That being said, if you think (or know) you have tailbone pain or just feel like learning more about tailbone pain, this is the article for you.

Table of Contents

Tailbone Pain: A Case Study

Scott is a 32-year-old freelance software engineer who prefers to work from home. He played sports as a kid, but stopped once he graduated from college and focused his energy on growing his career and businesses. Scott enjoyed a relatively social lifestyle, eating healthy meals and running a few times a week.

About 1 year ago, Scott developed severe tailbone pain that negatively affected his abilities to work effectively, accomplish his goals, and enjoy life. The pain was not crippling but was serious enough to the point where he considered medical intervention, as it took a huge impact on his social and financial life.

Scott decided to search the internet for some knowledge to better his situation. His research led him to adopt better ergonomic habits and improve his posture. After 4 months of improving his habits, Scott experiences almost no pain, feels amazing, and is back on track to accomplishing all of his goals.

What’s A Tailbone? Humans Don’t Have Tails…

The tailbone, also known as the coccyx, is a small triangular bone at the base of our spines that looks like a shortened tail. It’s a structure that humans maintained as tailed mammals evolved and lost their tails.

The tailbone is not useless in humans, even though we don’t have tails – the coccyx has attachments to many ligaments, muscles, and tendons that serve as a support to maintain structural integrity and well being of the human body. If you’re interested in a more in-depth overview of the tailbone anatomy, check out Wikipedia’s Coccyx article.

Sometimes, these ligaments, muscles, and tendons can get damaged, inflamed, over-stretched, or tight which leads to a sore or bruised tailbone region. It’s also possible for the coccyx itself to be broken or fractured through various ways. The broad, catch-all medical term for tailbone pain is coccydynia.

What Are Causes Of Tailbone Pain?

Now we know what a tailbone is, and have defined tailbone pain.  How does one put themselves in a position for this to happen? Some factors are listed below:

Aging

As we age, our cartilage deteriorates and some people develop varying degrees of osteoarthritis. This is an unfortunate fact, and nothing can really prevent this from happening. The coccyx is made up of three to five spinal bones, that are all cushioned by cartilage. When this cartilage deteriorates, the bones rub against each other more frequently and irritate local nerves to cause inflammation. This leads to tailbone pain.

Poor Posture and Slouching

Sitting for prolonged periods of time with poor posture and in awkward positions applies unnecessary stress to our tailbone. This leads to uneven wear and tear of joints, and contributes to localized inflammation. Humans can’t really change positions of the tissues supporting the coccyx, in a manner similar to performing a tire rotation for our car, so it’s important to maintain effective sitting biomechanics to prevent tailbone pain.

This site was built to promote knowledge of proper posture and the hugely positive impact it has on your health and well-being. Our upcoming posts will simplify the concept of posture, and how to use it to transform the quality of your life– feel free to drop us your email address if you want to be notified when they’re posted.

Pregnancy and Childbirth

Towards the end of pregnancy, the coccyx becomes flexible to allow for childbirth – this is done through hormonal release which changes the properties of the local cartilage and tendons. During childbirth, the tissue surrounding the coccyx can overstretch, leading to inflammation and tailbone pain. The cases of coccydynia are nearly 5x higher in women than men, particularly due to pregnancy-related issues.

Repetitive Strain Injury

Ligaments, musculature, and tendons near the coccyx can overstretch and become strained when repeated extensively. Repetitively leaning forward and backwards, through sports (such as rowing and biking) or at a computer desk, can damage the local muscles and tendons and cause the misalignment or inflammation of the tailbone.  

Weight and Muscular Weakness

In obese individuals, the coccyx is subjected to greater forces/stress when sitting from intrapelvic and spinal pressure – this reduces pelvic rotation, and pushes the tailbone backwards and out of alignment. In a similar manner, individuals who are underweight may not have enough musculature or fat in their glutes (buttocks) which would adequately cushion the coccyx.

Having a strong posterior chain, and adequate hip + spine mobility goes a long way in reducing tailbone pain, no matter if you are over- or underweight. If you’re interested in learning more about this, we have an upcoming post on mobility coming out soon. Stay tuned for updates!

Cancer and Infection

Sometimes, infections can occur in the tissue surrounding the coccyx, creating a tailbone cyst or abscess that causes serious pain. This could be as a result of poor hygiene or complications resulting from medical procedures.  In rare instances, tailbone pain is caused by bone or metastatic cancers. Both of these causes apply unnecessary pressure to the coccyx.

Injury

A hard impact to the lower back region can cause traumatic injury to the coccyx, through fracture or breaking. Falling backwards also causes tailbone injury. This is particularly common in the elderly population, and action sports such as surfing, skateboarding, and snowboarding; improving your balance may prevent this from happening.

What Other Effects Can Tailbone Pain Cause?

