Imagine if you decided to start skipping your annual teeth cleaning, and for that matter, started skipping your twice-daily teeth brushing routine altogether. And then you canceled your yearly mammograms while saying ‘whatever’ to your wellness physicals, colonoscopies and skin exams.

Hard to imagine, right? Because when it comes to taking care of yourself – you’re on top of it.

Then why aren’t you keeping up with your spinal health?

What if we told you that your spine, much like your teeth, begins to decay when neglected? Would you do something about it then? We thought so.

But why wait?

At Dr. Gena Chiropractic, a family chiropractic care center in Plantation, it’s not just our mission to correct the problems you’re already facing – we are dedicated to helping you prevent new ones from arising. And how do we do that? By focusing on your lifeline – the literal back bone of your health – your spine.

According to Dr. Gena, spine expert extraordinaire, “We consider the spine your lifeline because it houses the MOST important part of your body - your nervous system. The central nervous system is made up of the brain and spinal cord. These are the control centers of your body. They then send signals out the peripheral nervous system (your nerves) to communicate with every organ, tissue, part and cell of your body to let them know what to do. Your skull and spine house this ever-important control center. It is therefore important to keep it functioning with as much ease and help maintain its proper structural alignment.”

In laymen’s terms? Your spine is the foundation of your house. When maintained appropriately, you know you have a roof over your head to protect you for years to come. When neglected or patched up quickly as situations arise, things never really improve – as the source of what keeps things “together” begins to deteriorate, making your house a really unsafe place to live.

What causes said deterioration? Things you may not have even realized were harmful for your spine – so take note!

Day-to-Day Physical Stresses

If you had the ability to move around or avoid stresses all day, every day, your spine would be in great shape! But let’s face it – you don’t. You sit at work for long hours at a time, likely hunched over a computer. You exercise, often moving your spine out of line (with most workouts being only 30 to 90 minutes a day). You’re texting, a frequent, repetitive movement that can alter the structural alignment of your spine.

These are natural, commonplace movements that you likely can’t avoid but will undoubtedly cause some form of spinal degeneration over time if you neglect the care of your spine.

Macro-Traumas

Another form of physical stresses are ones that involve impact. Car accidents, both minor and major, slip and falls and athletic injuries are considered macro-traumas – macro meaning big. Big impacts mean big changes for your spine.

No matter what causes the deterioration of your spine, one thing is for sure – if these issues are not corrected, with time, you will not be able to return to ‘normal.’

“Many times, people are already in phase 1 or 2 of spinal degeneration and have no idea because they feel ‘pretty good’ on a day-to-day basis or they don't yet have any pain. The degenerative process can take years to happen, and pain is not always associated with it.

If your teeth decayed bad enough, you'd have them removed, get implants or dentures and life would go on. Your spine, however, CANNOT BE REPLACED,” Dr. Gena says.

“This is why it's so very important to practice proper spinal hygiene regularly. This can be done through extension exercises (to strengthen the muscles of the back) and most importantly by having regular chiropractic check-ups and adjustments when needed.”

For your regular chiropractic adjustments in Plantation, and more, visit us at Dr. Gena Chiropractic – located just minutes west of Fort Lauderdale – today.

Remember, your health is in your hands, but our hands are here to help!