Just as Davis’ law
describes how soft tissue reacts to tension or lack thereof, Wolff’s law is
concerned with bones. This law states that “bone in a healthy person or animal
will adapt to the loads under which it is placed. If loading on a particular
bone increases, the bone will remodel itself over time to become stronger to
resist that sort of loading.”[1] Wolff’s
law says that the opposite is true as well; if the loading on a bone decreases, the bone will become weaker.
It’s quite amazing, really, when we come to realize how dynamic our bodies are
and how even our bones can remodel themselves due to the forces acting upon
them.
An everyday example of
Wolff’s law can be seen in tennis players. Since most of them use one arm to
hold their tennis racquet, that arm becomes much stronger than the other. The
constant use of the racquet-holding arm, and the fact that it is often placed
under higher than normal stress, leads to this strength.
On a more negative
note, the abnormal stresses on and movement of bones as we age can help explain
the very common problem of osteoarthritis. These stresses are largely due to
trauma, as well as faulty biomechanics. As we age, there are more opportunities
for trauma or repetitive bad habits that accumulate over time, which ultimately
lead to abnormal forces on the spine.
It has become the “norm”
for elderly people to suffer from osteoarthritis, but this doesn’t have to be
the case; it shouldn’t be normal and it certainly isn’t ideal. It is merely a
reaction to what the body is being required—or not required—to do. It is only
when biomechanics are restored that bones can be remodeled to a more normal and
stronger state.
If you’re young and are
nowhere near worrying about osteoarthritis yet, don’t discount the lesson you
can learn from Wolff’s law. Trauma doesn’t only occur in the elderly or in
extreme situations. Everything from being born, to falling down while learning
to walk for the first time, getting into a minor fender bender, sleeping on
your stomach, poor posture habits, long periods of sitting, and even stress causes
stress to your spine. And I would guess that everyone in the world has
experienced at least one of these
factors!
Most people don’t think
of being born as a “trauma,” but babies experience the same sort of whiplash
that occurs when you get into a car accident. And, interestingly enough, they
usually take about six months to hold their heads up on their own—the same
amount of time it takes to heal from some spinal injuries like whiplash. I
adjusted each of my children’s spines as soon as they were born, and as a
result, they were all able to hold their heads up, crawl, and walk much sooner
than the average child (the picture to the right is my son at 2 weeks old). It is because I understood the importance of spinal
restoration that I gave them this care so early on, and it has aided their
development throughout their childhoods so far. So, remember to avoid the
abnormal forces and stresses I mentioned in this post, and if you find that you
have experienced spinal trauma, be sure to see a chiropractor as soon as
possible. Your spine will thank you for it, both in short-term pain relief and
long-term spinal health.
“Working to restore GOD’s perfect design in
you!”
[1]
“Wolff’s law.” Wikipedia. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolff's_law >
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