Short term symptoms associated with coccydynia include pain during the following activities:

• Bowel Movements
• Having Sex
• Switching between standing and sitting

If left unaddressed, tailbone pain could cause long term effects that can be broken down into the following three categories:

• Mental Health
  • Depression and anxiety are mental illnesses often associated with chronic pain. They greatly reduce one’s response to treatment and exacerbate the perception and sensation of pain, relative to patients without these mental illnesses.  For individuals with chronic pain, psychiatric treatments have shown effectiveness in reducing pain and improving mood. Accordingly, it’s in an individual’s best interest to alleviate tailbone pain as soon as possible.
• Physical Health
  • Coccyx pain could spread out from the tailbone area to the upper back, hamstrings, and calves if left unchecked. Individuals have reported instances of sciatica, and pelvic pain, after extended periods of leaving tailbone pain unchecked.
• Financial Health
  • Inability to address issues with tailbone pain leads to unnecessary headaches and money spent in the long run. Many conservative treatment options are available if the pain is not debilitating. Surgical intervention is expensive, so it would make sense to try a self-directed pain relief program or consult an allied health professional firstly, if able.

How Can You Reduce Tailbone Pain Today?

The good news is that most cases of tailbone pain can (and will) be resolved within a treatment period of a few weeks to months. This, of course, depends on adherence to proper rehabilitation and main management efforts. Action can be taken on two fronts to achieve immediate results:

1. Stretch Tight Muscles And Strengthen Weak Ones
   • The coccyx has attachments to various muscles, including those in your hip complex, glutes, and low back. Stretch names are below, with a future post covering them in detail
     • Muscles to Stretch
       • Hips: Lunge Stretch, Pigeon Pose, Hip Circles/Abductions
       • Glutes: Single Leg Knee Hug, Piriformis Stretch
       • Low Back: Cat and Camel, Child’s Pose
     • Muscles to Strengthen
       • Core: Planks, Dead-Bugs
       • Glutes: Glute Bridges, Hip Thrust, Clamshell, Hip Hinge, Banded Leg Walks
2. Improve Your Posture and Stop Slouching
   • Stop slouching. Really. It puts extra pressure on an already stressed coccyx and surrounding tissues, leading to additional misalignment and tailbone pain. Stand tall and take a deep breath and see the difference it makes instantly.
   • When sitting at a desk, try to prevent a forward hunch as much as possible, and engage your glutes and core. Proper seated posture is just as important as proper standing posture, and we will cover this in an upcoming post.
   • Various tailbone cushions have been designed to reduce pain while seated.
     • Many great products are sold through online retailers
     • We’ll post our favorites soon.
3. Taking Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Medications
   • Ibuprofen, Acetaminophen, Naproxen, and other COX-2 inhibitors help to temporarily reduce inflammation, relieving tailbone pain

How Can You Prevent Tailbone Pain From Returning?

 An estimated 90% of tailbone pain cases can be resolved without surgery. Surgery or invasive medical procedures: have been effective to an extent, but with high risk of infection and post-operational complications, such as the formation of a tailbone cyst. Fun fact – surgical interventions were used ubiquitously to treat low back pain in the early 1900s, before scientific research concluded that a patient didn’t need their tailbone removed every time there was inflammation or bruising in the area. Times have come a long way…

That being said, afflicted individuals have found long-term relief from a combination of the following:

Exercise Routines

• Various stretches and strengthening exercises were mentioned in the previous section. Adopting a consistent routine, with those exercises, will lead to much less tailbone pain in the long run.

• Stretching the thoracic spine through mobilization routines

Modifying Diet

Researchers at Yale have found that being in extreme caloric surplus or deficit (ultimately leading to being over- or underweight) creates issues with our metabolism, leading to inflammation and risk of metabolic disease. If an individual is experiencing tailbone pain, it is guaranteed that there is localized inflammation at the site of pain – having a poor diet would serve to increase overall inflammation and worsen pain that they’d be feeling. Accordingly, a proper diet reduces risk of extra inflammation, and can contribute to a reduction in pain felt.

The biological origin of all pain is inflammation, and it holds true for coccydynia as well. Accordingly, it makes sense to supplement a good diet with anti-inflammatory foods to get the most long-term relief. Some of these foods include berries, fatty fish such as Salmon & Chilean sea bass, avocados, dark leafy greens, and tomatoes. A particular favorite anti-inflammatory addition to our diet is fresh juice. Cherry juice and green juices have strong anti inflammatory properties, and would provide some degree of tailbone pain relief. Check out our article on juicing for more information.

Ergonomic Assessment And Optimization Of Work Stations

Ergonomics is a relatively lengthy topic that we plan to devote a series of articles towards in the near future. With a greater proportion of desk jobs and home offices in the 21st century, even greater considerations need to be given to the impact a seated workstation has on health and well being.

A proper ergonomic sitting position helps to engage the appropriate stabilizing muscles in the core and buttocks, and relieve pressure in the spine and tailbone. Notice how there’s no slouching in the picture below? Correct ergonomic positions relieve tailbone pain when sitting.

Taking regular breaks every 20-40 minutes to stand and stretch (and drink water) helps remove pressure from the lower back and hips, giving you physical and mental relief. Proper posterior support from a chair is extremely important as well.

Hopefully this article helped reduce your tailbone pain just a little, or helped you learn something you didn’t know. Have something to share about tailbone pain? Please comment below!

