Back Talk: Movement, Muscles and Maintenance Dr. Karl Schwartz How quickly the summer comes to an end! Last month, we discussed the importance of movement, or “Use it or lose it.” To maintain healthy movement, we must first get our spines aligned and keep the pressure off the nerves. This also allows for ligaments to maintain normal posture. Our muscles are very pliable and supple and can be stretched and strengthened at any age. The more conditioned your muscular system, the better chance you have of obtaining and maintaining movement and thus quality of life. All activities require healthy muscles. A few weeks ago, I was in an awkward position while adjusting a patient and strained a muscle in my back. I felt the pull and, although it was not painful immediately, I knew that movement did not feel right. That evening I could not even lie on my back in bed, and the next day I had severe muscle spasms in my back. Any slight movement created cramps and spasms in my spinal muscles which caused some of the most severe pain I had ever experienced. It is like having a broken rib, with each breath extremely painful and making it impossible to work or do anything. Fortunately, some home treatment with heat and ice, and stretching, and rehab for one full week without exercise restored me to normal. This was a huge reminder to me how important our spines and our muscles are to our health, and certainly to our quality of life. I also wanted to discuss the importance of maintenance, which in our office we call “wellness care.” Maintaining our spines means we are maximizing our health and wellness. My patients who enjoy maximal health are also very keen on wellness. I believe that God gives us health when we are born but it is our responsibility to maintain it. Youth can hide our many sins. When we are young, we can get away with a lot of unhealthy habits but as we age, we must adhere to the principles of health. A large majority of our patients who do well with our acute care treatment, move into our wellness program to maintain their health. In our practice, that means getting your spine checked for misalignments before they develop into symptoms, usually on average once or twice per month. If you want to maximize your quality of life, get your spine checked regularly, keep moving and stretching, and remember that wellness care gives us the best chance to be and stay fully healthy and active! Dr. Karl Schwartz is a graduate of Life University in Marietta, Georgia; he has been practicing chiropractic in Tucker for twenty-one years and a resident here for fifteen years. His office specializes in preventing sports injuries and maximizing performance by analyzing posture, weight bearing, and gait. If you have a question you would like addressed in a future column, please email karlschwartzdc@gmail. com. Note “Back Talk” in the subject line.
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