UNLOCKING Her TIGHTEST Bones UNINTENTIONAL ASMR Cracking ASMR Chiropractic (subscribe please)

“Ya look like a gnome,” my ballet teacher said to me in her nasal New York accent in front of the whole class. She was referring to my rounded upper spine, which I couldn’t straighten even though I was in my early 20s. In response, I saw a chiropractor and got lessons in the Alexander Technique®, which promotes ease in standing, sitting, and walking. These helped some, but I made the most progress when I practiced variations of asanas to target upper spine mobility. This happened in my late 40s, so if you are thinking it’s too late, think again! The Anatomy of Slumping The vertebrae of the spine are separated by intervertebral discs and enveloped by a complex weaving of muscles, tendons, and ligaments; visceral fascia attaches at the front. All of these soft tissues elongate or shorten depending on the movement of the vertebrae, adhesions in the fascia, and our energy level and mood. When we are enthusiastic, there is an upward energy which activates muscles along the spine, facilitating optimum alignment of the vertebrae. When we slump habitually, there is less space between the vertebrae in front and more space in the back: thus intervertebral discs lose their plumpness in the front. Also, the muscles and fascia in the front of the torso shorten, while in the back they overstretch. I suspect that the shapes of our vertebrae also change as our posture changes, though there are no studies confirming this. According to Wolff’s law of bone formation, bones change shape to adapt to the stresses that are placed on them. Years of slumping may change the shapes of the vertebrae; perhaps that is why this postural habit is difficult to change and why, when we try to straighten after years of slumping, it feels like we are fighting against our history.