References

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4282454/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10626703/

https://www.physio-pedia.com/Coccygodynia_(Coccydynia,_Coccalgia,_Tailbone_Pain)

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/tailbone-pain-coccydynia/causes/

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/10436-coccydynia-tailbone-pain

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32496925/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3963058/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7212553/

https://jaoa.org/article.aspx?articleid=2735174

https://news.yale.edu/2020/06/29/yale-researchers-find-switch-inflammation-related-overeating

Anatomy of breathing

Breathing involves two main processes – inspiration, where air moves into the lungs, and expiration, where air leaves the lungs. When we properly inhale with our nose (instead of our mouth ;), air travels inward into the lungs as our diaphragm allows our lungs to expand and our intercostal muscles allow our ribs to move up and outwards. When we exhale, our intercostal muscles and diaphragm relax, essentially squeezing the air out of our lungs. Why should we care about these two muscles? For starters, the diaphragm is an important posture stabilizer, connecting your rib cage to your spine and ensuring it stays upright. The intercostal muscles also contribute to supporting and stabilizing the rib cage and thoracic spine in three dimensional movements.

The symphony of these muscles in the breathing processes contributes to proper positioning of not just the thoracic spine and rib cage, but also the scapulae and the cervical spine/neck (preventing exacerbated forward head posture!). Using the wrong muscles to breathe, or not fully engaging the right muscles, creates chronic tension that is impossible to stretch out. In instances of weakness or illness, the muscles in your neck can and do help you breathe (the sternocleidomastoid, upper trapezius, and scalene) by compensating for diaphragm weakness.

Metabolism of breathing

Respiration, as a physiological process, refers to the inhalation + utilization of oxygen, and creation + exhalation of carbon dioxide by our bodies. Oxygen is required by all of our body’s cells to carry out the metabolic processes needed to sustain life; carbon dioxide is a byproduct of these processes, and contributes to blood acidity if not buffered or removed.

Although the gas exchange of respiration takes place within the alveoli of our lungs, this biochemical process is controlled by our Central Nervous System, particularly the brainstem. The brainstem relies on nerve signaling to adjust ventilation levels based on arterial CO2 levels, and is capable of recruiting the diaphragm and thoracic muscles to breathe without any conscious effort on our behalf. As a result, if you already have a sub-optimal breathing pattern and it “works”, your body won’t bother change anything.

Research studies investigating the impact of deep breathing at a molecular level are being conducted, but it’s evident that mouth breathing doesn’t help your metabolism as much as diaphragmatic/deep breathing does. In a study conducted by medical researchers at NYMC, Columbia, and Cornell, it was found that diaphragmatic breathing significantly decreased the levels of C-reactive protein in patients with IBD; C-reactive proteins are molecular markers that increase with inflammation. Another study performed by Ma. et. al in 2017’s “The Effect of Diaphragmatic Breathing on Attention, Negative Affect and Stress in Healthy Adults” showed significantly lower cortisol (a molecular marker for stress) levels in groups that performed diaphragmatic breathing when compared to a control group that explicitly didn’t.

Postural Roadblocks From Poor Breathing Patterns

If you build a house upon a weak foundation, it will not be as durable and strong as it could be – this applies to our bodies as well. Poor breathing patterns limit activation of deep abdominal musculature, which translates outwards to impaired posture, in the hip complex and above our chest. Effectively, this translates into tight abs, upper cross syndrome and forward head posture (check out our article here), tight hip flexors, and reduced lung volume and breathing rates.

Medical researchers have done research on this topic, and some studies I found interesting are summarized below:

• Okuru et. al evaluated the exercise tolerance of children between 2010-2011, examining the relationship between forward head posture comparing nasal and mouth-breathing children. Mouth-breathing showed a significantly negative impact on respiratory biomechanics and exercise capacity, and it was in these kids that forward head posture was prevalent as the body’s means to compensate and improve respiratory function.
• Clavel et. al studied patients with obstructive sleep apnea and compared their posture and spinal alignment with healthy individuals. Their results showed that the sleep apnea patients displayed higher instances of kyphosis and forward head posture, as well as increased postural disturbance of respiratory origin (lack of diaphragm engagement). This shows that posture and proper breathing have significant implications on sleep quality.
• Zaccaro et. al conducted a systematic review on medical literature to examine the impact of deep breathing on psycho-physiological mechanisms in the human body. Their findings showed an increase in cognitive function, higher emotional control, and increased psychological well being in individuals who were deep breathers, compared to those who used their mouths.

What now?

So now we’ve established a baseline that mouth breathing is not an optimal way to breathe when compared to nasal breathing. How are we supposed to fix this, and maintain optimal heath going forward? Here’s how to breathe deeply, and engage all of the relevant musculature:

• Relax your neck and shoulders, and raise your chest
• Breathe in slowly through your nose
• Bring air deep into your belly as it expands, imagine your diaphragm pulling downwards
• Hold the breath for a few seconds, pay attention to the involvement of your spine, ribs, and pelvis
• Exhale. Rinse and repeat.

Breathe deeply and properly folks. It’s better for your posture, and overall well-being.

Additional References

https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/23/health/breathing-pain-relief-posture-movement-wellness/index.html

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19056131/

https://training.seer.cancer.gov/anatomy/respiratory/

Stress is a quantifiable and qualitative feeling of mental and/or physical tension. Causes of stress and stress symptoms were previously discussed in our post “A Closer Look at Stress: Impacts on the Human Body”

Can Muscle Pain Be Stress Related?

