and eliminate pain in the knees, wrists, and shoulders
Increase the body’s capacity for taking on additional weight healthfully
Keep The Chiropractor Informed
To receive enhanced exercise and performance-related benefits from chiropractic care, individuals must keep their chiropractor informed of goals and style of physical activity. The more the chiropractor knows about the types of exercises, the more they will provide a customized treatment plan for an individual’s specific needs. Any injury or strain experienced during an exercise session or a specific part of the body seems to be recovering at a slower rate than the rest of the body, inform the chiropractor. They can survey posture, stance, determine imbalances, and discover other body areas that may be over-straining to compensate.
Time Sessions Appropriately
Depending on the type of physical activity and exercises, individuals may be advised to seek care on rest days or the same days of the workout. Discuss with the chiropractor what days of the week are best for treatment and before or after workouts.
Health Goals
Movement and exercise practices are unique and vary with each individual. Individuals have different goals for their regimens that range from:
Increasing flexibility and agility
Building strength, endurance, and muscle mass.
Identify health goals and share them with the chiropractor. Depending on the purpose of the exercise routine, treatment may vary to support and enhance specific objectives.
Body Composition
Improve Insulin Sensitivity
When consuming carbohydrates, it is broken down into sugar. The body needs a certain amount of sugar to function. However, cellular damage occurs if the levels become too high for too long, like in diabetes. Insulin’s role is to guide excess sugar – glucose into the safety of the cells. However, more individuals are experiencing high blood insulin levels, called hyperinsulinemia. It’s dangerous to let glucose levels remain elevated, which is why more insulin is produced to bring the blood sugar down. After a time, constant hyperinsulinemia results in a condition called insulin resistance, where the cells become resistant to the effects of insulin and less effective.
Insulin Sensitivity and Weight Loss
A high insulin level in the blood can trigger weight gain and make it difficult to shed excess fat. Research shows that high insulin:
Erion, Karel A, and Barbara E Corkey. “Hyperinsulinemia: a Cause of Obesity?.” Current obesity reports vol. 6,2 (2017): 178-186. doi:10.1007/s13679-017-0261-z
Hawk, Cheryl et al. “Best Practices for Chiropractic Management of Patients with Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain: A Clinical Practice Guideline.” Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.) vol. 26,10 (2020): 884-901. doi:10.1089/acm.2020.0181
Hoogvliet, Peter et al. “Does the effectiveness of exercise therapy and mobilization techniques offer guidance for the treatment of lateral and medial epicondylitis? A systematic review.” British journal of sports medicine vol. 47,17 (2013): 1112-9. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2012-091990
Peluso, Marco Aurélio Monteiro, and Laura Helena Silveira Guerra de Andrade. “Physical activity and mental health: the association between exercise and mood.” Clinics (Sao Paulo, Brazil) vol. 60,1 (2005): 61-70. doi:10.1590/s1807-59322005000100012
Individuals believe that maintaining a straight/flat back is healthy. However, the back is made up of natural curves that allow flexibility and optimal movement. If there is a lack of these curves, it can lead to spine issues, discomfort, and pain. A common problem to develop from a spine lacking natural curvature is abnormal kyphosis. This is when the natural curve in the thoracic spine – mid-back or lumbar spine – low back disappears, which results in a flat back. Restoring the curvature can be challenging, as flatback syndrome requires chiropractic adjustments to gently shift and realign the spine back into a healthy curve and re-train the spine to maintain the curve.
Causes of Flat Back Syndrome
Flatback syndrome is usually a result of muscle tightness in the lower back muscles, specifically in the psoas muscle. Or it could be degenerative disc disease, where the cartilage supporting the spine begins to weaken. Other causes include arthritis and osteoporosis. Practicing unhealthy posture habits can worsen these conditions, speeding up the loss of the spine’s curvature. Loss of spinal curvature does not occur rapidly, as the body will begin to present with symptoms. The following symptoms could be an indication:
Fatigue when trying to stand upright
Balance problems
Restricted mobility
Muscle spasms
Chronic low back pain
Thigh pain
Groin pain
Disc herniation
Back pain and problems with balance are the earliest warning signs of flatback syndrome.
