#4 iPhones
I'm 35 years old... when I was in high school I think I had a Nokia 5210 or something like that. The text functions were shit, and the only game was Snake! Needless to say I didn't spend hours at a time on it. These days kids in their early teens (or sometimes earlier) are hunched over a lap top at school for 6 hours a day, then they go home and use some form of device for another 6 hours+. These are the formative years of spine and nervous system development. Increasingly, we are seeing complete reversals of cervical spine curves (neck curves) in people in their late teens and early to mid 20's. The issue with a reversed neck curve is that the natural shape of the spinal cord is a 'lordosis' (below left). Teenager with a reversed curve (below right)
When the cervical spine curve is reversed due to trauma or postural adaptations, the spinal cord must stretch. This also stretches the microvasculature (blood vessels) that feed the spinal cord, restricting bloodflow and therfore nutrition. Some researchers have hypothesised that this may set the stage for increased incidence of neurodegenerative type diseases, such as Multiple Sclerosis, if maintained for an extended period of time.
#3 Chairs and cars
Human beings invented chairs... and then we invented cars and put chairs in them too. As what is essentially a really intelligent chimp... we were never meant to sit on chairs, especially for extended periods of time. What sitting does is take the shock absorption the legs provide out of the equation... putting all of the weight of the torso and upper extremities on the L5/S1 disc (the last disc in the low back). Discs are like sponges and gain their nutrition from movement... sucking in nutrients whilst expanding, then expelling fluid as they are compressed. A disc that is constantly under load and cannot move properly, cannot draw in fluid and nutrition, and will dry out and lose functionality. This can cause inflammation (the body's first response to fix anything) and pressure on the neurology at both the nerve root and joint capsule levels. Resulting in pain and nervous system dysfunction.
#2 Subluxation at birth
The only entity chiropractors look for is the 'subluxation'. A chiropractic subluxation is a vertebra that has lost its normal position or movement within a vertebral motion segment (joint), thus compromising neurological function. The nervous system runs all other systems, so it is vitally important to take care of.
When a baby is delivered upward of 140-170lbs of pressure is put through the babies neck (even in a delivery that goes 'to plan'). This is the first moment in life that a trauma with the potential to produce a subluxation is experienced. The first 4 years of a child's life are the most important in terms of neurological development, and having your baby checked for subluxation as soon as possible may prove extremely beneficial in the long run.
#1 Adjustments are just GOOD FOR YOU!!
New research into chiropractic is suggesting that adjustments not only benefit the spine and nervous system, but that they also produce beneficial changes in the BRAIN! Including how the brain appears to map and respond to sensory input.
The brain controls all other organs via the nervous system.
Just like exercise, good nutrition, and staying hydrated are always good for you, so is keeping the spine and nervous system healthy and free of subluxations.
- Dr Dan Shakespeare (Chiropractor) -
Video Blog - The top 4 reasons why every person on the planet should see a chiropractor!!!