Chronic pain is a pressing and debilitating issue that reduces productivity and contributes to high healthcare costs, with more than 20% of U.S Citizens affected in 2016. Chronic pain also encompasses tiredness, being exhausted, and general fatigue which are all conditions holding us back from peak performance. Research has shown that a significant portion of individuals afflicted with chronic pain have overlapping psychiatric disorders; in a 2005 study performed by UW, Harvard, and UNC Researchers, >68% of participants from a sample size of ~5700 chronic spinal pain patients had some other pain condition, and 35% had coexisting mental condition. It was concluded that this coexisting pain and mental disorder was significantly involved in the fatigue and musculoskeletal system issues associated with chronic spinal pain.

Another study with a cohort of 422 adolescent patients found that there were significant associations between various factors of stress and pain; higher levels of stress (such as worries, tension, lack of happiness) correlated with longer pain duration, a greater number of pain sites, and increased pain intensity. Similar correlations have also been found in instances where individuals have symptoms of both fatigue and chronic pain.

This leads to the belief that stress can manifest as pain within the musculoskeletal system. It is important to make the distinction that some psychiatric diagnoses have genetic or biochemical roots that cannot be discerned during an initial consultation/diagnosis. 

So Explain This Further

Psychiatric disorders and musculoskeletal disorders both stem from neurobiological pathophysiologies, and have shared mechanisms of symptoms at the molecular level. It’s been found that the motor component of pain, that shows up in our musculoskeletal systems, shares neuronal circuitry with stress signaling pathways; both stress and pain signals are integrated in the hippocampus, amygdala, and ventromedial prefrontal cortex, with indications of physicochemical remodeling in chronic disordered states.

A linked model, such as the one described earlier, is gaining popularity and prevalence. In the future, you could expect a medical diagnosis of a musculoskeletal system symptom such as neck and shoulder pain or chronic back pain to have some type of psychological or stress component to it. 

You Still Didn’t Answer “How Does Stress Affect Your Musculoskeletal System?”

Long story short, psychiatric disorders and issues with the musculoskeletal system go hand-in-hand. If you are getting easily tired, are always exhausted, and deal with much more fatigue than you want even though you live a fairly active lifestyle, it’s likely there are some mental factors or other stressors that must be dealt with. No amount of hip stretches, back stretches, or neck stretches, can compensate for unaddressed stressors. 

In most cases, stress worsens preexisting issues of the musculoskeletal system (such as tension and fatigue). Additionally, researchers believe that pain in the musculoskeletal system can be experienced without tissue damage or some molecular change, and is regulated by cognitive processes.

I’VE HAD ENOUGH…I DON’T WANT STRESS, FATIGUE OR ISSUES WITH MY MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM. WHAT DO I DO?

You can try to reduce the number of stressors in your life. The clear cut answer is to move away to a cabin in the mountain to live the rest of your days, off the grid, with a reclusive and self-sufficient lifestyle. Kidding. Just partially. 

It’s important to lessen (and possibly remove) the stressors in your work environment or home through a combination of methods so you can achieve optimal well being and peak performance

To reduce the damage from lifestyle induced disorders of the musculoskeletal system, such as lower back pain and ankle pain, it’s important to have healthy exercise habits with variation in body movement, a good diet, and good posture. 

We’ve previously covered the essentials of a good diet, and you can find our posts on “Minerals and Why They Matter” and “Vitamins and Why They Matter” below:

Upcoming posts will focus on ergonomics, the fundamentals of good posture, and how to achieve it. Cheers

REFERENCES:

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/67/wr/mm6736a2.htm

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2677657/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK222423/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17602999/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3939594/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4619092/

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0304395904005445

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5546756/

Health Trumps Wealth has a free diet guide that will teach you how to count macronutrients for a stress-free and effective dieting system. Counting macronutrients, as opposed to a strict calorie counting diet, has been shown to:

• Reduce cardiovascular stress and risk of disease
• Mediate positive effects of nutrition on health and aging
• Maintain LEAN body mass, while reducing fat
• Maintain better satiety and mental health compared to calorie counting

Check out these resources below for to learn how you can diet and count macronutrients to achieve the body composition of your dreams:

https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/using_macronutrients_to_achieve_fitness_and_health_goals

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-to-count-macros

https://www.prevention.com/weight-loss/diets/a19804935/macros-diet/

https://www.sclhealth.org/blog/2018/10/what-are-macros-and-why-should-i-be-counting-them/

Carreiro AL, Dhillon J, Gordon S, et al. The Macronutrients, Appetite, and Energy Intake. Annu Rev Nutr. 2016;36:73-103. doi:10.1146/annurev-nutr-121415-112624

Solon-Biet SM, Mitchell SJ, de Cabo R, Raubenheimer D, Le Couteur DG, Simpson SJ. Macronutrients and caloric intake in health and longevity. J Endocrinol. 2015;226(1):R17-R28. doi:10.1530/JOE-15-0173

Solon-Biet SM, McMahon AC, Ballard JW, et al. The ratio of macronutrients, not caloric intake, dictates cardiometabolic health, aging, and longevity in ad libitum-fed mice [published correction appears in Cell Metab. 2020 Mar 3;31(3):654]. Cell Metab. 2014;19(3):418-430. doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2014.02.009

Modern lifestyles require significant amounts of physical and psychological effort to thrive in. A byproduct of this exertion is stress, which affects nervous and endocrine systems significantly.

