5 Fun Facts About the Spine
What does it mean regarding your chiropractic care?
You might not think much about your spine, but consider this: it allows us to walk erect instead of on all fours, like other creatures in the animal kingdom. In this erect posture, we can carry things and cover distances quickly and efficiently. Here are five fun facts about your spine that you may not know but will make it all the more fascinating.
You Lose Bones as You Age
When you’re born, you have 270 bones in your body. As an adult, you’ll only have 206. Babies have 33 vertebrae, but for adults, that number reduces to 26. The bones don’t disappear, but several fuse together to create new structures such as the rear side of the pelvis and the tailbone.
Humans and Giraffes Have Similar Necks
Your neck may not have all the bones and the length that a giraffe’s neck has, but both humans and giraffes have seven cervical vertebrae that make up their neck. These cervical vertebrae allow giraffes to have the flexibility to reach down to the ground and reach high up in the trees. This flexibility has been an evolutionary development in response to their need to acquire water and food.
Back Pain Doesn’t Always Require Medical Treatment.
Approximately 80% of all back pain requires no medical treatment because, in most cases, that pain will subside within a month or so. You have the capability to avoid or eliminate most types of back pain so that it doesn’t become a serious issue affecting your lifestyle. You can avert bad posture, use heating pads, visit a massage therapist, use natural remedies, or visit a chiropractor for periodic manipulation. Many types of back pain can be avoided by simply paying attention to the stresses you place on your back. And when you do have pain or discomfort, you can often take steps on your own to mitigate that discomfort.
People are Taller After Coming Back From Space
An individual can grow as much as an inch or two inches after spending time in outer space. This fact is something that all space programs take into account because it will affect the living quarters that crew members use while in outer space. Once gravity is gone from your environment, all the cartilages between your bones are free to expand. That, in turn, will cause you to grow in height by some amount. The exact opposite process occurs during aging, where prolonged exposure to gravity causes cartilage to shrink and your height to diminish.
Spinal Surgery is Very Common
Every year in this country, we spend an enormous amount of money on recovering from back pain, somewhere in the neighborhood of $86 billion. More than 60 million adults around the globe cite back pain as a reason for spinal surgery. That is why we perform 1.2 million spinal surgeries every year in the United States. In addition, there are 300,000 spinal fusions performed by specialists every year. Surgical procedures involving the spine and spinal fusions are increasing every year.
We specialize in preventive care at Wellness for Life. Give us a call @ (201) 497-6630 or schedule online so we can help you before you reach the point of back surgery.
