DISC INJURIES

Intervertebral discs are shock absorbers for the spine. Their inner is made of a gel-like substance called the nucleus pulposus. The nucleus has a high water content and is enclosed in a tough fibrous casing called the annulus fibrosis) Together they cushion the spinal joints and allows space for nerves to flow out to control every part of the body.

This tougher outer casing of the invertebral disc should hold and support all the inner substance of the disc material.  It is then all held together by the surrounding ligaments and muscles.

Disc injuries, sometimes referred to as disc derangement, prolapsed disc, herniated disc or slipped disc, are extremely common. Many people walk around everyday with a disc herniation that goes undiscovered until pain occurs.

The most common age for a disc injury is 30 to 50 but even teenagers can have disc problems. Symptoms can be a gradual or sudden onset of pain. This pain can be constant or intermittent. The symptoms can range from pins and needles or numbness right through to debilitating pain which makes it difficult to move.

 Pain can be local to the area or referred through the gluteus (butt) down through the leg and foot.

Symptoms can be even or just one side.

A general rule is that the further the symptoms travel through the limbs the more severe the problem.

This can also depend on the amount of the gel like substance (nucleus pulpous) protruding through the harder casing (annulus fibrosis) and putting pressure on the nerve canal. (see picture)

Why do disc bulges occur?

While accidents, knocks and bangs can cause disc injuries, they are more often the result of damaging long-term sitting, working or sporting positions along with weak supporting muscles.

The most common muscle imbalance associated with disc injuries is a flat or sway back position (see pic) in the low back with a kyphotic (slouched upper back), This generally includes tight hamstrings and glutes (butt) and a weak core/abdominals.

This muscle imbalance puts a constant pressure on the disc that weakens it over time, leading to the disc material pushing outwards or sideways and pressing on the spinal canal. Think of it like a hole in the toothpaste tube: if the toothpaste squirts out it is sometimes impossible to get back in.

If the problem is not addressed in early stages, sometimes surgery is needed.

There are 7 different stages of disc derangement. if the disc material has protruded a long way, surgery may be required. A diseconomy is when a surgeon goes in, sometimes microscopically to minimise scaring and damage, and shaves off the disc material that is pressing on the nerves and causing pain. This can help relieve the pain but it does not fix the underlying problem.

Symptoms are our bodies warning signs. It is important to listen to our body and take action to address the problem.

Just like the old saying  “A stitch in time saves nine”.

Fixing the problem

Disc injuries can be slow healing because of the limited blood supply in the discs.

Muscle imbalance and poor posture must be addressed and movement patterns re-educated from a neural level to get the body back to function and strength.

It is extremely important to do the corrective exercises that will centralise and stabilise the disc. Incorrect movement can push you the body more vulnerable positions.

Learning functional movement patterns gives a person strength and confidence to lift and move in the correct way so further injury can be avoided and lifetime activies can still be enjoyed.

Other factors of importance are staying hydrated to keep disc’s plump. Dehydrated discs are like flat tyres to a car - much more likely to wear faster or blow out. As a disc dehydrates and shrinks it causes the surrounding ligaments to be loose (known as ligament laxity).

Correct nutrition and appropriate rest/sleep is also imperative for all healing.

CONDITIONING TO IMPROVE PERFORMANCE

Participation in something athletic is a great way of keeping active; whether it’s a round of golf with business colleagues, going to the gym to do weights or yoga, jogging along the waterfront, tennis, swimming or biking at the weekend.

Most people think of their sport as a way to get their strength and conditioning. But the more active you are the more you need a proper strength programme to achieve balance.

Examples are golfers or tennis players, who do a lot of flexion (bending forward) and rotation on one side. It is easy to understand this can develop a muscular imbalance. It can also create a lot of niggles or injury.

You may be a seasoned athlete or just a weekend warrior; either way, these pains are no fun at all.

Discomfort may not take you out of the game but constant low-level nagging of neck, shoulder, back or knee, or a strained Achilles tendon, are a warning something is not right.

A lot of these come from lack of base conditioning. Everyone’s body position is different and needs appropriate foundational exercise; this is why an assessment is needed to determine what you need.

Take two different people. One could be loose and floppy in their joints and need a lot of stability and strength to sustain their structure with little need for stretching. The other might need a lot of mobility and stretching before a strengthening programme.

There is a definite order of importance in conditioning: Corrective stretching, mobilisation, stability, strength and then sports-specific training.

Failure to comply with these fundamental rules creates constant troubles such as back and joint pain, hamstring and rotator cuff tears, disc injuries and more.

Quite often a lot of damage has already been done within the spine and joints from many earlier years of sports. But even if you have spine or joint degeneration, getting the body back to a favourable position and stabilising it can prevent further damage and reduce pain.

A conditioning programme

• A specific stretch and mobility programme might involve 15-20 minutes daily to loosen tight musculature. Tight muscles will pull the joints out of their optimal alignment. This is not about stretching for a particular sport but to have optimal resting joint position so they don’t wear out and become painful.

