They require a minimum level of activity each week to maintain their fitness and ability to perform well. Regular activity helps maintain their Strength, Coordination, Confidence and Resilience.
Also like athletes, spine joints can get injured and lose confidence.
If an athlete is injured, their coach or medical officer may recommend some time away from sport to rest and mend. If a spinal joint is injured, the brain (medical officer) will commonly instruct larger and more superficial muscles around the injured site to stiffen to protect the smaller deeper injured tissues.
Return to activity
What would happen if an athlete was psychologically ‘shaken’ by a particular injury, and chose not to return to play? After 3 months of avoiding training or play, what would happen to their fitness and their ability to perform at a high level? How would their confidence be? What if they remained out of action for 1 year or more?
The above situation can occur in the human spine. The spine is a complex multi-joint system. It must endure high working forces every day (even in normal people) and is controlled by relatively small muscles.
Injuries of the small / deep tissues of the spine are common in everyday life. Your brain is very good at stiffening and protecting injured spinal joints. This intentional bracing of the injured site can be very effective at reducing the pain that a person would otherwise feel. This can give a false impression of the magnitude of harm that has occurred.
As weeks and months pass, it is not guaranteed that the injured site in the spine will return to full usage and fitness. If activity is not restored, fitness/confidence/performance/strength will inevitably diminish, increasing the risk of future injury, harm and pain.
Fortunately, just like an athlete, fitness and confidence can be improved. With the right assessment and care approach, and some time, chronically inactive and weak spine segments can be coaxed back into action.
At Sure Start Health, we are experts at identifying and restoring inactive and weak zones in the human spine. Most of the back and neck pain cases we see are the result of years or decades of inactivity and weakness that the patient had little or no idea existed.
Contact us today to get your team of little athletes checked! Call 8272 2862 or book online through our website.