Stress responses vary per person, and accordingly translate into different physical and psychological effects. Some people are better at coping with and handling stressors than others, but it is certainly possible for everyone to overcome negative effects and thrive.

What are the actual impacts of chronic stress on health?

– Stress produces measurable responses in the neuroendocrine system and behavior. Researchers have been on the quest for the molecular and tissue level alterations that stress causes in hopes of characterizing the effect it has on the human body as a system.

– Chronic stress has been linked to large-scale changes in brain-tissue proportions, with noticeable reductions in size and physical changes in neural tissue. Long-term occupational stress is associated with reduction in size of the hippocampus (Involved in Learning + Memory), caudate + putamen (voluntary skeletal movement), and frontal cortex (personality, concentration, planning).

-Various hormones and peptides released from the body’s stress response initiate complex signaling responses that can compromise the immune, cardiovascular, and muscular systems.

Why should you care?

– Immune Impact: Psychological stress induces the “acute phase response” which also results from tissue damage or infections, to release cytokines and other inflammatory molecules. With chronic stress, the immune system is overstimulated, creating a state of chronic inflammation, leaving the body more susceptible to disease.

– Cardiovascular Impact: Stress causes a release of hormones that affect the stem cells responsible for blood production, causing sustained white blood cell release.

– Muscular Impact: Inflammation associated with chronic stress has been observed to oxidation and degradation of tissue. A key pathway activated by physical exercise has been found to counteract stress-associated depression

What can you do to keep your health A1 and reduce the impacts of stress?

– Maintain proper nutrition and dietary habits

– Get sleep and be mindful

– Exercise!!!

It should be known that there is no way to entirely escape stress (unless you abandon all responsibilities you have and permanently move to an island resort…). All you can really do is try to reduce/manage factors causing stress and take time to protect/heal your body.

Share your comments and questions below. How do you deal with stress?

References:

Blix E, Perski A, Berglund H, Savic I. Long-term occupational stress is associated with regional reductions in brain tissue volumes. PLoS One. 2013;8(6):e64065. Published 2013 Jun 11. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0064065

Mariotti A. The effects of chronic stress on health: new insights into the molecular mechanisms of brain-body communication. Future Sci OA. 2015;1(3):FSO23. Published 2015 Nov 1. doi:10.4155/fso.15.21

Black PH. Stress and the inflammatory response: a review of neurogenic inflammation. Brain Behav Immun. 2002 Dec;16(6):622-53. doi: 10.1016/s0889-1591(02)00021-1. PMID: 12480495.

Agudelo LZ, Femenía T, Orhan F, Porsmyr-Palmertz M, Goiny M, Martinez-Redondo V, Correia JC, Izadi M, Bhat M, Schuppe-Koistinen I, Pettersson AT, Ferreira DMS, Krook A, Barres R, Zierath JR, Erhardt S, Lindskog M, Ruas JL. Skeletal muscle PGC-1α1 modulates kynurenine metabolism and mediates resilience to stress-induced depression. Cell. 2014 Sep 25;159(1):33-45. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2014.07.051. PMID: 25259918.

Savic I. Structural changes of the brain in relation to occupational stress. Cereb Cortex. 2015 Jun;25(6):1554-64. doi: 10.1093/cercor/bht348. Epub 2013 Dec 18. PMID: 24352030.

Effects of stress on the body. (n.d.). Retrieved December 26, 2020, from https://au.reachout.com/articles/what-stress-does-to-the-body

How to manage and reduce stress. (2020, August 10). Retrieved December 27, 2020, from https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/publications/how-manage-and-reduce-stress

The World Health Organization estimated that in 2010, around 150 million people were affected with some flavor of NCD, with a greater concentration in low to middle income countries. 4 primary NCD categories that you are probably aware of are cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes, with these 4 categories accounting for over 80% of NCD deaths. NCDs are the leading cause of global death, making up ~71% of the yearly total death rate. If we note that NCDs alone killed 41 million people in 2018, these 4 categories accounted for around 32 million deaths – this truly a staggering number that could be reduced. One other noteworthy point is that the global economic cost of NCDs is expected to exceed $51 trillion USD by 2025, if health management continues as it is now. This paves way for strong economic benefit in the healthcare/medical/pharma sector, or can be seen as a strong opportunity for preventative and grassroots community health efforts to take a stand. Both paths have their own pros and cons.

Analysis and identification of particular risk factors and early detection methods yield an increased opportunity for reducing the instances of NCDs, and lower their prevalence and associated complications in modern society. A big factor in driving change, and ultimately improvements in global health, is a broader scope of public health measures – this includes prioritizing issues to sanitation, food safety, and infectious disease controls, as these categories all lay the foundation upon which a functional and healthy society grows. Once these are handled, prevention efforts can grow as a social movement, by means of individual education, and population interventions at the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound £ of cure, if not significantly more (in this case, an amount surpassing tens of trillions of dollars ;).

