The purpose of World Spine Day is to raise awareness of spinal disorders and to inform the public about preventative measures you can take to keep back pain and injuries from happening. The theme this year is to “Straighten Up and Move!” which emphasizes the importance of good posture and staying active in regards to spinal health.
The spine is the backbone (see what we did there!) of good health and wellness. Composed of 9 fused and 24 movable vertebrae, the human spinal column serves as a protective shell for the spinal cord–the super highway for nerve conduction. The spinal cord delivers and coordinates the brain’s messages about body movement. It also communicates to the brain information about body positioning, posture, balance, muscle soreness or fatigue and sensation. Did you know that some reflexes occur before the nerve impulse even reach the brain? In fact the spinal cord cells can mediate reflex, completely bypassing the brain!
You can read all about World Spine Day and the Bone and Joint Decade at http://www.worldspineday.org/. Here you can find resources and ways to get involved as well as a ton of information about keeping your spine healthy and pain free! Below are some interesting facts they provided on their site:
- Up to 80% of people will suffer from back or neck pain during their lives.
- 50% of the working population will experience back or neck pain symptoms at least once
- per year.
- Age is one of the most common risk factors for spinal pain, and the greatest effects of population ageing are predicted in low- and middle-income countries.
- Back and neck pain is one of the most common reasons for workplace sick leave.
- Back pain is the second most frequent reason for visits to the doctor’s office, outnumbered only by the common cold.
Please feel free to go through our Prevention section of our own website to read about ways to take control over your own spinal health!