Many people around the world have different shaped spines, this is due to genetics, sports they play, posture at school and work and muscle imbalances. The variations in spinal shape increases the aging processes in the spine and injury rates increases leaving the spine in these abnormal positions.
Conditions like scoliosis (sideways curve in the spine), rounded backs, and excessive deep curves of the lower back all have greater load than the spine can cope with. The friction in the joints and weight the muscles have to carry are too great. The overload stress on the joints of the spine, ligaments, and muscles causes imbalances to accelerate both in bone position and muscle weakness. All these factors damage the human body, nerves (changing nerve functions to organs and muscles) can cause the human body to get old and damaged at a young age.
Bruce uses a combined approach to treating these problems involving a physical exam, looking at the nerves, bones and soft tissue of the body. All facets have to be treated, not just the physical body, but a change in the mental approach to the condition starting with understanding the problem at hand, taking personal ownership of the patients role in healing their own body and being prepared to make lifestyle changes and better choices. Education is key to this and is continually done throughout the treatment phases. Exercise programmes, and some prefer the word ’rehab’, is a cornerstone to correcting spinal abnormalities which support the chiropractic adjustments and nerve stimulation. Spinal orthotics called ‘wedges’ are also used in some cases to stretch the ligaments of the spine, aiding spinal mobility, and this corrects the tight and stiff areas in the spine. Spinal movement is crucial to being able to gain full access to the muscle as a whole, if you are limited in a movement you only gain partial access to the muscles function and this leaves the muscle weaker and exposes you to health issues like arthritis.