Lifestyle Tips to Promote Overall Spinal Health

QI Spine Clinic, 2 years ago

Your back is truly extraordinary. It not only shelters the spinal cord, but is also the command centre of your nervous system, and serves as the backbone of your body. With 33 vertebrae and cushioning discs, it allows you to stand tall, sit comfortably, and move effortlessly, providing support and mobility without any external help.

However, lower back or upper back pain can disrupt your lifestyle or someone you know. Initially, it may begin as a dull pain that gradually diminishes your enthusiasm for activities such as sitting for prolonged periods. With time, it can develop into serious back issues such as herniated disc, spondylosis, spinal stenosis, and the list goes on. If the situation is severe and immediate help is not sought, it may lead to a visit to the emergency room.

Healthy Habits for a Strong Spine

We have come up with some prismatic healthy habits and lifestyle tips that will enable you to build a stronger spine.

Avoid Smoking

If you are a smoker and suffering from back pain, it’s time to give up nicotine. It’s because nicotine is a vasoconstrictor – meaning it constricts or tightens blood vessels limiting the flow of blood, oxygen, and nutrition to the spine. The reasons why smoking is bad for spine health are evident.

Stretch and Strengthen

It’s easy to overlook the need for stretching when you have a desk job or engage in prolonged sitting. Performing basic stretches during work breaks can stimulate the back, strengthen the spine, and effectively manage back pain. It also relieves you from muscle aches and spasms borne out of prolonged sitting.

Most cases of back pain can be prevented with certain lifestyle tips that promote spine wellness and restore one’s ability to stand, sit, run, and perform other activities.

Use the Right Lifting Technique

Bending your back while lifting a heavy object? That will surely hurt you as it can contribute to muscle strains and may rupture spinal discs or lock spinal joints to name a few. It is crucial to know the proper technique to use to lift heavy items. For essentials, you have to bend your knees, straighten the back, and use your hips to thrust and lift an object rather than the shoulders.

Watch Your Weight

Introduce a balanced diet and try to control your weight. It is crucial because excessive weight puts physical stress on the spine as it is required to hold your body upright and allow motions.

Moreover, excessive weight can introduce countless diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes and not to forget physical conditions such as the inability to perform tasks like bending, lifting, and even walking in severe cases of impaired spine.

You may be familiar with the multitude of health benefits associated with yoga. There’s no denying that regular practice of yoga can help stretch muscles and prevent back pain. Your yoga instructor can help recommend stretches to perform based on your condition and health. It will add to protecting the spine and improving overall health in the long run.

Wear Appropriate Shoes

Shoes support your spine too, so choosing the right shoes is important for spine health. Experts recommend choosing good shoes that support the foot and help the spine and body to remain in proper alignment while suppressing pronation and supination of the foot. Whether you are walking, running, or sitting, shoes can be a valuable asset in stabilising the body and spine, reducing excess pressure that may lead to lower back pain.

Spine Care While Sleeping

Statistically, we spend one-third of our lives sleeping. With poor posture, sleeping can exacerbate your back pain instead of helping your body rejuvenate. It is ideal to keep the spine naturally aligned such as by stuffing the pillow below the knees if you are a back sleeper. If you side on either side, keep a pillow between the knees to balance the hips.

You can add an appropriately-sized neck pillow to stabilize the cervical spine. Reach out to QI Spine to get professional healthcare advice.

Wrapping Up

Constant back pain can eventually take a toll on your quality of life, prohibiting you from doing things you like such as working, walking, hiking, and adventures, among others. The above-mentioned lifestyle tips are some suggestions for promoting spine wellness. Its implications are both on your spine and psychology, freeing you from the stress borne out of back pain which aggravates it.

Need professional help treating your back pain non-invasively? Call QI Spine 086558 85566 and book your first consultation with our expert spine specialists, free of charge.