Lengthen your spine, lengthen your life
When I was asked if I had a catchphrase for SchrothDC, I immediately thought of “Lengthen your spine, lengthen your life”, but was hesitant to move forward with it. On first glance, it looked a bit dramatic and over-promising to me. Once an idealist, I have shifted firmly into being a realist in my adult life. I set realistic expectations and goals for my self and my patients. I don’t over-hype or over-sell any one modality. I don’t believe in “silver bullets” (even though everyone is looking for one, especially when they are in pain!) I know my role and stay within my professional boundaries. But………
Taking Care of your Spine is so Important.
The spine serves as a relay-station for the limbs. It’s designed for mobility and stability. And at the end of the day, lengthening your spine can actually lengthen your life. Hear me out.
It all comes down to our center of gravity. The center of gravity of an object is the point at which weight is evenly dispersed and all sides are in balance. In humans with healthy, upright spines, the center of gravity lies at S2 (the second bone in the sacrum). Note that the sacrum is in the back or posterior part of the body.
Normal Center of Gravity
As the spine changes shape, due to scoliosis, kyphosis, degenerative disc disease, stenosis, etc., our center of gravity changes, which has profound implications on our ability to stay balanced. The center of gravity begins to move forward, or anteriorly.*
Abnormal Center of Gravity
This shift makes balance much more difficult, as we are essentially being pulled forward and lack the posterior musculature to fight that pull. We become more susceptible to falling over.
Normal v. Kyphosis
The bad news is, falls can be life-altering in adults, especially in the elderly. Broken bones, head injuries, and hospitalizations take a toll. Studies have shown a one-year mortality rate among elderly people after hospitalization due to fall related fractures.* Eeek. Scary stuff.
The good news is, we can start preventing all this scary stuff right now, whether we are 13, 30, 60, or even 80, by treating our spines with thoughtful exercise. By paying attention to our posture. By breathing, stretching, Schroth-ing, and strengthening our back muscles and core muscles. By having a professional assess our back, our posture, our hip mobility, and our core strength.
I love working with patients of all ages because I am able to see the full spectrum of spinal health. My teenagers teach me what early scoliosis looks like. My adults teach me what that same scoliosis will look like in 20-60 years. I am able to report in real-time to my teenage patients that their adult counterparts who have exercised throughout their lives are faring much better than those who have not. That is the reality.
We can all benefit from being kind to our spines. There’s no time like the present to begin. Let’s start lengthening.