runningandthespine

· Among the general population, the average lifetime incidence of back pain is between 60-90% with a yearly occurrence of around 5%. (Frymoyer JW: Back pain and sciatica. N Engl J Med 1988:318, 291)

· Spine injuries in runners are not as common as in the lower extremities, however problems in the lower extremities can lead to spinal problems.

· A study done by Wen et al. In 1997 found that runners with leg length discrepancies had a proportionately increased incidence of back pain.

· While running, the initial impact of heel strike is absorbed in the lower extremities and the force is distributed upward through the ankles, knees, hips, pelvis, low back and goes as far up as ones Jaw and skull. "An abnormal stress or mechanical dysfunction in the kinetic chain may injure the lumbar spine. Injuries may also manifest themselves as lumbo-pelvic pain. (O'Connor & Wilder 2001)

· All runners should be aware of the three stages of spinal degeneration:

· 1. Segmental dysfunction- alteration in spinal movement, disk fibers become lax and disorganized. This stage predisposes one to injury and further degeneration

· 2. Segmental Instability- disk dehydration, loss of disk height, tears in disk fibers may lead to herniation, bony part of vertebrae may become more dense, laxity of fibers surrounding vertebrae also occurs. These changes lead to instability of the spine.

· 3. Stabilization stage- disk becomes more flat and hardened. Bony outgrowths (spurs) grow out of the vertebrae to stabilize the area, this in turn decreases range of motion and may result in nerve compression that presents as pain.

· Care should be taken to prevent even the segmental dysfunction stage of degeneration. Once degeneration begins it is essential that everything is done to halt or reverse its effects, this is most easy to do in the first phase of degeneration. Manipulation of the spine is the safest, least invasive and most effective way to do this without side effects. Stopping degeneration in the segmental instability phase may also be possible with the use of spinal manipulation, and may act to alleviate associated pain. If degeneration should get to the stabilization phase, spinal manipulation will do little more than attempt to alleviate pain....you have let the degeneration go to far.

· PREVENTION PREVENTION PREVENTION!

· Correcting any structural abnormalities is crucial to proper running biomechanics and preventing the occurrence of misalignments that can potentially lead to degenerative joint disease (osteoarthritis) of the spine.

· Spinal injuries can stop you in your tracks, and set back your running progress significantly.

· Remember that problems in your feet, knees, hips, and pelvis can lead to problems in your spine. An injury in any of these areas can spell trouble for a serious runner. Make an appointment with a Doctor of Chiropractic to have yourself thoroughly examined for any physical problems that may result in injury & time away from running, back pain, or pain elsewhere in your body. Chiropractic can help prevent injury and degenerative changes in your neuro-musculo-skeletal system. Chiropractic manipulation is also very effective in treating existing injuries.