Backbone show: What our spine can do

Sit down. Get up. Start walking. Stay standing. Anyone can do that, right? Usually we do not care about these everyday movements - and the flexible rod in our backs that makes them possible. I left

it's similar for many years. As long as my spine did a good job, I did not care. Only when I had back pain, a lumbago made me unable to move, or every turn of my head became agony did I take notice of her. Spine, that was synonymous with back pain.

Countless doctor visits and spinal gymnastics appointments later I wanted to know more about her. Just like that, without any back pain. Since then I have great respect for her. And: I treat her more respectfully too.

Why are people smarter than monkeys? Not only the brain, but also the spine makes the difference: It is it that makes us very special creatures. The second S-curve in the lumbar region, one more than in primates, allows man to walk upright in the world. So his hands remain free for more important things, such as crafting, reading or writing. And that was also crucial for brain development.

Our spine performs a constant balancing act

But anatomy alone does not make an upright walk. Our attitude is not innate, we have to learn it. And the spine performs a constant balancing act. In order for us to remain vertical and for gravity not to pull the body down, it has to be flexible and elastic at the same time as the supporting body axis and protective cover of the spinal cord. It is not a stiff pillar, as the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo painted it in her painting "The Broken Pillar", rather a sleek chain of many individual links, held together by the complex interplay of ligaments, tendons, muscles and nerves ,

Each chain link is indispensable. Twenty-four mobile vertebrae connected and cushioned by 23 intervertebral discs, elastic shock absorbers from cartilaginous tissue, which make up at least a quarter of their entire length. In addition nine to ten rigid vortex. Each part with a very special task. And only when the interplay between them as well as with supporting and controlling muscles works flawlessly, the spine can play its supporting role perfectly. Conversely, even the slightest disturbance of their function can have a fatal effect on our entire organism: since each vertebra ends with a number of nerves that control different organs and body areas, pain and discomfort can also occur at a long distance if a vertebra is blocked.

C1, L3? what does that mean? Doctors use such strange abbreviations for the individual vertebrae. C1, for example, represents the first cervical vertebra (C = cervix / neck). He holds his head and is also called Atlas, after the Greek Mythology titan who carried the heavens on his shoulders. But just because the atlas moves around the second cervical vertebra as if it were an axis, we can also turn, raise and lower our head. A well-rehearsed team, which is extremely susceptible to interference! Because it is precisely here that the blood supply to the brain is regulated by nerve conduction. Even a small irritation can cause headaches, sleep disorders, dizziness and hypertension.

The five remaining cervical vertebrae are less mobile than the first two. That must be so, otherwise we would tip over while turning around. The neck muscles help to stabilize the neck. Hard work! Blockages and tension in this area are not only painful. Sometimes they also have quite unexpected consequences, such as problems with the eyes, poor hearing or irritation of the sinuses, the throat and the throat.

The twelve thoracic vertebrae, abbreviated Th1 to Th12 (Th = thorax / chest), are each connected to a pair of ribs, but still true movement artist. The crux: If your range of action is limited by blockages or a hunchback, the entire spine is quickly damaged. And important organs such as the heart, lungs, bronchi and stomach, which are supplied by the nerve cords on the thoracic vertebrae.

The lumbar vertebrae carry our body weight

True powerhorses are the five major lumbar vertebrae (L1 to L5): they have to carry our body weight. With their help, we bend, stretch and incline to the side. Only far turning is not possible. If it comes to blockages, bladder and menstrual problems, digestive problems, impotence and prostateids can occur. Especially tricky: the fourth lumbar vertebra. There the sciatic nerve arises.

The absolute weak point of the spine, however, lies in the cross. More specifically, between the fifth lumbar vertebra and the sacrum.These are five fused vertebrae, followed by four to five rigid coccygeal vertebrae. Here it is over with the mobility. But especially in this area, the spine is exposed to the greatest forces. Even when sitting relaxed, 50 kilograms press on the intervertebral discs. When lifting a full mineral water box with a straight back, the cartilage buffer must even absorb 500 kilos. A common consequence: its jelly core swells from its fiber sheath and presses on the spinal cord and the surrounding nerves. In 60 percent of all herniated discs, this problem zone is affected.