Below, we have a cool graphic from the WHO that depicts some interventions that are economically feasible for most nations to implement. These interventions are aptly named “Best Buys”, and should have no affiliation with the known American electronic retailer. You may notice that a good portion of the listed measures are common warnings and bits of advice a well meaning companion or doctor may tell you….

With all of that being said, what can we directly do to prevent and reduce instances of NCDs as time passes? A HUGE impact can be made through educating the younger population in school (maybe in Physical Education, or Health classes?) about NCDs and associated risk factors. It may be shocking to hear that over 80% of adolescents don’t get adequate physical activity, and that 41 million children under the age of 5 are overweight or obese. These poor lifestyle choices and behaviors lead to cemented habits and sub optimal environments that ensure the progression of NCDs in future generations.

Given the widespread use of the internet and the access to information that youth now have, the opportunity for these young people to learn and utilize the available knowledge to improve their lives and prevent NCDs is up for the taking. Social media, digital journalism, and community programs are just some of the ways that the youth population can raise awareness of NCDs and promote behavioral change that would translate into healthy habits. The long term hope is that these efforts can drive change at the policy level, and have a longer lasting effect at a far greater scale.

Any comments, concerns, or questions? Drop a message in the comments box below. As always, thanks for reading.

Sources:

1. http://www.acphd.org/communicable-disease.aspx
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-communicable_disease
3. https://www.who.int/nmh/publications/ncd_report_full_en.pdf
4. https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/noncommunicable-diseases
5. https://www.un.org/youthenvoy/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/YouthStatsHealthpdf2.pdf
6. https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/204176/9789241510066_eng.pdf;jsessionid=DBD694F29005B1696AAD941D327CC2DC?sequence=1
7. https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/204176/9789241510066_eng.pdf;jsessionid=DBD694F29005B1696AAD941D327CC2DC?sequence=1

https://www.amazon.com/Intelligent-Peephole-Security-Doorbell-KAMANQI/dp/B07DKJ25ZR

To initially learn about how muscles weaken when constrained to one position, it’s useful to develop a visual analogy. Muscles always cross some joint while connecting to a minimum of 2 bones. They can be lengthened or tightened through stretching and exercising, respectively. For example, by exercising the biceps, you will over time, shorten the muscle and increase the resting muscle tone. It may help to thing of the muscle like a piece of rope, with the end goal being to get the piece of rope to its ideal length, through lengthening and tightening (with the means being exercise and stretching). With neglect and sedentary lifestyle habits, these “ropes” lose their length and tightness, requiring effort (in the form of exercise and stretching) to bring them back to their ideal state.

The graphic above shows some common postures when sitting at a desk. As mentioned earlier, the muscles and tendons adapt to the conditions to which they are placed in – in the case of incorrect postures, the muscles and tendons begin to support the resulting musculoskeletal imbalances, leading to a variety of health problems down the line that could even comprise mental health and digestive issues. If we take the second incorrect posture, with the individual hunched over the desk, the thoracic (abdominal) region of the erector spinae muscles will hyperextend (over lengthen) and weaken. This is because A) The muscles are being stretched constantly, without any compression and B) They are not being exercised to shorten them to their ideal length. Remember that rope analogy from earlier? You can use it to visualize what’s happening here. Another issue is that the ligaments covering the spine will loosen on the posterior (back) side of the spine from being over-stretched. This could result in disc-related issues down the line, not a pretty sight to think about, let alone experience.

When you sit at a compute for prolonged periods of time, the following things are going on in your body:

1. There is extensive posterior pelvic tilt. This is seen in the image below, and can be described as the end range-of-motion if you performed a hip thrust, or tried to hump something while standing.
2. Your lower and upper back muscles are in flexion, where the spine is curved backwards at a great angle and looks like the left parenthesis -> (
3. Your shoulders are positioned vertically over your thighs, and not over the pelvis, where they should be
4. Your head is extended far over your thighs, instead of being in line with your shoulders, placing excessive stress on your neck
5. Your forearms are pronated (rotated internally) to an excessive degree, applying unnecessary stress to your joints and tendons
6. Your iliacus and psoas (muscles comprising the hip flexors) are in a hyperextended position

This means that your body will adapt to the posture and muscular positions noted above. Below, a picture presents the effects of posterior and anterior tilt on the pelvic complex:

What does all of this mean for you?

1. The posterior pelvic tilt has been shown to contribute to chronically tight hamstrings, due to the shortened position they are subjected to
2. The natural inward curvature of your spine is reduced, and results in a more “flat” lower back. This causes thoracic stiffness, and forces your pelvis into posterior tilt when standing
3. The flexion in the upper back muscles translates into excessive kyphosis while standing – have you seen Quasimodo? Yeah, that’s not a very attractive outcome. In addition to the slightly unattractive posture, excessive kyphosis has been known to cause shoulder impingement, chronic headaches, and additional issues that would seriously detract from the quality of your life.
4. The shoulders are positioned over the thighs, instead of over the pelvis, which contributes to a kyphotic posture in combination with the upper back flexion. This means A) your upper trapezius muscles are very shortened, and overactive to the point of being engaged with any arm movement and B) your levator scapulae is overstretched, which could result in migraines and neck pain down the line. The quick fix would be to massage these areas, but that’s not as sustainable as fixing the root cause altogether.
5. Your psoas and iliacus muscles, are going to become weak from constantly being in a relaxed position. This means that your your knees and pelvis are not positioned directly over your ankles, but rather in front of them. Your upper body compensates for this forward position by leaning backwards, putting your hip flexors into an elongated position, similar to what happens when sitting down.

