Is Your Spine Aligned?

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The Spine

The spine, made up of bones called vertebrae, helps provide the body with movement, stability, and strength. The spinal cord and its nerves send information out to the body and are considered delicate as injuries can affect the entire body. If the spine becomes misaligned, it will also affect the entire body and cause pain and discomfort. It is important to know when to recognize if there is a misalignment in order to correct the issue as soon as possible and to avoid chronic pain.

Signs that your spine is misaligned

There are multiple warning signs that indicate that your spine may be misaligned. Taking the steps necessary to align your spine will help ease pain and discomfort. Some signs that you may have a misalignment of the spine include:

  • You have a difference in leg length and your shoes wear out unevenly
  • You have a poor range of motion on your hips and neck
  • Your posture is poor
  • You feel stiffness on your back and neck
  • You get frequent headaches or sore spots
  • Your weight is not distributed equally if you place your feet on two different scales
  • Your feet flare out when you walk

What you can do

Fortunately enough, there are ways to stretch and help ease the pain that comes with a misaligned spine. In some cases, the spine may even be aligned through some of the techniques listed below. Here are a few things you can start doing today in order to align your spine and feel better:

  • Practice yoga: many poses are designed to help stretch and align the spine
  • Visit a chiropractor: a trained chiropractor will be able to align your spine and help improve your range of motion while reducing pain
  • Massage therapy: tension may cause your muscles to be out of line, getting regular massage therapy can reduce tension and pain and help keep everything aligned
  • Pilates: pilates helps with alignment while focusing on the abdominal muscles through a mind-body approach. Focused on strength, coordination, flexibility, and balance, it helps with full-body alignment.
  • Tai Chi: this exercise combines meditation with an aligned movement known to help both the back and joints.