What do back pain have to do with the soul? Often a lot. Phrases like "Whoever has back pain is psychologically overburdened" sound like kitchen psychology, but there is something true about it. Because the spine does not just keep our body upright. In the figurative sense, she also raises us up, bearing our feelings and problems. And that has consequences: If you constantly charge yourself too much, at some point you will feel it. And who always "feeds the tail", instead of representing his interests, it will certainly notice in the lower cross. It pays to pay attention to such signals, to think about causes, to be honest with oneself. Some then straighten themselves inside, straighten themselves, prove backbone - and that also does the spine well.

Important for the spine is sufficient movement

Are herniated discs destiny? No. No more than annoying back pain. They do not even arise when we pay attention to the needs of our spine. The most important thing: exercise. Intervertebral discs do not want to be spared, they need the change of loading and unloading. Because the cartilage discs have no blood vessels, they need to absorb nutrients by osmosis: the vertebrae "squeeze" them out, so that they can suck themselves like a sponge with new food. The vertebrae can only exert pressure when we are in motion. Lack of exercise is therefore a zero diet for the discs. They starve and become fragile. Only then can the dreaded incident occur.

The vertebrae themselves renew their bone mass every three years. If we move too little, we will lose more than that. On top of that, the muscles that make the spine stop and balance movements become limp. The consequences: unpleasant tension and pain.

For hours sitting still was not intended, as the man rose above the monkey. The miracle spine needs movement to function smoothly. At some point I just tried it and found out: nice, if the back has not hurt for weeks. Even better when I relax while practicing yoga, cycling or walking and "work off" stress. And a study from Sweden shows: If the back is flexible and pain-free, the head can think better, memory and receptiveness stay fresh longer. That's why I always take care of my spine now - not only when it hurts.

Short info: back pain

Mostly the cause is unclear

In around 90 percent of all back problems can be found even with complex diagnostics no clear cause. As bad as the pain sometimes is - severe herniated discs, which require rapid surgery, are rare. Conversely, every second adult over 50 already has a herniated disc, but does not notice it at all.

Pain is not the same as pain

In many cases, the findings of magnetic resonance imaging and the subjective state of health do not match. Whether a person with strained discs on a regular basis needs painkillers or can dance tango without discomfort also depends on his psyche. Suppressed feelings, especially anger, sadness, anxiety, aggression and depression, as well as previous experiences of pain can cause pain to be felt more intensely.

The back helps itself

Apart from a few serious cases (eg, paralysis, neurological disorders, severe arthrosis), back pain usually resolves within four to six weeks - with or without treatment. Just do not spare it, the best way is to exercise. Only use painkillers in consultation with a doctor and never as sole treatment. Back pain is a warning sign of the spine. If it is ignored and silenced by medication, symptoms can easily become chronic.

Therapies for the spine

"Moving" is a back training that is easy and fast to learn. Its advantage: it exists
from four simple movements. Each unit lasts 10 to 20 seconds, practiced in between, one hour per hour. The back exercises are designed to relieve muscle tension and promote the mobility of the spine. Book tip: Roswitha Ram-Devrient, "Moving makes the back fit!", Südwest Verlag; with training CD and 30-day software program to remember the PC.
Discover weak points and train them specifically - this is made possible by the "Spinal Fitness" program of the Tübingen physiotherapist Peter Fischer (Trias Verlag).The tests in it show exactly which exercises are really important for your own back.
Gentle pulsating shockwaves correct misalignments of the atlas. B. after whiplash or falls. At the "Khan Kinetic Therapy KKT" (after its founder Dr. Aslam H. Khan from Vancouver) first determine special X-ray recordings the exact position of the first cervical vertebra. Then 80 individually dosed pulses per treatment stimulate him to return to his original position. If this succeeds, the entire body regains its static balance after about ten treatments, pelvic, shoulder obliquity and leg length differences disappear. Chronic pain is alleviated, as a Canadian study has shown. The costs are so far only supported by private funds (diagnostics and first treatment 214 euros, each further treatment 68 euros). Information: INUS Medical Center