Exercise And Spinal Decay:
Is Your Routine Helping Or Hurting?

If you’re reading this article you’re probably someone who likes to exercise but is finding it difficult.

You’re not alone! Many of my patients over the years have found the routines they attempt getting increasingly more difficult to perform instead of easier. There are many reasons for this not the least of which is often a case of postural and spinal imbalance. In fact, it’s likely that the majority of folks in gyms across the country are engaged in exercise programs that are not appropriate for their overall condition.

Let me give an example. If you’re someone who likes to weight-train whether with free-weights or machines, and you find over time you struggle to make the improvements you’d like with your strength, conditioning or physique, it may be due to abnormal posture and therefore, abnormal pressure on spinal joints, discs and nerves that cause muscle imbalances. At Ally Spine Center we teach that it’s vital to correct underlying spinal imbalances BEFORE initiating demanding exercise routines. By doing so, the body becomes more stable and efficient and progress is seen sooner than later.

Recently we saw a patient with a bulging disc at L5-S1. Over time his pain was increasing and even worse, he was losing sensation and strength in his right leg. Exercising with weights and walking for more than just fifteen minutes became impossible. After performing an examination and taking x rays in our office and reviewing an MRI it was apparent the nerve compression was due to an abnormal curve in his back and loss of joint space. We implemented gentle adjusting techniques to restore a more normal curve and utilized our state of the art SpineMed system of non surgical spinal decompression to reduce the bulging disc and alleviate the pressure on the nerves to his leg. His recovery was excellent and his neurosurgeon cancelled his scheduled spine surgery. He was able to return to his exercise routine and reported feeling the best he had felt for years!

If you suffer from chronic pain and find exercises alone aren’t helping or you’re losing function and performance, consider it just may be an underlying spinal issue that needs attention first, for you to feel and function closer to your best!