Symptoms
Flatback symptoms usually get worse as the day progresses, with a sense of fatigue and increasing difficulty to stand upright. Individuals tend to flex or bend their hips and knees to get into an upright position. This can become an exhausting process as the day progresses. Individuals can also have symptoms of sciatica and/or spinal stenosis with leg pain and weakness that gets worse when walking. Neck and upper back pain can begin to present while straining to align themselves. The symptoms become disabling, often requiring pain medications that limit the individual’s ability to perform daily activities.
Realignment Treatment
A chiropractor must determine the severity of the deviation through a thorough assessment and examination. This shows the loss of curvature to help a chiropractor plan a realignment/remodeling adjustment schedule. Restoring a natural kyphosis is done through a combination of adjustments and bracing. Scheduled spinal adjustments will realign and shift the vertebrae back to neutral, while a back brace supports to prevent any deviation. Stretching and exercising relevant muscle groups is also part of a chiropractic treatment plan. An example is core exercises for strengthening the muscles supporting the spine.
Body Composition
Personalized Nutrition
Because the body is so complex and dynamic, there is no perfect fit when it comes to diet, exercise, or a combination. Fad diets typically recommend that individuals adhere to the same eating guidelines, indicating they will reach an expected result like fat loss. These diets work because they focus on a simple reduction in calorie intake, especially processed and fast foods. The problem is that some of these fad diets can restrict critical nutrients that negatively affect an individual’s health. More information about an individual’s body and how it works is an excellent resource in improving body composition and overall health. Personalized nutrition is an innovative and favorable approach to preventing and treating obesity and related conditions. This approach identifies:
Genetic markers
Dietary patterns
Environment
Metabolism
Educated recommendations can be made based on these factors.
References
Drabsch, Theresa, and Christina Holzapfel. “A Scientific Perspective of Personalised Gene-Based Dietary Recommendations for Weight Management.” Nutrients vol. 11,3 617. 14 Mar. 2019, doi:10.3390/nu11030617
Farcy, J P, and F J Schwab. “Management of flatback and related kyphotic decompensation syndromes.” Spine vol. 22,20 (1997): 2452-7. doi:10.1097/00007632-199710150-00025
Lee, Chang-Hyun, et al. “‘Lumbar Degenerative Kyphosis’ Is Not Byword for Degenerative Sagittal Imbalance: Time to Replace a Misconception.” Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society vol. 60,2 (2017): 125-129. doi:10.3340/jkns.2016.0607.001
Lu, Daniel C, and Dean Chou. “Flatback syndrome.” Neurosurgery clinics of North America vol. 18,2 (2007): 289-94. doi:10.1016/j.nec.2007.01.007
Wiggins, Gregory C et al. “Management of iatrogenic flat-back syndrome.” Neurosurgical focus vol. 15,3 E8. 15 Sep. 2003, doi:10.3171/foc.2003.15.3.8
Musculoskeletal Disorders, or MSDs, are injuries, conditions, and disorders that affect the body’s musculoskeletal system. It includes the muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves, discs, blood vessels, bones, and joints. MSDs are common, and the risk of developing them increases with age. The severity of an MSD can vary. They cause discomfort, recurrent pain, stiffness, swelling, and aching that interfere with everyday activities. Early diagnosis and treatment can alleviate symptoms and improve long-term health. Common disorders include:
The term musculoskeletal disorder is used as it accurately describes the injury or condition. Other terms used are repetitive motion injury, repetitive stress injury, and overuse injury. When individuals are exposed to MSD risk factors, they begin to fatigue. This can start a musculoskeletal imbalance. With time, fatigue completely overtakes recovery/healing, and the musculoskeletal imbalance continues, a musculoskeletal disorder develops. The risk factors are broken into two categories: work-related/ergonomic risk factors and individual-related risk factors.
Ergonomic Factors:
Force
Repetition
Posture
High Task Repetition
Many work tasks and cycles are repetitive and are typically controlled by hourly or daily production targets and work processes.
High task repetition combined with other risks factors like high force and/or awkward postures can contribute to the formation of MSD.
A job is considered highly repetitive if the cycle time is 30 seconds or less.
