One cannot under mind the importance of the spine. It is the upholding structure of the human body. Through it, runs all the nerves and pathways to the rest of the body. So, think of your brain as the command center, and the spine is the pathway for all the commands to travel. Those commands are then broken up into “exits” if you will called nerve plexuses, which are bundles of nerves that are assigned to different parts of the body.
When it comes to bodybuilding, a person puts an extreme amount of wear and tear on their back, the spine in particular the vertebrae that make up the spine become compressed from years of pressure, twists, and turns. That pressure causes the nerves that run through the spine to become pinched. In time, the vertebrae become more and more worn down and leads to more and more issues.
Many lifters take their early years of lifting for granted. Because things feel great, they just continue to do and do, without any concern of what they are doing. Many times, stretching or even visits to a chiropractor are not even considered, which could help prevent a lot of problems down the road. When nerves become more and more compressed, they can become damaged, which leads to surgery, which can forever alter one’s bodybuilding capabilities.
Now, anyone who lifts weights frequently will eventually begin to notice issues with their back or extremities (arms and legs). A huge part of this once again is because of nerve issues. Being proactive in how you treat your spine is essential to a long-lasting tenure in the weight room.
Some signs to show that maybe you have some nerve issues which means your spine is not in the greatest of condition is numbness in the extremities (hands, feet, arms, legs) and also headaches or frequent pinched nerves. Stretching is one way to help alleviate the issues but also a regular visit to the chiropractor can do a world of wonders. By getting adjusted, inflammation in the vertebrae will subside which will help take away pressure from the nerves and also structurally help realign things where they need to be.
Always make sure you are using proper form, especially when doing overhead movements.
