The musculoskeletal system comprises the bone structure, the joints and cartilages, muscles and soft tissues.
The interaction between the various components creates a bio-mechanical system that is controlled by the nerve system whose function it is to stabilize and control body movement.
The human body is like a mechanical apparatus with structural weaknesses and limitations caused by the fact that humans stand upright on two limbs and are subject to the force of gravity .
In order to prevent 'mechanical breakdowns' and to keep it in proper working order, good maintenance through movement is essential.
We all understand the importance of maintenance for our cars but, paradoxically, many people don't realize that similar rules apply to the human body.
Failure to take proper care of the musculoskeletal system can result in such symptoms as inflexibility of joints and muscles, restricted range of movement and mechanical pressure on the vertebrae causing episodes of back pain.
Proper and healthy maintenance of the body can be achieved through exercise classes where participants acquire correct movement skills and good body posture habits, while enriching the individual's movement repertoire.
The classes improve the ability to concentrate and deepen awareness and understanding of the body's structure and movement. The individual acquires smooth, flowing movement that can be applied in every-day life as well.

Most people do not acquire habits of correct posture and movement naturally without conscious effort.
The modern way of life involves many activities that form unhealthy habits such as sitting for long periods, bending and lifting objects incorrectly, carrying heavy loads, repeated monotonous movements and so on. It is important to learn and practice good body posture, to develop awareness and understanding of the body's structure and the way it moves, so that these can be applied in every-day life.

Back pain is one of the most prevalent illnesses to affect contemporary society. It is known that 80 per cent of the adult population will at some time in their lives experience a significant episode of low back pain.
The term 'back ache' covers a whole multitude of aches and pains in different areas ranging from the neck and shoulders through the upper to the lower back. The pain could be local, at a specific point or it could spread out and radiate to other areas.
The causes of back pain are many and varied, including: muscle strain (spasm), inflexible joints, inflamed tissues, bulging or herniated disc, scoliosis and degenerative changes of the spinal column. There could also be structural causes due to bad posture, differences in length of the legs and movement limitations caused by illness, injury etc.
The weakness of the musculoskeletal system increases in the course of time due to natural wear and tear and incorrect use of the system – and this explains why so many people suffer from back disorders and pain.
By means of the exercise classes, it is possible to substantially reduce pain and movement restrictions, improve posture and increase the range of movement while significantly improving the quality of life.

Bulging or herniated disc is a condition that occurs between two vertebrae, mostly in the lower back area - the lumbar vertebrae. The inter-vertebral disc is of a unique structure: it functions as a shock absorber and also plays an integral part in movement of the spinal column and in stabilizing it. The disc is composed of the external fibrotic cover, and the inner nucleus pulposus that gives it its softness.
Bulging disc is caused by a process of 'dehydration' of the soft nucleus of the disc, reducing its thickness. As a result the outer covering, the annulus fibrosus, bulges out like a worn tire. This can cause compression of the nerve roots that emerge from the spinal chord, causing pain in the lower back, the buttock and hip areas.
Herniated disc is a condition in which tears occur in the annulus fibrosus and the fluid from the nucleus is secreted, causing pressure on nerve roots and radiating pain along the lower limb to foot (sciatica). Other nerve-related symptoms along the route of pain radiation can cause weakness of the leg, lack of sensation and tingling.
Herniated disc is almost always accompanied by an acute inflammatory reaction at the nerve root. The cervical spine is second to the lumbar area in frequency of occurrence of herniated disc.

A condition of LBP accompanied by nervous radiation down the lower limb and foot. Sciatica is one of the most frequent complaints among low back pain sufferers who come in for medical examination.
The condition arises from bulging or prolapsed disc that puts pressure on the nerve roots emerging from the lumbar spinal column.
Disc degeneration can generally cause referred pain to the buttock or hip area (pseudo-radicular pain).
Herniated disc with pressure on the lumbar nerve roots will radiate pain along the entire limb (genuine sciatic pain).

Most cases of acute or chronic lower back pain involve a process of disc degeneration whose onset is generally in the third decade of life. The disc undergoes a process of 'dehydration' in which it loses its fluid content, thus causing a reduction in its height. This in turn can cause a condition of subluxation at the articular facet of the vertebrae, since these joints, in conjunction with the disc, constitute the motion segment of the spinal column. This condition can eventually bring about damage to the cartilage of the vertebral facet (facet osteoarthritis).
Disc degeneration can also cause narrowing of the vertebral foramen and excess strain on the supporting muscles. All these processes are liable to cause sciatica with or without radiation of pain to the lower limbs. In addition to the mechanical pressure on the nerve roots, inflammation may result due to release of inflammatory conductors. The final stage of disc degeneration causes narrowing of the spinal canal and symptoms of pain radiating down the leg with inability to walk.

Seen from the side, the spinal column has a schematic form resembling the letter S with convex and concave arches. The concave arches form the lordosis, one in the cervical spine and the other in the lumbar spine. This snake-like structure both facilitates the flexibility of the vertebral column and enables the body to maintain its balance in the course of movement. This form also acts as a shock absorber. For correct posture and correct movement, it is vital to attain the proper balance between the concave and convex arches of the spinal column.
The lordosis becomes a problematic condition that needs to be diagnosed and treated when the lumbar or cervical concave arch is excessive. This condition causes too heavy pressure on the vertebrae and the soft tissues, and increases the tonus of the superficial and deep muscles of the spinal column.
Excessive and continuous lordosis generally results in pain and pathologies of the vertebral column.

Seen from the side, the spinal column has the schematic form of the letter S with convex and concave arches. Kyphosis is an exaggeration in the convex curvature present in the thoracic part of the vertebral column. An excessive kyphosa posture affects not only the condition of the vertebrae, the tissues and the muscles in the thorax but also the entire thoracic cavity (the breathing system) and the internal organs.
It also upsets the delicate balance between the curves of the spinal column above and below the thoracic concave arch.
The consequence of Kyphosis effect not only the structure and movement system of the spinal column but also the functioning of the thorax cavity and the shoulder girdle in particular.

A full frontal or back view of a healthy person shows that the spinal column divides the back vertically into two equal parts identical in form and location.
Scoliosis is a type of deformation in which the spinal column is a-symmetric in frontal view resulting in a curve to the right or to the left from the central axel, generally accompanied by rotation of the vertebrae (around themselves).
Scoliosis can take the form of one or more curvatures that can usually be characterized as in the form of a C or an S. In the majority of cases the onset is in adolescence resulting from accelerated growth of the bones, in particular in the vertebral column (juvenile scoliosis). Scoliosis as a disease is not a condition that rights itself over time; in fact it is liable to cause future health problems beyond the esthetic aspect.
The accepted medical treatment when the divergence reaches 20 degrees is with a brace to prevent further curvature. In case the brace does not stop further deterioration and the curvature reaches app. 40 - degrees, surgery is recommended.
In most cases movement therapy can stop or at least reduce the effects of the scoliotic process and prevent further deterioration that would require surgical intervention.

Milka Donchin, MD, MPH, Ofra Woolf, MPH, Leon Kaplan, MD, Yizhar Floman, MD: Secondary Prevention Of Low –Back Pain, A Clinical Trial. Spine 15:1317-1320,1990.