Having read this, how do you fix all of this?

To be fair, this post makes strong generalizations about how the average human’s body responds to a sedentary lifestyle. You may not be the average human. You could play sports, be old, be fat, have joint disease…anything other than typical to be honest. It’s entirely possible that some individuals’ bodies will react in the exact opposite way to what is expected from doing corrective exercises. That situation is far from ideal. I don’t wan’t you to injure yourself when the purpose of this blog is to live a healthier, higher quality life.

For now, the best thing to possibly do is to massage your back, using a foam roller, the efforts of a close friend or family member, or by getting a deep tissue massage. Another test can be done by lying on your back, on a hardwood floor. Have a friend try to fit their fingers underneath your lower back, when you are relaxed. If the fingers don’t fit, you may have a slight degree of lordosis. If they are able to get a tennis ball under there, that’s a very big issue…That being said, this sitting issue applies to everybody, athlete or not. We all sit, meaning our body has gotten used to and good at sitting. You need to have this fact in mind before coming up with a corrective/rehab plan to get the best results.

Shown below is a picture of stretches that help you deal with lower back pain and tightness in the lower back muscles:

Sources:

1. https://exrx.net/Kinesiology/Posture
2. https://www.t-nation.com/training/neanderthal-no-more-1 (Parts 1-4)

I’ve been through a good amount of physical pain, back and hip injuries resulting from poor posture, and have had to scour the internet for knowledge from doctors, therapists, and academics to make my life a bit better. Fortunately, there is hope to increase the quality of life significantly and eliminate pain. Physical therapy and rehabilitation is not rocket science.

How do you know if you have pain in a certain area? You simply know the affected area hurts…it’s not that complicated and you don’t need a medical professional telling you that something is wrong with your lower back if it hurts all the time. Ibuprofen and acetaminophen are not the cure to your problem. Many people, including some of the HTW readers, have been suffering mild pain in, say, their knee, for a decade or two. The pain wasn’t “too bad” after their first medical visit, which could not find a remedy, they just put up with it and took painkillers/NSAIDs on a regular or occasional basis. Those people should be able to get the most out of a rehab program, and should read these relevant articles.

These posts are not targeted towards those affected by chronic joint diseases such as osteoporosis and arthritis- these diseases have more of a molecular component that may be slightly relieved through exercise, stretching, and massage, BUT requires more of a medical approach involving diet and therapeutic remedies. I don’t have any experience with these conditions and am not qualified to pontificate on the subject.

Take ownership of your problem, educate yourself, and increase the quality of your life. Just put in the work. The articles on HealthTrumpsWealth will point you to the right path.

To start off this post, the video below highlights the differences between vitamins and minerals. Quite often, people get the two confused, and although they are both equally important for the human body to function at its best state, there are some key differences.

Major Minerals Required By The Human Body

Calcium: Needed for muscle, heart and digestive system health, builds bone, supports synthesis and function of blood cells
Sources: Dairy products, eggs, canned fish with bones (salmon, sardines), green leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds, tofu, thyme, oregano, dill, cinnamon

Phosphorous: A component of bones (see apatite), cells, in energy processing, in DNA and ATP (as phosphate) and many other functions
Sources: Red meat, dairy foods, fish, poultry, bread, rice, oats

Potassium: A systemic electrolyte and is essential in co-regulating ATP with sodium
Sources: Sweet potato, tomato, potato, beans, lentils, dairy products, seafood, bananas, prune, carrot, orange

Sodium: A systemic electrolyte and is essential in co-regulating ATP with potassium
Sources: Table salt (sodium chloride), sea vegetables (seaweed, kelp, algae), milk, and spinach

Magnesium: Required for processing ATP and for bones
Sources: Spinach, legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains, peanut butter, avocado

The following list of minerals needed for the human body’s optimal function are considered “trace elements.” The concentration of these trace elements in human tissue is far less than the concentration of the essential major minerals. According to Dr. Osamu Wada’s 2004 paper (Source 4 for further inquiry, definitely recommend checking this out) in the Japan Medical Association Journal, various epidemiological studies have suggested the possibility that trace element deficiencies are associated with a reduced anti-oxidant potential in organisms (which is believed to possibly underlie the onset of cancer and atherosclerosis), accelerated aging, developmental retardation in children, and an increased incidence of abnormal pregnancies, immunological abnormalities, and lifestyle-related diseases. Now what does this mean for you as the reader? Having an adequate intake of trace minerals in your diet, and supplementing them if not, is crucial to maintaining health as one ages and to reduce the risk of developing debilitating diseases down the line! Imagine being unable to care for your loved ones because of some neglected minerals in an earlier portion of your life….that’s pretty scary to me.

