How messed up is your back?

This story is brought to you by Summit Spine and Sport Chiropractic. Dr. Kimball Arritt and his staff are highly skilled in chiropractic care, sports medicine, pediatric care, pregnancy, surgical rehabilitation and more.

Ever thought about how messed up your back probably is?

The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) says that by age 13, you have already experienced over 1,000 traumas to your spine, and that’s for a normal, everyday person! Now add sports to that everyday life and suddenly your back is a major source for an incredible variety of pain and problems.

But first, a little anatomy lesson. The brain communicates to the rest of your body through the central nervous system. It controls movements and reactions. Or, to put it better, the brain and nervous system control how the body performs. Static in that communication results in a body performing less than 100 percent.

And all of this essential communication for a peak-functioning body and a happy efficient life is housed right there in your spine: the same place that experiences trauma all the stinking time. When you’ve got nerve interference, you’ve got terrible communication. You’ve got body parts and organ that don’t know what to do.

You’ve got problems.

With a misaligned spine, you can even have issues with cardiovascular and respiratory function. Maybe it’s not that big gulp causing you to lose your wind and tire so quickly (although it probably isn’t helping, either). Maybe the real culprit causing a lack of strength and lethargy is a messed-up spine.

And that’s where the chiropractor comes in; the person who knows how to get a free-flow of communication; who can take out the nerve pinching and straighten things out. And maybe that’s the edge you’re looking for. With all the training and exercising and diets and whatnot, check out the flow of communication from your brain to your body. Check to make sure you’re treating the right problem when you find your performance lacking.

Instead of cracking your own neck and back, popping pain medication and pushing your body harder, take a step back to check … well … your back.