The human skeleton is a product of millions of years of adaptation for one particular thing: walking and running upright for a lifetime. Our early ancestors gave up their tree-bound vegetarian lifestyle to hunt game across the plains of Africa, and this required some changes to the body. Now, the human skeleton features an S-shaped spine, long leg bones, arched feet, and an upright pelvic bone for upright walking. This gave our early ancestors many advantages, although a life of walking upright takes its toll over time. Even in the modern age, many millions of people around the world suffer from chronic lower back pain, which ranks among the most common chronic pain types of all. Many people suffer from spinal issues, cramped back muscles, and pinched nerves.
Fortunately, today’s medical industry is ready to help. Doctors and pain doctors at clinics can prescribe medicine and refer a patient to chiropractors who use their bare hands and back adjustment tools to deal with back issues. Rehab tools and systems can be found at a hospital, where physical therapists might use not only back adjustment tools, but range of motion data testing and automatic strength tests to measure a patient’s progress in recovery. Using a back adjustment tool doesn’t even require surgery, either.
On Back Pain
Who suffers from back pain, and what might cause it? Many surveys and statistics are used to track the health of Americans, and that certainly includes tracking issues of back pain and the spine. The numbers show that at any given time, nearly 31 million Americans are suffering from chronic spine or back issues, and nearly 50% of all working class Americans admit to having back pain symptoms of some sort. One in three women and one in four men suffer from it, and experts say that as much as 80% of the population may experience back pain issues at some point in their lives.
The causes are varied. One of them is simple old age, since a senior citizen’s spine is starting to collapse and bend from a lifetime of walking upright. This can compress the vertebrae and reduce flexibility, not to mention pinch nerves and cramp muscles. This causes pain, reduced flexibility, and a hunched over posture. Meanwhile, surveys show that many Americans blame ongoing stress for their back problems, and a woman may certainly experience stress on her spine during pregnancy. And of course, years of hard manual labor (such as construction work) can wear out the spine and back muscles, and the same is true of suffering a sports injury. But help may be right around the corner.
Solutions to Back Pain
The most serious cases of spine or back issues may call for surgery, but short of that, a patient may explore non invasive healing options instead. This person may consult their doctor for a referral, and they may be led to a pain clinic, a chiropractor’s office, or even a yoga studio. A chiropractor can use their bare hands and back adjustment tools to readjust a patient’s bones and bone muscles, which can relieve pressure on joints, muscles, and nerves alike. This may clear up pain and restore mobility and flexibility, no surgery or medicine needed.
The same might be done at a yoga studio, whether a person looks up those studios or gets referred to one. During private sessions with a yoga expert, a patient may bend, flex, and pose their bodies to relieve pressure and stress on joints, muscles, and nerves. The patient may find their pain cleared up and their flexibility restored after a few sessions.
Meanwhile, a hospital patient may undergo physical therapy, or PT, to restore their balance, strength, and arcs of motion with the help of physical trainers. The therapy sessions may be aided with motion tracker cameras, which can log the patient’s movements and help the trainers evaluate the patient’s progress toward recovery. A patient may also perform stretch tests with oversized rubber or latex bands, which helps the trainers assess the patient’s strength, arcs of motion, and their pain threshold. Physical therapy tools may also include hand rails for practicing walking and balance, as well as algometers that can test certain parts of the patient’s body at a time.
