My Back Is Out of Alignment, What to Do?

It all starts when your spinal muscles, discs, joints or ligaments come under pressure (because of poor posture). Any kind of interference in the functionality of nerves, not only disrupt the continuity of nerve energy to all the body parts (from brain), but also may cause other ailments and health-related issues.

An array of reasons contributes in the misalignment of spine/back. These may include:

• Injuries and accidents

• Loosening in the connective tissues (tissues that keep spine connected) in the spine

• Poor sitting posture (crossed legs)

Your Legs

The length of your legs can give a nice clue about a back out of alignment. Many times, we don’t have the idea of any difference between the length of our legs. When one leg is shorter than the other, that means you have a troubled lumber spine or pelvis. (Dysfunction of lumber joints and sacroiliac joints might be the reason behind this change of size).

Your Shoes

Check out your shoes, if one heel is more worn out than the other, that means you walk with an additional stress on one side. This normally happens when your pelvis or lumbar spine is misaligned.

Troubled Breathing

Our ability to breath is interrelated with spinal health. If you are unable to have a deep and satisfying breath, it might be an indication of an unhealthy back.

Limited Movement

When you feel difficulty in moving your hips or head with flexibility to one or both sides, that means you have misaligned vertebrae.

Weakness and Fatigue

In case of having the feelings of weakness and fatigue for most of the time, it might be the result of a misaligned back, which is draining your energy.

Poor Concentration

You are unable to concentrate? That can be alarming. A spinal injury or misalignment tends to affect the functioning of brain.

Low Immunity Level

If you are often attacked by different ailments like cough, cold or other health issues, that indicates your low resistance against viral or bacterial attacks. In short, a back out of alignment affects your overall health.

Flared Feet

Check yourself while walking, if any or both of your feet are flared outward or inward (not pointed in forward direction) that indicates an issue related to hips or lower back

Cracking of Joints

If you often have to crack your joints (neck, back), while walking or moving, that signifies a misalignment.

Poor Posture

Check your posture by standing on two bathroom scales (with one leg on each). If you weigh equally on both sides, then it’s ok. If both scales indicate different weight, that means your spine is off-center.

Some other Symptoms include:

• Headache

• Backache/back with muscles spasms

• Sore or tender muscles and joints

• Stiffness of neck and back

• Sensation of tingling or numbness

• Digestion problems

• Emotional disturbance

If you have at least three of these symptoms, that means it’s the right time to get yourself checked by a spinal specialist. Never try to heal on your own. Using pain killers, hard mattresses or other caffeinated drinks are not going to get your spine back in place. These are not a permanent solution.

Once you have a misaligned spine, you can’t get it replaced by another one. Taking a timely step is the most important thing. The longer you avoid it, the severer it gets. There are numerous ways of treating a back out of alignment. These may include:

• Consult the Chiropractic or Osteopath

Find the well-reputed and specialist chiropractic. A chiropractic is an expert in making spinal adjustments by practicing various physical manipulations. The treatment from a chiropractic may take months.

• Get Massage Therapy

Massage therapy is a good way of reducing the muscle tension. Massage lessens stress and cures tight muscles around your spinal column. Just make sure that the massager is well-recognized in his respective field

• Opt for Physiotherapy

Physiotherapy consists of suitable exercises and stretches for your back. It also includes more advanced ways like electronic muscle stimulation and therapeutic ultra sound. But that must be undergone with physiotherapist’s consent.

• Medication

In case you are facing osteoporosis within your spine, you can have certain medicines that promote strong and healthy bones.

• Surgery

It’s the last option that’s adopted when all other methods fail to get your back to its natural alignment. In this method, metal rods are inserted in the spine using screws, wires and hooks, to get a naturally aligned back. With the complete aligning of back (after a certain time), these rods are removed, following another procedure.

The tips we are going to mention here are not the ultimate solution. These are just precautionary measures, you must take along with other medical procedure.

• Don’t sit with your legs in a crossed position.

• Feet are the base of the whole body. For a correct posture, it is very important to use the right type of shoes. Prefer the shoes that offer good arch support. Shoes must have low heel, with enough space on the toes part.

• Give the required support to your back by sleeping on a firm mattress. Make sure you are not using too many pillows. It may affect the normal lordosis of your neck, resulting in severe neck strain. Prefer sleeping on your back.

• In case of back pain, avoid lifting any type of weight.

• Ensure a regular intake of all the good-for-bone nutrients to overcome any deficiency. These nutrients may have vitamin D, boron, calcium, and magnesium.

• Walk, exercise (with consultation) and stretch regularly. Movement enhances blood flow to the spine which is good for a back out of alignment. Even yoga is very good option. It comes with great remedial exercises for your back. It’s also recommended for correction of posture and realignment of spine.

• Use of stability ball (20 minutes at least) for your back helps in maintaining a right posture.