How Is Your Spine Ageing?

Most of us think about our spine when something hurts.

Back pain. Neck pain. Headaches. A stiff lower back.

But pain is only one part of the story.

A healthy spine should move well, support your body, help you balance, coordinate movement and respond to the demands you place on it. These five qualities form the basis of our Strong Spine approach.

As we get older, the question becomes less about whether your spine hurts today and more about how well it is functioning.

Here are five simple areas worth thinking about.

1. MOVE: How well does your spine move?

Try standing with your back against a wall.

Raise both arms overhead. Then rotate your upper body comfortably to the left and right.

Does one side feel tighter? Do you struggle to get your arms overhead? Does your lower back compensate when your upper back feels stiff?

Our spine is designed for movement. The Strong Spine assessment looks at movement through the neck, thoracic spine and lower back rather than focusing on one painful area.

Maintaining comfortable movement helps you keep doing everyday things such as reaching, turning, walking, exercising and getting up from the floor.

2. SUPPORT: Does your body have enough muscular endurance?

Your spine does not work by itself.

Muscles around your trunk, hips and legs provide support as you stand, walk, lift and exercise.

One simple test is a wall sit. The Strong Spine workshop uses this as an endurance challenge, with 90 seconds or more representing the highest score.

You do not need elite strength. You need enough strength and endurance for the demands you place on your body.

This becomes increasingly important as we age.

3. BALANCE: How steady are you?

Stand on one leg and see whether you remain steady for 30 seconds.

Now make it harder. Slowly turn your head from side to side.

Balance involves input from several systems. Your spine and joints contribute sensory information your brain uses as it controls your posture and movement.

This is why our Strong Spine workshop includes a single-leg balance challenge.

Balance matters at every age. As we get older, maintaining balance also becomes an important part of staying active and independent.

4. COORDINATE: Does your brain know where your head and body are?

This is one of the more interesting parts of our Strong Spine assessment.

We use a head-mounted laser pointer and a target on the wall. You close your eyes, turn your head and then try to return precisely to your starting position.

It sounds easy.

It often isn't.

The test explores your ability to sense the position of your head and neck without relying on vision.

Your brain constantly receives sensory information about where your body is and how it is moving. Good movement requires accurate information and an appropriate response.

5. CONTROL: How well do you control movement?

Get onto your hands and knees.

Lift one arm and the opposite leg into the familiar bird-dog position.

Now watch what happens.

Does your pelvis rotate? Do you wobble? Does your lower back arch? Is one side easier than the other?

The goal is not simply to lift your arm and leg. The test looks at how well you coordinate and control the movement.

This distinction matters.

Strength and flexibility are useful. So is your ability to control your body while you move.

A Strong Spine Is About Function

One of the central ideas behind our Strong Spine program is simple.

Instead of asking only:

"Does my back hurt?"

We also want you to ask:

"How well does my spine function?"

Can you move freely?

Do you have adequate muscular support?

Can you balance?

How good is your body awareness?

Can you control movement?

Your spine forms part of a much larger movement and sensory system. Your brain constantly processes information about where you are, how you are moving and what movement needs to happen next.

You might have no pain and still notice areas worth improving.

Perhaps your neck has become stiff.

Perhaps your balance is poorer than it was five years ago.

Perhaps you have lost some trunk endurance.

Perhaps one side of your body moves differently from the other.

These are useful things to identify before they start limiting what you enjoy doing.

How Is Your Spine Ageing?

Ageing does not need to mean giving up the activities you enjoy.

But it does give you a reason to pay attention to function.

At Lane Cove Chiropractic Centre, our Strong Spine Assessment takes a broader look at how your spine and body are functioning. It includes posture, spinal movement, balance, functional movement, brain-body coordination, muscular endurance, lifestyle factors and a personal action plan.

Whether you run, train at the gym, play golf, look after grandchildren, travel or simply want to stay active, your goal is much the same.

Keep moving. Keep strong. Keep your balance. Keep doing the things you enjoy.

A healthy spine isn't simply one that doesn't hurt.

It's one that helps you keep living the life you want to live.

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Dr Mark has a special interest in helping recreational athletes of all ages perform better and prevent injury. Correct breathing and postural alignment are critical for top performance and injury prevention and is an integral part of “The Over 40 Athlete System” that Mark has developed.

Dr Julie has a special interest in helping mothers and “mothers to be”. Her Post Graduate qualifications in Paediatric Chiropractic and as an ex-midwife give her a unique ability to help pregnant women, new mums and their young children.

Yours in Health,

Dr's Mark & Julie