Forceful Exertions
Many job tasks require high force loads on the body.
Muscle effort increases in response to high force requirements. This increases associated fatigue.
Repetitive or Sustained Awkward Postures
Awkward postures place excessive force on joints, overload the muscles and tendons around affected joints.
The joints of the body are most efficient when they operate close to the mid-range motion of the joint.
The risk of MSD is increased when the joints are worked outside of this mid-range repetitively for sustained periods without a proper amount of recovery time.
Individual Factors
Unhealthy work practices
Lack of physical activity/fitness
Unhealthy habits
Poor diet
Unhealthy Work Practices
Individuals that engage in poor work practices, body mechanics, and lifting techniques are introducing unnecessary risk factors.
These poor practices create unnecessary stress on the body that increases fatigue and decreases the body’s ability to recover properly.
Poor Health Habits
Individuals who smoke, drink excessively, are obese, or exhibit numerous other poor health habits put themselves at risk for musculoskeletal disorders and other chronic diseases.
Insufficient Rest and Recovery
Individuals that do not get adequate rest and recovery put themselves at higher risk.
MSDs develop when fatigue outruns the individual’s recovery system, causing a musculoskeletal imbalance.
Poor Diet, Fitness, and Hydration
Individuals who eat unhealthily are dehydrated, at a poor level of physical fitness, and do not take care of their bodies are putting themselves at a higher risk of developing musculoskeletal and chronic health problems.
Causes
The causes of musculoskeletal disorders are varied. Muscle tissue can be damaged with the wear and tear of daily work, school, and physical activities. Trauma to the body can come from:
Postural strain
Repetitive movements
Overuse
Prolonged immobilization
Jerking movements
Sprains
Dislocations
Falling injuries
Auto accident injuries
Fractures
Direct trauma to the muscle/s
Poor body mechanics can cause spinal alignment problems and muscle shortening, causing other muscles to be strained, causing problems and pain.
Treatment Rehabilitation
A doctor will recommend a treatment plan based on the diagnosis and severity of the symptoms. They may recommend moderate exercise and over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen or acetaminophen to address occasional discomfort or pain. They often recommend chiropractic and physical therapy rehabilitation to learn how to manage pain and discomfort, maintain strength, range of motion, and adjust everyday activities. Different types of manual therapy, or mobilization, can treat body alignment problems. A doctor may prescribe medications like nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories NSAIDs to reduce inflammation and pain for more severe symptoms. For individuals with musculoskeletal disorders like fibromyalgia, medications to increase the body’s level of serotonin and norepinephrine may be prescribed in low doses to modulate sleep, pain, and immune system function.
Body Composition
Types of Pain
Pain can be grouped into three categories:
Early Warning Pain
This is most recognizable after having just touched a pan, and the hand jerks away before realizing how hot the pan is, also known as the withdrawal reflex.
This is a protective mechanism that helps avoid danger and is vital for survival.
Inflammatory Pain
This type of pain happens after an injury or surgery while the body is healing and recovering.
Inflammation prevents the body from performing movements to prevent and avoid re-injury.
Pathological Pain
This type of pain can happen after the body has healed, but the nervous system has been damaged.
This is often the case with individuals who sustain an injury and inform doctors that the injured area is never the same.
If the rehabilitation does not correctly heal the nervous system, protective pain measures can generate a false alarm causing pain signals to fire off.
References
Asada, Fuminari, and Kenichiro Takano. Nihon eiseigaku zasshi. Japanese journal of hygiene vol. 71,2 (2016): 111-8. doi:10.1265/jjh.71.111
da Costa, Bruno R, and Edgar Ramos Vieira. “Risk factors for work-related musculoskeletal disorders: A systematic review of recent longitudinal studies.” American journal of industrial medicine vol. 53,3 (2010): 285-323. doi:10.1002/ajim.20750
Malińska, Marzena. “Dolegliwości układu mięśniowo-szkieletowego u operatorów komputerowych” [Musculoskeletal disorders among computer operators]. Medycyna pracy vol. 70,4 (2019): 511-521. doi:10.13075/mp.5893.00810
Musculoskeletal system diseases. (n.d.). dmu.edu/medterms/musculoskeletal-system/musculoskeletal-system-diseases/
Roquelaure, Yves et al. “Troubles musculo-squelettiques liés au travail” [Work-related musculoskeletal disorders]. La Revue du praticien vol. 68,1 (2018): 84-90.
