Achieve A Healthier Spine With Chiropractic Care
The changing lifestyle seems to have had an effect on most of our organs, including our spine. Spinal health is crucial because the spine controls the body’s vital functions. It is the spine that provides structural support to our body and helps us to maintain an upright posture. Without a healthy spine, day-to-day activities can become extremely difficult. It also plays a key role in transmitting sensory information. In this article, we will cover easy guidelines to achieve a healthy spine.
Healthy Diet and Exercise
- Keep your weight within 10 pounds of your ideal body weight. The biomechanical reasoning that bearing extra body weight puts stress on all regions of the human frame, including the spine, is supported by common sense.
- Muscles in your core should be strengthened. A muscle deficiency in this area can cause your entire body to become misaligned, beginning with your lower back.
- Make a concerted effort to consume a balanced and healthy diet. This means that you should eat in a way that promotes good body and spine health. Eat different fruits and vegetables, lean meats, whole grains, and healthy fat to maintain a healthy weight. Maintaining a healthy weight relieves additional tension and strain on your joints and spine, which will help you maintain a healthy spine as you age.
- Before and after your workout, make sure to stretch.
- Before starting any diet or fitness program, speak with your physician. There may be concerns unique to your medical situation that require professional assistance.
Smoking Cessation
It is a known fact that smokers have a far harder time recuperating physically than non-smokers. Smoking is bad for your lungs, but most people are unaware that it is also hazardous for their spine. Smoking reduces blood flow to all parts of your body, slowing the healing process and exacerbating back pain and suffering. Meanwhile, if you have trouble quitting smoking, talk to your chiropractor about what you can do.
Sleeping Habits
- As you sleep, try to keep your body supported. Pain at any time is not natural, so if you’re having trouble sleeping, try to find a position that relieves the pain.
- Back sleepers put approximately 50 pounds of extra pressure on their spines, which can be cut in half if a supporting pillow is positioned under the knees.
- By placing a pillow between the knees, side sleepers can relieve strain on the spine.
Standing
- Standing with your knees locked puts strain on your lower back. Place one foot in front of the other, gently bending the knees, and relax your stance.
- Avoid standing for long periods bending at the waist, as this puts undue strain on the spine.
Lifting
- When lifting, make sure your legs are fully engaged. Do not rely exclusively on your back muscles to raise.
- When trying to lift anything, avoid twisting.
- If you have the option of pushing or pulling anything, do so. To reduce back strain, always pick pushing over pulling and use your leg muscles.
- When lifting, you should ask someone for assistance.
- If you’re carrying anything after lifting, keep it close to your body and distribute the weight evenly between both hands.
Sitting
- Slumping in your chair is not a good idea. Maintain a straight spine and back shoulders. Allowing your shoulders to round or lower back to lose their natural curve is not a good idea.
- Knees should be a few inches higher than hips.
- Keep your head up and your gaze straight ahead.
Bending/Reaching
- To pull up items below the waist level, bend your legs. Bending at the waist is not a good idea.
- Use a stool if you need to reach something higher than shoulder height. Injury to the neck, shoulders, and mid-back might result from straining to reach anything above the head.
- To further limit any potential strain, bring your body as near to the object as possible.
- There are no assurances that you will not experience back pain, but following these easy, commonsense measures will raise your chances of living a pain-free, healthy life.
