Slipped discs, pulled muscles, strained ligaments have one thing in common - they are caused by a st

Slipped discs, pulled muscles and strained ligaments are all different conditions with different symptoms however, the cause is often the same - a stiff back.

Our day is full of activities that require a flexible spine - getting out of a chair, lifting a child from a cot, swinging to hit a golf-ball, even throwing something in the garbage can. Our backs are well designed to cope with all of these activities however, stiffness makes the back vulnerable to stresses and strain.

Bending awkwardly when the back is stiff puts stress through structures that make up the back - discs, ligaments, muscles and joints. If the back is flexible the movement is dispersed equally through the spine's soft-tissues. However, if the back is stiff, structures like discs, muscles and joints become overloaded and stressed leading to damage of the structure either by tearing or fissuring. Maintaining a flexible spine through regular stretches make the spine less vulnerable to trauma. Just a few minutes stretching each day together with gentle exercise and good posture keeps back pain at bay.