Villa-Forte A. (n.d.). Diagnosis of musculoskeletal disorders. merckmanuals.com/home/bone,-joint,-and-muscle-disorders/diagnosis-of-musculoskeletal-disorders/introduction
Recovery and rehabilitation after spinal fusion surgery take time. Gentle yoga poses can help expedite recovery from spinal fusion surgery and are recommended in a rehabilitation program. The spine is the body’s central support structure that allows the body to stand upright, bend, and stay balanced. However, an individual may need to have vertebrae fused to repair painful back problems. Spinal fusion is a surgical procedure that permanently connects/fuses two or more vertebrae into a single bone. The procedure is done to help:
Correct a deformity
Improve stability
Reduce pain
At the beginning of the recovery process, the doctor may recommend light physical activity like walking. As the spine continues to heal, moderate exercise is essential for optimal recovery. Doctors are recommending gentle yoga to increase mobility, flexibility and regain strength.
Gentle Yoga and Spine Surgery Recovery
Yoga has become a way to stretch the body, exercise, promote physical and mental well-being. There are different styles of yoga, ranging from gentle stretching to advanced poses. Yoga focuses on stretching, coordination, and balance. When stretching the body, the range of motion is improved. Yoga also helps improve balance and increases strength to reduce the risk of falls and injuries. Gentle yoga after spinal fusion benefits include:
Pain relief
Stress reduction
Improved mental health
Increased flexibility and strength
Improved balance
Increase in energy levels
Gentle yoga after surgery focuses on an improved range of motion/coordination of the arms and legs with the torso. This allows the spine to safely flex, not become stiff, and avoid strain, leading to fuller activity.
When To Begin Yoga After Spinal Fusion?
A reduced range of motion and loss of muscle mass is expected in the weeks and months following surgery. The healthcare/rehabilitation team will address this through exercise and physical therapy once the doctor clears the individual to begin rehabilitation training. The doctor will use some form of diagnostic imaging to determine if the vertebrae have fully fused before giving the ok for exercise. Most individuals can begin light physical activity four to six weeks after the procedure. If the fusion surgery was fused in only one place, individuals could start gentle yoga poses within two to three months. For a multi-level fusion surgery, individuals may need to wait four to six months after the procedure before they can safely begin.
Yoga Recovery Program
It’s essential to take it slow and steady when first beginning yoga after spinal fusion. As the body continues to heal, gradually add more challenging poses and stretches to the routine. This is a graduated recovery program separated into stages to help the individual build back strength and flexibility. In the first stages of recovery, gentle poses that have minimal effects on the spine are recommended. These include:
It’s crucial to listen to the body as a guide when moving through the poses, no matter what stage of recovery. The fusion needs time to heal and stabilize, so any poses that involve twisting movements and flexing should be avoided. Seek advice if there is confusion about how or whether or not to proceed. It is recommended to work with an experienced yoga teacher after spinal fusion. A knowledgeable instructor can guide with the poses, inform which poses to avoid and make modifications to get the most out of the gentle poses.
Body Composition
How Heat Affects Basal Metabolic Rate
Gender, height, and age influence Basal Metabolic Rate. These are factors individuals cannot control or change. However, individuals can increase the calories the body burns by regulating body temperature. Both the internal and external temperatures influence metabolic rate. The chemical reactions that contribute to metabolism happen more quickly if the temperature is higher, as the body works harder to restore normal temperature balance. For example, when a fever is present, the Basal Metabolic Rate will jump up to a much higher rate than usual to increase the speed of cellular metabolic reactions to combat the fever and get the body back to a healthy state. When it comes to external temperature, it’s only prolonged exposure to heat that raises the Basal Metabolic Rate.
Gillooly, James F, and Andrew P Allen. “Changes in body temperature influence the scaling of VO2max and aerobic scope in mammals.” Biology letters vol. 3,1 (2007): 99-102. doi:10.1098/rsbl.2006.0576
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