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The Origin and Development of Neuro-Spinal Hygiene

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[Editor’s note: Following is a presentation made to the Health Forum at the Geneva 2000 Conference For Social Development.]

It is a privilege to present to you a new preventive procedure: neuro-spinal hygiene. Neuro-spinal hygiene has the potential for significantly improving the health of the world’s human population. This health-care measure can be easily and inexpensively provided to people in all circumstances of life and can be integrated into any humanitarian program.

Over the past 45 years, as a doctor of chiropractic, founder and president of the world’s largest chiropractic college, and as a world traveler, I have observed the ill effects of daily activity stresses. I have also noticed the detrimental impact of weight-bearing forces on people’s bodies – especially their spinal columns and nervous systems.

The spinal columns of many individuals in developing countries are especially afflicted by inappropriate activities. Children with immature spines, for example, often are compelled by economics and circumstances to carry heavy loads for long hours. Undernourished adults and the elderly around the world often lose the battle against gravity, succumbing to collapsed posture and early spinal degeneration.

Individuals traveling in substandard vehicles on rough roads subject their spines to excessive destructive vibrations. Repetitive manual labor for persons of all ages in both field and factory compromises the spine and other musculoskeletal structures. Globally, billions of people suffer from poor spinal and neurological health, but I submit to you that this suffering is not necessary.

Compromised spinal integrity is a widespread problem that is as old as humankind itself. From the very beginning, the spinal column of homo erectus and his descendants has been severely challenged by gravity. Radically stressful environments and strenuous work activities, especially for children in their formative years, who are forced to carry heavy loads on their backs or who are exposed to long hours of manual labor, also add to the problem. In societies where machines have taken over most of labor, weak muscles, protruding abdomens and swayed backs still take their toll.

The relentless attacks of these stressful forces on the human spine contribute to the development of poor spinal balance and posture and expose individuals to a great risk of subtle spinal damage and early arthritic degeneration. We have all seen and felt the pain of these unfortunate human beings that appear to carry the weight of the entire world on their shoulders.

Poor posture has a deleterious effect on virtually every visceral function, from respiratory rate and rhythm to digestion. Poor posture leads to permanent spinal misalignment, abnormal curvatures, lack of mobility and closing off of the intervertebral foramina that carry spinal nerves. The resulting poor spinal health contributes to lifelong discomfort, loss of ambition, disability, premature aging and a host of preventable degenerative disorders.

It is my great pleasure to share with you the concept and practices of neuro-spinal hygiene developed by Life University’s College of Chiropractic. Improving people’s spinal and neurological health can greatly enhance the overall quality of their lives, their productivity and their general health.

In reality, neuro-spinal hygiene is as important to our spines as dental hygiene is to our teeth. Although our teeth are both cosmetically and functionally important to us, they are replaceable. The spine and nervous systems cannot be replaced and so, from this perspective, good posture is really more important than a pretty smile. Given this fact, neuro-spinal hygiene needs to be diligently pursued, understood, embraced and practiced by everyone who desires to reduce persistent daily pain and discomfort associated with poor spinal health.

Neuro-spinal hygiene is a very economical procedure that has been demonstrated to be effective in promoting good health. An early American statesman and philosopher, Benjamin Franklin, taught us that "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." The easily recognizable prophylactic benefits of neuro-spinal hygiene provide an affordable means for active care of the spinal column and nervous system.

In the performance of neuro-spinal hygiene, particular attention is paid to correct posture and to the factors that influence posture, such as neuro-spinal exercise, spinal distortion management, stress management, ergonomics, self-responsibility and appropriate professional and spinal evaluation and care.

Life University’s program instructs people in the most efficient ways to sit, stand, walk, sleep and lift with the least amount of postural trauma. It also provides general principles for structuring the work environment in an ergonomically sound manner to enhance vitality and spinal health.

The neuro-spinal hygiene program uses everyday language and simplified illustrations to make it easy to teach and easy for people to understand its basic instruction. The ultimate aim of neuro-spinal hygiene is to instruct the peoples of the world in easily learnable and understandable procedures that can, and will, help them experience improved general health.

Every human being can become healthier and happier through the tools and techniques we will share with you. As with any other method of self-improvement, however, the responsibility for maintaining neuro-spinal hygiene and health is related to education and self-responsibility.

My hope and prayer is that all of us recognize the benefits of neuro-spinal hygiene and then do what is required to provide this basic health-care measure to all peoples throughout the world and in every walk of life. There is so much to do, so little time in which to do it, and so few of us who know how to do it. We must act decisively and humanely – and we must do it now.

About the author: Sid E. Williams, B.S, D.C., is founder and president of Life University.