You would not have forgotten the most common advice of your mum regarding your posture- don’t slouch! This advice becomes useful when you experience spinal problems later on in life.
Whether you have strained muscles, spinal stenosis or herniated disc, you will face the scourge of back and neck pain. This is a serious condition as you are trying to manage family, career, and health insurance, all while dealing with the pain.
By taking care of your spine (neck and back), you can reduce the risk of all sorts of painful conditions. As per best spine specialists, here are some top tips to maintain your spine, happy, and healthy:
Lift objects the right way:
While lifting objects, especially heavy ones, avoid twisting your spine as it is the most dangerous posture. To lift correctly- go for the following tip: stand as close to object as possible; make use of your knees and legs instead of the upper body or back to pull up the item. It is good to keep at one level the object as well as knees and arms. Put your head down and keep back straight. Don’t hesitate to seek help from others if the object is too heavy rather than injuring yourself.
Give spine rest while sleeping
When you recline in the night, the structures of your spine, which have worked hard all day, ultimately have a chance to relax and rejuvenate. For making maximum use of rest time, you must arrange for pillows and mattress, which help resting of your spine most comfortably.
Selection of pillows and mattress must be on the basis of factors like personal preference, your position while sleeping and the specific nature of your back and neck problem. Also, sleeping on the side is healthier than on stomach as it puts less pressure on the spine.
Exercise to strengthen back muscles and abs
The core muscles of your body- abdominal and lower back muscles– are required to be supple and strong, for supporting your spine and take pressure away from your lower back.
But the fact is that we seldom use such core muscles in daily activities, and they need to be subject to targeted exercise. These are simple 20-minute exercises, which you can include in your daily routine.
Wear comfortable shoes
Shoes play a great role in supporting the lower back while you engage in all types of activities from walking to jogging. Good shoes offer a supportive base, which keeps body and spine in alignment. Shoes must be snug and not tight.
Stretch away
Doctors recommend that daily, one must do stretching to help neck and back. By staying flexible, normal functioning of joints is impacted, and also, supports a good range of motion. This reduces any risks of injury. When you begin the day with some stretchy exercises, it is very rejuvenating as well as improves spine health.
Stay active
If you are not physically fit or active, you face an increased risk of pain in lower back. Whether you walk, jog, bike, play with kids or visit the gym regularly, keeping active and moving your body helps to keep the spine healthy. The best among exercises for neck and back is one that is a combination of aerobic activity, strengthening and stretching.
Managing healthy weight
A healthy diet combined with regular exercise helps lose the pounds and to sustain a healthy weight. Being obese or gaining lot of weight fast is a risk factor for pain in the lower back. Excessive weight like belly fat exerts additional stress on tendon, ligaments, and muscles in your lower back.
Enjoy massage
Apart from being a stress buster, massage has many therapeutic benefits. A great massage will enhance production of endorphins- the natural pain relievers of the body, which help you, cut down on medication for pain. Massage also improves blood flow, which can speed healing.
Practice great ergonomics
The lower back discs experience a load that is 3 times heavy while sitting than standing. A long period of sitting thus creates or aggravates a condition of a painful back. Also, when sitting at a desk, facing a computer, we have a natural tendency for slouching and bending forward, which puts additional pressure on lumbar discs.
Avoid sitting for long periods. Get up from your chair and walk about and stretch every 20 to 30 minutes. You can even pace around while talking on mobile phones.
Stay hydrated
This helps in the elasticity of soft tissue and fluidity of joints. Spinal discs are vulnerable to loss of hydration and can shrink. This cause many painful problems like herniated discs.
These are some tips for keeping your spine healthy and pain-free.