• A stability, strength and functional movement programme might be done 2-4 times a week. Joints need intrinsic stability of the smaller muscles.

• Your strengthening programme should also mimic your sporting patterns and correct imbalances.

• Invest in skilled advice when it comes to your athletic performance. If you need a lawyer or an accountant, you would not hesitate to hire professionals. The body requires similar knowledge and attention. 

THOUGHTS CREATE ENERGY

Wouldn’t it be great to have abundant energy during the day and still have plenty to do what we love after work?

Chek practitioners don’t treat the disease but the person. So we teach those suffering from lack of energy how to embrace the six foundation principles:

 Thought, breath, hydration, nutrition, exercise and sleep. Thoughts are a powerful component of energy – imagine the impact of bad news such as the death of a loved one or the windfall of a million dollars.

An old saying goes, “If you want to know your thoughts of the past six months look at your body today. If you want to change your body in the next six months look at your thoughts today.”

Poor quality thinking pumps out excess stress hormones. 
Over time, this causes hormonal imbalance, leading to decreased energy and disease. Too much stress or poor thoughts will weaken the immune system. We are all given the same amount of life force. When people are sick or tired, they are just channelling their energy differently.

Physical or emotional pain is like the compass of the soul. The more the pain, the more we are out of alignment with who we are. Being stuck or blocked emotionally can be extremely painful.

Sometimes, painful emotion, injury or illness can be one of the most valuable things in life. Perhaps not in the moment but in the learning curve needed to create a new life experience.  This can lead to improved health, vitality, love and appreciation of life. Negative emotions stored for years are a major source of illness and disease.

The subconscious mind records every picture of our past, good or bad. It is so strong that in times of stress and high emotion it can re-stimulate strong negative feelings.  Professional help can clear past traumas and find the path that best suits you. I have tried several styles and continue to do so.

Thoughts trigger emotions and every emotion has a hormonal and energetic reaction. Hence our psychology is our biology; simply put, the body is a manifestation of the mind. 
When we create what we want in life, energy increases. When we create what we don't want, energy decreases. When we are on the right path of creating what we want, we have an abundance of energy.Creating new and positive thought is a powerful way out of poor health. This must be a daily practice or habit – just like training your body.

The human mind is an endlessly complex creation. Imagine it as an iceberg, with 10% above the water being the conscious mind and the remainder the subconscious.
Keep looking to find the right one for you. They are all different roads to the same outcome – cleaning up the mind, rather like debugging a computer. 

YOU MAY NOT BE SICK BUT ARE YOU HEALTHY?

There is a large continuum when it comes to health or illness.

We all have our own picture of where we fit on this scale.

Just because people are not sick that they assume they have health.

We are like a plant that can survive in a bit of dry old soil or a weed pushing through the concrete. However, that is just survival; getting by and not flourishing with radiant health and abundant energy.

Most people are programmed to know their physical and mental health will start declining from about 40 years old.  To me this is nonsense; I am nearly 50 yet I am fitter, stronger, healthier and smarter than in any early years.

So what does real health look like?      

         Physically, mentally and spiritually fit
• ·      No pain
• ·      Emotionally balanced
• ·      Good reproductive health
• ·      Freedom from disease
• ·      Great energy and motivation
• ·      Radiant skin, hair and nails
• ·      No symptoms
• ·      Happy
• ·      Slow ageing
• ·      On a growth path of some sort.

Health is defiantly a three-legged stool of body, mind and soul.

We all need to take responsibility for our futures and have strong daily health routines in place to make this happen.

Most of us have been taught that when something is wrong we go to the doctor, who will give us a pill to make us better.

Of course, there are times when we need the skills of a good doctor – such as for an infection.

But using drugs to treat symptoms may only suppress the underlying problems until bigger ones occur.

Many of these drugs cause other severe health issues, creating more trouble.

Whenever possible, it is best to look at natural alternatives and lifestyle changes. (See below for a comparison of the “allopathic” or remedy-based approach with an holistic one.)

Get educated, motivated and inspired to create optimal health for a happy future.

Check out my other blogs for more information or my website
www.michelleowen.co.nz

Allopathic

• Is done to you
• Happens from the outside in – surgery, injections, pills
• Is passive – laying on a bed or table
• Treats the symptoms
• Singles out a part of you, just the part that hurts.
• Is quick – but short-lived
• May restore you to where you where before
• Focuses on the ailment

Holistic

• Is done by you – changing your thoughts or deep emotional issues or re-correct body structure through skilled exercise
• Happens from the inside out – detoxification, digestion, hydration, healthy food, deep stabilisation of internal musculature
• Is active – you have to do the work
• Addresses the underlying cause
• Encompasses all of you, looks at the big picture.
• Takes time – can be slow to start but lasts for the longer term
• Improves you on many levels to be better than you were
• Focuses on you as a whole