Can you tie your shoelaces?

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No, it is not a trick question, nor a joke. It is a relevant issue in back care consultations and, if the answer is no, perhaps you should consider the option of undergoing a medical check-up.

Although it seems a trivial fact, the action of bending down to perform an activity as simple as this can solve many relevant questions about the state of our flexibility, mobility, coordination and strength . Moreover, it could even reveal a problem in relation to our cognitive abilities .

In most cases (the least worrisome), people who have difficulty crouching can suffer from low back pain, one of the most widespread global epidemics and one of the main reasons for low work today.

This pathology is identified as back pain in general, but the term applies to discomforts focused on the lower area , where the lumbar vertebrae are located. This pain usually has a mechanical origin and may be associated with jobs in which a lot of weight is lifted and, in addition, in motion.

The dreaded sciatica may also be at the origin of this problem, since it is a sciatic nerve impingement, which causes very intense pain in the lower back, which goes down the buttocks to the back of the thigh.

Finally, herniated discs , and with regard to pain, may be the source of cost, or simply that we cannot bend over to fasten our laces.

VERTIGO

But the cause of this physical limitation may also be in the ear, epicenter of the so-called benign postural vertigo . Originated in the internal part of this organ, they are produced by the changes caused in the liquid that circulates through the so-called semicircular canals.

In the inner ear is the key to balance , so if we have problems, crouching will cause us to feel dizzy and that everything is going around us.

More obvious may be the effects that cause autoimmune diseases , such as rheumatoid arthritis, which is detected in an analytical and usually causes inflammation and discomfort (in this case, on the hands, which prevent us from performing basic daily tasks).

Although sometimes confused with arthritis, osteoarthritis appears as a result of wear and tear of an advanced age. If we suffer in the hips and knees, flexibility and mobility are complicated, so it is very important to detect it in time.

The 'unlearning' simple actions like the one at hand can hide a neurological disorder. Suddenly, we forget a sequence of actions that consist of bending down, performing certain types of ties and tightening. After this situation diseases such as Alzehimer can be found, for which, in this case, would become an alarming symptom.

Finally, we must talk about that belly that we affectionately call beer , but if it prevents us from buckling our shoelaces normally, we should take ourselves more seriously. Obesity has become part of the great negative indicators in Health and, the abdominal volume, is related to cancer and cardiovascular accidents.

It is not a matter of alarm, but of prevention. You know, take the test.

ATA POURAMINI is director of Quiropractic Valencia and author, among other books, of 'Back School' and 'You are your medicine'.

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