Immunity depends on the condition of the spine

As you may remember from anatomy lessons, inside the spine is the spinal cord – the blood-forming organ, one of the main components of the immune system. The better this organ is supplied with nutrients, the better the body can defend itself against dangers: viruses, bacteria and other agents. What can prevent the spinal cord from working at full capacity?

Can you relax your brain?

The brain and spinal cord are located inside the dura mater, another structure created by nature to protect these important organs, the “processors” of the body.

One of the qualities of this shell is tension. If it is free, not “forcibly” fixed anywhere, then it is a flexible structure, inside which are, in particular, the spinal cord and cerebrospinal fluid – cerebrospinal fluid. The freer and more rhythmic the cerebrospinal fluid circulates, the better the spinal cord is nourished and works.

If the hard meninges are somehow fixed, “tightened”, for example, due to trauma or curvature of the spine, then the cerebrospinal fluid circulates differently than it was intended by nature, and the spinal cord may experience discomfort.

It is impossible to feel these internal processes, but it is in our power to build a balance in the body, in which the cerebrospinal fluid circulates more intensively and the spinal cord works in the most comfortable conditions.

Craniosacral Therapy

One of the areas of osteopathy is “craniosacral therapy”: a set of techniques that help build the balance of the skull and sacrum (the places of the main “attachment” of the dura mater) and establish a rhythmic, efficient circulation of the CSF.

An osteopath who owns this technique diagnoses the state of the dura with his hands, “listens” to the rhythm of the movement of the cerebrospinal fluid and corrects the accumulated deviations.

Skull-Sacrum Balance Exercises

Some exercises can be performed independently, without the help of an osteopath. This will help to indirectly affect the dura mater, relaxing the area of ​​the sacrum and the first cervical vertebra and building a balance between them.

In addition, by doing them, you can feel how much lighter and freer the body becomes, in which these two important points relax. Pleasant sensations will be a signal that you are indirectly stimulating the spinal cord and working to strengthen the immune system.

Crane neck

This exercise is aimed at relaxing and opening the region of the first cervical vertebra.

1. Stand straight, shoulders relaxed, hands covering the lower abdomen, knees soft, slightly bent.

2. The head goes forward, the neck and shoulders are relaxed, the region of the first cervical vertebra is gently compressed.

3. The head and neck move down: imagine that there is a wall in front of you, and “stroke” it with your nose.

4. The head rotates forward and hangs at the base of the neck. Under the weight of the head, the intervertebral spaces of the neck open up. To deepen the relaxation of the area of ​​the first cervical vertebra, ask yourself the question: what else can I relax to make my head feel a little heavier?

5. From the seventh cervical vertebra (the base of the neck), the whole neck seems to “sprout” up, slowly and relaxed, vertebra by vertebra. The head comes up last. Note the relaxation and opening of the region of the first cervical vertebrae.

Repeat the exercise several times. The secret of success is in the minimum speed and maximum attention that follows from vertebra to vertebra, with each movement deepening the relaxation of the neck, shoulders and area of ​​​​the first cervical vertebra.

tiger stretch

This is an exercise to open the area of ​​the sacrum – the base of the spine.

1. Starting position: legs at shoulder level, feet turned inward. There should be no pain or discomfort in the legs.

2. The knees remain straight, the abdomen, buttocks, groin area are relaxed. The sacrum goes back, the arms (for balance) go forward. Keeping your back straight, bend down.

3. Bending down, let go of the head, shoulders and arms, let them hang. Focus on the sacrum area, noting how the rotation of the feet ensures the rotation of the hip joints and the opening, relaxation of the entire sacrum region.

4. Bend your knees and, rounding your back, slowly rise up. Your task is to maintain relaxation in the sacrum, buttocks and abdomen at every moment of lifting. As you rise, restore the relaxation of your back and pelvis that was achieved in the previous posture.

Repeat the tilt 3-5 times, paying maximum attention to the “hanging” relaxation phase.

If pain occurs in the lower back, this exercise should be performed with support on a chair.