You probably don’t think much about your spine – but think about this: it is a tremendous accomplishment of evolution as it allows us to walk erect instead of on all fours like other creatures in the animal kingdom. In this erect posture, we can carry things and cover distances quickly and efficiently. Here are five fun facts about your spine that you may not know but will make it all the more fascinating.
You lose bones as you age
When you’re born, you have 270 bones in your body. As an adult, you’ll only have 206. Babies have 33 vertebrae, but as an adult, that number reduces to 26. The bones don’t disappear or anything, but several fuses together to create new structures such as the rear side of the pelvis and the tailbone.
Humans and giraffes have similar necks
Your neck may not have all the bones and all the length that a giraffe’s neck has, but both humans and giraffes do have seven cervical vertebrae that make up their neck. It’s these cervical vertebrae which make it possible for giraffes to have the flexibility to reach down to the ground, as well as to reach high up in the trees. This has been an evolutionary development in response to their need to acquire water and food.
Back pain doesn’t always require medical treatment
Approximately 80% of all back pain requires no medical treatment whatsoever, because in most cases that pain will subside within a month or so. You have the capability of avoiding or eliminating most types of back pain so that it doesn’t become a major issue affecting your lifestyle. You can avoid bad posture, use heating pads, visit a massage therapist, use natural remedies, or visit a chiropractor for periodic manipulation. Many types of back pain can be avoided by simply paying attention to the stresses you subject your back to, and when you do have pain or discomfort, you can often take steps on your own to mitigate that discomfort.
People are taller after coming back from space
It’s very possible for an individual to grow as much as an inch or even two inches after having been in outer space for a while. This is something that all space programs take into account because it will affect the living quarters that crew members use while in space. Once gravity has been removed from your environment, all the cartilages between your bones are free to expand, and that in turn will cause you to grow in height by some amount. The exact opposite process occurs during aging, where prolonged exposure to gravity causes cartilage to shrink and for your height to be diminished during that shrinkage process.
Spinal surgery is very common
Every year in this country, an enormous amount of money is allocated to recovering from back pain, somewhere in the neighborhood of $86 billion. There are more than 60 million adults around the globe who cite back pain as a reason for spinal surgery, and that’s why there are 1.2 million spinal surgeries performed every year, just in the United States. In addition, there are 300,000 spinal fusions performed by specialists every year, and the numbers for both spinal surgeries and spinal fusions continue to increase every single year. To avoid surgery visit a Chiropractor for Chiropractic Treatment
Dr. Ted Steffen a Seattle Chiropractor, with advanced certification in Chiropractic BioPhysics, located in Downtown Seattle Sonic Chiro. To learn more about non-surgical treatment options visit sonicchiro.com.
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