How to Maintain a Healthy Spine

Every day there are millions of people who end up suffering from many nagging types of back pain. On top of being painful, this can have a negative effect on your overall daily life. For instance, it can cause you to miss work or prevent you from participating in social activities. Additionally, it could keep you from completing normal everyday tasks.

When it comes to back pain, specifically in the lower back, this is considered to be the top cause of all job-related disabilities, according to a report from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

Thankfully, there are a few different steps that you can take to ensure proper care of your spine. Below you will find tips to help prevent any future back pain.

Tips for a Healthy Spine:

Maintain a Good Position While Working

Another great way to help reduce stress on your back is to ensure that you’re comfortable while working. The best way to achieve this is to make sure that your workspace has functionality and height will be well maintained. You should use a chair that helps support your lower back (roll up a towel or place a pillow on your chair if you need an alternative solution.) Additionally, make sure that your feet are always in a comfortable position on the floor. If your job involves talking on the phone, be sure to hold the phone to your ear with your hand. It’s also a useful idea to plan to take regular breaks to walk around. Remaining in one position for too long can tighten your muscles which will limit mobility.

Lift Correctly

It’s common to experience back pain from twisting the wrong way while lifting something. To lift correctly, begin by standing as close as possible to the object itself. Then lift using your knees and legs as your core strength rather than your back and/or upper body. Be sure to bend your knees so that your arms will end up being the same height as the item you want to lift. You will also want to make sure that your head is down and that your back is straight. Of course, if you find that an item is too heavy to lift on your own, ask for assistance.

Sleep Well

It’s certainly no secret that getting a good night’s sleep can do wonders for your general health. However, it’s also important to keep in mind which specific position is the best to sleep in. Experts state that you should sleep on your side rather than on your stomach. This is because sleeping on your stomach will cause added pressure to be placed on your spine. Additionally, it will prevent you from having to deal with issues such as an upper airway collapse, which can cause symptoms related to sleep apnea.

Keep Yourself Hydrated

Keeping hydrated is the most effective way to ensure that soft tissue fluidity and elasticity are maintained throughout your joints. Without proper hydration, the disks in your spine will become vulnerable to height loss. These issues include disc herniation, which takes place when fluid loss causes the disks to become brittle and slip out of position. This condition is also referred to as ruptured or slipped disks. Furthermore, a slipped disk is known to be one of the main causes of sciatica. The condition sciatica causes back pain to radiate through the legs to the buttocks and even down to your feet and toes.

Stretch Daily

Stretching every single day can help to greatly maintain the health of both your spine and back. Furthermore, it will also reduce the risk of you potentially getting injured. Remaining flexible can not only bring you a good range of motion, but it can also help you maintain good joint function.

Remain Active

According to experts, people who don’t keep themselves active or physically fit are at an increased risk of experiencing lower back pain. Simple activities such as walking, swimming, biking, are easy ways to stay active. This will help maintain good health in your spine and back!

Keep Your Weight Maintained

The combination of diet and exercise can help you lose and maintain a healthy weight. However, gaining weight or already being overweight can place added stress on your lower back. This more specifically occurs in the tendons, muscles, and ligaments.

Watch for Warning Signs

If at any time you begin to experience any pain or other issues with your spine and/or back, don’t ignore them! Doing so may cause the issue to worsen and can potentially lead to something that can’t be fixed. You should also never overdo yourself while working, exercising, etc. In the event you begin to experience issues, contact your physician and determine what the best course of action to correct everything would be.