Spinal health is vital to the overall health of a person. The nervous system controls every function of the body. The spine protects the nerves. If something went wrong with the spine, then the body would suffer pain or other discomfort.
The spine comprises 24 vertebrae between discs. The discs do double duty as separaters of the vertebrae and shock absorbers. When the body moves, turns, reaches, or jumps up and down, the spine absorbs the shock, allowing the body to keep moving.
Connecting the vertebrae are ligaments. Packed around the spine as a whole are muscles. These allow the torso to bear weight as you carry something, bend, turn, twist, and lean forward or backward. How can we keep the spine in optimal health?
What Causes Spinal Trouble?
Many things cause spinal trouble such as accidents. Others are:
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Less strength in spinal muscles
- Bad posture
These causes of spinal troubles are structural or lead to structural problems. Chiropractors are trained to seek these out and fix them. They also train the patient to maintain good spinal health. How is this accomplished?
Spinal Health When Sitting
- Feet need to touch the floor
- Hips and knees should be aligned, knees bent at a 90 degree angle
- Back and shoulders should be straight up
- Neck should be straight up; look at the TV or the computer without bending the neck
- Keep computer arm’s length away
Spinal Health Using Mobile Devices
- Sit up straight when texting, reading, or watching videos
- Keep the device at eye level to lessen pressure on the neck
- Use Blue-tooth ear piece instead of holding the phone between neck and shoulder
Spinal Health While Driving
- Sit behind the wheel with knees slightly bent and back against the seat
- If the car doesn’t have lumbar support, roll a towel or a small pillow for lower back support
- Take frequent breaks on long trips such as walking around a parking lot a couple times
Spinal Health While Lifting
- If the object weighs too much, ask for help
- Stand as close to the object as possible and stand with feet hip width apart
- Bend from the knees, not the back
- Lift with the thighs, not the back or abs
- Keeping the object tucked into the torso, turn on the feet or hips, not the back, to walk away
Spinal Health While Walking
- Walking is a good way to keep the body healthy and at a good weight
- Walk with back straight, shoulders back, belly button tucked in toward the spine
- Don’t slump or lean forward; this puts pressure on the spine
Spinal Health While Exercising
A lot of spinal trouble is lower back pain. The back and abdominal muscles need to be stronger. To facilitate this and maintain a healthy spine:
Bridge: Formulated to support the back, buttocks, and core abdominal muscles. Lie on your back, knees bent, feet hip width apart, arms at your sides. Lift the body, leaving the feet and shoulders on the floor. The body should look like a bridge. Do not allow the back to bow up.
Hip Cross Stretch: Formulated to relax the buttocks and hip muscles, which often lead to lower back pain. Lie on the floor, knees bent and shoulder width apart. Lift left ankle to rest on right knee. Lift the legs in this position. Hold for a count of 15. Repeat with right ankle and left knee. Do three reps.
Upward Facing Dog: This yoga pose strengthens the spine muscles as well as the arms, and it opens up the chest. Lie face down on the floor, toes pointed behind you, and with hands beside the shoulders on the floor. Lift the body the length of the arms, keeping the hips on the floor. Hold for a count of 15, and do three reps.
Most leg and knee pain, hip and lower back pain, and shoulder and arm pain begin with a spine out of balance. Chiropractors will perform basic structural adjustments plus using various technologies to alleviate the pain.
Pain isn’t part of the normal human condition, so we work hard to get rid of it. We teach you how to keep your spine healthy, so it won’t return. We do this because we don’t believe in making you come back every week for the rest of your life. Come to see us, and we’ll get started.
