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How does your spine work?
What are the best ways to keep your spine healthy?
These and other important questions will be answered at “The Power of Bend,” an upcoming community event hosted by ProHealth Physical Therapy and Pilates Studio, 1777 Georgian Park in Peachtree City. It is scheduled for Tuesday, April 15, at 6:30 p.m.
This unique training session will provide participants with vital information about anatomy and biomechanics to help them achieve and maintain optimal health levels. It is free for clients who purchase a Pilates package or $30 for just the event.
“The whole purpose of ‘The Power of Bend’ is spinal mechanics – how to move well and keep the body aligned,” according to ProHealth’s founder and owner, Dr. Karyn Staples, PT, PhD, NCPT.
The evening will combine an informative lecture with some active physical participation, as attendees learn to apply this new knowledge of their own bodies and how they respond to basic everyday movements, from reaching into the dishwasher to going for a walk.
One concept Staples wants people to know about is axial elongation, which is the idea that the spine should be able to move in many different directions without compression or other negative effects. She compares the spine to a “bendy” drinking straw, which has special ridges near the top so that it can be bent for maximum convenience.
“In a sense, that is what the spine is,” she said. “With its vertical foundation and all of the other structures around it, everything should move with space. Too much elongation provides too much tension and stiffness, adding strain that leads to compression. We want to be able to know the difference and what it should feel like.”
With more than a quarter-century of professional experience, Staples considers physical therapists to be the leading experts in how the body moves, particularly around its joints, and how that applies to a person’s daily routine to make regular movements as easy as possible. When those movements are hindered, it can contribute to pain or numbness throughout the body.
Some of the practical applications at the event will involve people in attendance who currently have back pain, neck pain, hand numbness or other issues.
“These kinds of things are symptomatic,” said Staples. “Understanding your own anatomy leads to understanding what is normal and what is not, so you know why these issues are flaring up. Certain postures and movements build up in the body until it cannot handle anymore. That can lead to loss of bowel and bladder function, inability to move the arm or leg, and other types of motor function. Then the only option is surgery. You don’t want it to get that far.”
Answers to many questions regarding these kinds of situation will be available at “The Power of Bend.” To reserve a spot or for more information about ProHealth, phone 770-487-1931 or visit prohealthga.com.
