Keeping your back healthy

Keeping your back healthy is very important. Not only does your back help you physically move around, it supports your spinal cord which allows nerves from your brain to communicate with every tissue, cell, and organ in your body. Many people wait until their back injuries build up over time and seek help way too late. Make efforts to keep your back healthy throughout life and your health will greatly appreciate it.

Here are some healthy back tips for you to implement into your healthy life:

• A healthy back requires listening to your body and not using over the counter pain relievers or muscle relaxants to ignore the problems that are occurring.
• Sit properly throughout your life. Don’t slouch for prolonged periods of time. Don’t always use the back rest. Don’t always sit I the same chair. And make sure to get up from sitting regularly throughout the day.
• Lift properly with your spine, hips, and legs. An awkward and rushed lift with your back can severely injure your back and lead to many more back injuries in the future.
• Walk more. Walking allows your spine to move at an easy pace which helps the lubricate the joints and prevent them from staying in locked position for any prolonged period of time.
• Don’t sleep on your stomach. Stomach sleeping involves twisting the neck for a prolonged period of time which can strain joints and irritate the spinal cord over time. It also creates an extension in your lower back which compresses the joints over time and is not good for you.
• Get checked regularly by your Chiropractor for vertebral subluxation.
• Build endurance through your back with exercises that don’t involved repetitive bending or twisting.
• Don’t smoke. Smoking not only hurts your lungs but can have negative impact on the health of the discs and joints in your spine.
• Eat well. Good foods will positively impact the health of your spine. Bad foods will negatively impact the health of your spine.
• Drink more water. When you are thirsty, drink water. The joints and discs throughout your spine require hydration to stay healthy.
• Exercise regularly. Your body will naturally adapt to the physical challenges you put your body through, including your spine. Exercise that involves a focus on form and movement are great for the health of the spine. Dance, yoga, weight lifting, tai chi, plates, etc. But the best exercise is usually the one that allows you to enjoy yourself and keeps you in the game.
• Rest. Your back needs rest and enough sleep to recover to the demands placed on the body. