Muscle Problems

Although a certain degree of tension in a muscle is necessary, too much tension can create imbalance, functional restrictions and/or pain. Whether it is caused by stress, overuse, repetitive strain or acute trauma, abnormal muscle tightness is unhealthy for your body. It places an excessive amount of stress and strain on the joints involved, predisposing them to arthritis and early degeneration. In addition, many nerves and blood vessels pass directly through muscle. If the muscle is too tight, this can irritate the nerves or compress the blood vessels, causing numbness, tingling, pain or decreased circulation.
 
Problems in muscles are usually quite obvious, as direct touching of the affected areas is usually uncomfortable for the patient. Tight muscles located in your spine may contribute to vertebral subluxations. Misalignment of the vertebrae is particularly damaging, as this can cause irritation of the nerves exiting the spine. This can further disturb normal muscle function, leading to more symptoms. Thankfully, chiropractic adjustments are particularly effective at reducing nerve irritation caused by spinal joint dysfunction!

The Musculoskeletal System

Your skeleton is a collection of over 200 bones that give your body its shape and structure. In between adjacent bones you have joints, and holding the joints together, are ligaments. These are what gives your body support, protects your vital organs, and allows for the foundation around which movement occurs.

The skeletal system is a static structure on its own. However, when you add muscles you create a dynamic, functional musculoskeletal system capable of performing work, maintaining an upright posture, transporting your body from one place to another, and allowing for personal expression using language and gestures.

With few exceptions (like the movement of the eye or tongue), a muscle attaches to two separate bones. As it contracts and shortens, the muscle creates relative movement of these bones by bringing the two ends of the muscle closer together. The coordination of muscles turning off and on allow for the complete range of human performance. Examples include the powerful, explosive movements created by a sprinter’s legs, or the delicate, intricate finger movements of a professional violinist. This coordination is facilitated by a constant loop of feedback messages among the muscles, the nerves and the brain.

Multivitamins and Disease

Multivitamins are a long-time staple in the ever expanding world of supplements. They have been around for decades and have been the subject of much debate among health researchers. Can multivitamins actually help prevent serious diseases? The debate is still not over. However, most health professionals agree people in North America do not eat enough healthy foods and frequently fail to meet their daily minimum nutritional requirements. Studies show calcium, magnesium, vitamins C, D and E are especially low in our population.

The support for daily multivitamin use is confirmed by a number of well-regarded medical institutions, including the Harvard Medical School. In an article that appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Harvard medical specialists commented that low nutrient intake increases the risk of long-latency deficiency diseases, including cancer,cardiovascular disease and neurological problems. Taking a multivitamin with minerals has proven effective at protecting health in numerous studies. Research reveals consistent multivitamin use may help your body by reducing inflammation, cutting the risk of chronic disease, boosting the immune system and protecting neurological function.

However, the National Institutes of Health responded to the Harvard article by cautioning people that more research is needed, and taking a multivitamin does not guarantee protection from developing serious diseases. Also, multivitamins do not contain fiber and some other beneficial plant nutrients, which is why eating plenty of healthy whole foods is important. Of course, it is also important that you exercise and maintain an appropriate weight level.