Sulfur: Essential component of all living cells.
Sources: Garlic, onions, eggs, and protein-rich foods

Iron: Required for proper functioning of proteins and enzymes, hemoglobin being a notable one
Sources: Meat, seafood, nuts, beans, dark chocolate

Chlorine: Needed for production of stomach acid, and for cellular transport mechanisms
Sources: Iodized salt

Cobalt: Necessary component of vitamin B12 and plays a very important role in forming amino acids, some proteins in nerve cells, and in creating crucial neurotransmitters
Sources: Fish, nuts, leafy green vegetables, cereals, and oats

Copper: Key component of proteins involved in electron transport and redox reactions, and in oxygen transport (within blood for example)
Sources: Liver, seafood, oysters, nuts, seeds, whole grains, legumes

Zinc: Second most abundant trace mineral, after iron, and appears in almost all enzymes. Critical for RNA and DNA metabolism, and testosterone production
Sources: Oysters, red meat, poultry, nuts, whole grains, dairy products

Manganese: Key component of various enzyme systems involved in macronutrient metabolism, bone formation, and free radical defense systems
Sources: Grains, legumes, seeds, nuts, leafy vegetables, tea, coffee

Molybdenum: Crucial component of enzymes that metabolize sulfur-containing amino acids, drugs and various toxins
Sources: Legumes, whole grains, nuts

Iodine: Critical to proper functioning of the endocrine, digestive, and reproductive systems
Sources: Seaweed (kelp or kombu), grains, eggs, iodized salt

Selenium: Crucial to proteins involved in thyroid hormone metabolism, reproduction, DNA synthesis, and protection from oxidative damage and infection
Sources: Brazil nuts, seafoods, organ meats, meats, grains, dairy products, eggs

This cool infographic below shows reference ranges for mineral concentrations in the human body. Are your levels proper?

Sources:

1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-Sd8847sO8
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2872358/
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mineral_(nutrient)
4. http://www.med.or.jp/english/pdf/2004_08/351_358.pdf
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26557039
6. https://fullscript.com/blog/sulfur-rich-foods
7. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0006295214004572
8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2198910/
9. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Molybdenum-HealthProfessional/
10. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Selenium-HealthProfessional/
11. All mineral pictures were taken from their respective wikipedia pages

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An easy way to get started is to view the 5 minute video below, for a simple medical-grade explanation of vitamins and their function in the human body.

Sufficient intake of these useful molecules will keep your body primed to fight off pathogens (I.e bacterial and viral infections…looking at you, coronavirus), and keep your mental and physical well being at a high baseline level.

Let’s start with a list of the basics

Vitamin A : Useful for healthy vision, skin, bones, teeth, and reproduction
Sources: Liver, Eggs, Fish, Milk, Sweet Potato, Pumpkin, Spinach

Vitamin B1 (Thiamin): Used to convert food into energy, and is critical for nervous system function
Sources: Pork, Soy, Watermelon, Tomato, Spinach

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin): Used to convert food into energy and supports healthy skin, hair, blood, and nervous system
Sources: Dairy, Meat, Green Leafy Vegetables, Enriched Wheat, Oysters

Vitamin B3 (Niacin): Used to convert food into energy and is essential for healthy nervous system
Sources: Beef, Chicken, Shrimp, Avocado, Peanuts, Tomato, Spinach

Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine): Helps develop red blood cells and improves sleep, appetite, and mood
Sources: Chicken, Tofu, Banana, Watermelon, Fish, Legumes

Vitamin B7 (Biotin): Used to metabolize and utilize amino acids, carbohydrates, and fats into energy molecules
Sources: Whole Grains, Eggs, Almonds, Soybeans, Fish

Vitamin B9 (Folate): Essential for creation of new cells, and DNA + RNA synthesis
Sources: Legumes, Spinach, Leafy Greens, Chickpeas, Tomato, Asparagus

Vitamin B12: Breaks down fatty acids and amino acids, helps in the synthesis of red blood cells, and is very important for normal neural function
Sources: Dairy, Beef, Pork, Poultry, Fish, Eggs

It’s worthwhile to note that all B vitamins have a crucial role in cellular metabolism, and that that low levels of these compounds lead to adverse conditions such as lethargy, acne, anemia, mental weakness, and more.

Vitamin C: Serves as an antioxidant, helps in cellular synthesis, and important in immune system function
Sources: Almost all Fruit and Vegetable Juices, Pepper, Broccoli, Tomato, Spinach

Vitamin D: Strengthens and helps with bone and teeth formation, by helping them absorb calcium. It’s also used in other organ systems (GI/digestive for one), and a key driver of testosterone production in males
Sources: Egg Yolk, Fatty Fish, Liver, Sunlight

Vitamin E: Serves as an antioxidant, and helps to stabilize cell membranes
Sources: Nuts, Avocado, Tofu, Whole Grains, Seeds

Vitamin K: Crucial for blood clotting and regulation of blood calcium levels
Sources: Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Liver, Leafy Greens

As noted above (but not only limited to!!), there are a wide variety of vitamins and minerals that the human body requires for optimal function and performance, not just on a daily but lifetime basis. A deficiency or shortage of any of these is going to hinder you from peak performance, and hold you back from living your best life

Sources:

1. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin
3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmafhSMv0e0 (special thx to McMaster University)
4. All skeletal formulas were taken from their respective wikipedia pages

Kindly share this post if you found it useful #healthtrumpswealth #vitamins