Old injuries aren’t just a nuisance. They can actually throw off many important bodily functions. Find out how, and what to do about it.
DEAR DR. AUSTIN: Can an old back injury throw off the biomechanics of the body, including digestion, mental health, etc? If so, how? What should be done about it? — OLD INJURY
DEAR OLD INJURY: Great question! The body is a tapestry of past experiences, an old injury, gets stored in the body and creates compensations in the future. Whether it’s a major trauma like a car accident or repetitive microtrauma, like poor ergonomics, once an injury occurs, the rest of the body has to adapt to the structural weaknesses. For instance, if the sacrum (the anchor of the spine) shifts in place, the two pelvic bones on either side can lose mobile function and the lumbar vertebra on top of it can subluxate (misalign). On the superficial level, this can cause tremendous low back pain. On a deeper level, it has the ability to impact the nerves of the lumbar and sacral area, affecting digestive, excretory, and sexual functions. Once the body starts to become dysfunctional, it can affect a person’s mental health. There are ways to manage the symptoms, such as yoga, supplementation, physical therapy, etc. Symptomatic relief will work for a while, but it’s important to address the cause of the dysfunctions as well. Chiropractic seems to be the most direct method to do this.
I want to mention that there is a physical trauma we all experience and it often goes overlooked as the cause for systemic dysfunction later in life: birth. We all did it, and it has the potential to throw the spine out of place, creating nerve pressure that could manifest into all kinds of problems later in life. It’s always the right time to have your spine checked for interference. We’ve all come into this world under traumatic conditions!
—
Do you have a question for Dr. Austin? Leave your question in a comment below, or e-mail him at [email protected]
Follow Dr. Austin on Facebook & Twitter
—