A Healthy Back
Mario A. Mancini, O.M.D., L.Ac., C.N.S., Q.M.E.

A healthy back is literally the ‘back bone’ of a healthy body. It is the central axis point from which all movement derives. When the back is strong and flexible, all smaller joint components - the muscle tendons, ligaments of the upper and lower extremities - are stronger and move with more ease. To emphasize the importance of the back, a recent statistic showed that there are three times more workdays lost due to low back pain than any other type of persistent pain in the body. This tells us that providing extra focus on a stronger and healthier back is worth the time and energy.

The human body, as a biological system, is organized to respond both psychologically and physiologically to constantly changing external conditions. The body can tolerate only a narrow range of environmental conditions. Within the limits of its physiology, it activates self regulation mechanisms to maintain balance or what is called homeostasis, including self repair mechanisms when damage occurs and compensatory mechanisms when self repair cannot be achieved. Sports medicine research has demonstrated that the compensatory mechanisms of chronic lower back pain can lead to weakness of the core muscles, which results in slower movement of the hips and lower limbs. Athletes with lower back pain run more slowly and consume more energy with every motion. When the musculoskeletal system is functioning with this type of reduced efficiency, you will have reduced reaction time, fatigue easily and be more vulnerable to injury These factors increased probability of depression and anxiety leading to even slower recovery.

Over the years I have seen strong correlations between the competitive athlete and the back pain patient. Each has reduced performance due to the injury. Each has had a cumulative build up or excessive demands that lead to a ‘breaking point’ and injury. Each has a strong desire to get back into the game, job or life activities. The strongest correlation I see is that the longer an individual is injured, the weaker the body becomes. A weaker body creates a higher probability of further injury. On top of that, the mind also loses its edge making it more difficult to get back into the same intensity of demands.

When the body can no longer tolerate additional cumulative demands, it will activate self protective mechanisms to produce a condition that sport physiologists refer to as overtraining syndrome. What follows are feelings of fatigue loss of muscular strength, coordination and working capacity. Athletes with previous injuries are more vulnerable to recurring symptoms because their injuries or surgical procedures may have changed their anatomic structure to some degree, which can create an imbalance in their natural musculoskeletal biomechanics. Acupuncture can reduce this acute and chronic stress by improving and restoring mechanical function of the musculoskeletal system. It can help athletes break through their current physical barriers to achieve better results, while prolonging their athletic careers for many years.

Don’t wait for an injury. A focus on optimal back function will not only minimize injuries but it will provide you with a greater capacity to enjoy life. Paying attention to key functional markers will put you in a powerful position when it comes to assuring back health. Some markers that are used in medicine to assess functional back health are: ability to perform job-related duties, range of motion and flexibility, strength, endurance, sensory and vascular function, muscle bulk and tone, posture and symmetry, gait, mood and sleep, and impact on your activities of daily living. It is important to be your own health advocate and consider these markers.

If you already have back pain due to an injury or cumulative stress, use the following steps to bring your back to the most optimal level of strength and integrity. Step one is to focus on the repair process. Acupuncture has been found to be one of the most direct medical modalities to rapidly take your body out of pain naturally and activate the built-in healing process. The next step is to begin to improve the function of your back. The first part of that is to implement range of motion exercises. As range of motion is improved then strengthening should be incorporated to support the integrity of the spine muscles. Throughout all this process acupuncture should be used to minimize any protective inflammatory patterns that may occur. Acupuncture will continue to stimulate nerves and blood flow to the injured area, which speeds recovery. If you are having back problems, or know someone suffering with back pain, please ask me how we can help. If you have questions about how to create habits to protect your back, ask me for advice. I am happy to help as many people as possible to achieve and maintain optimal health, starting with a healthy back.

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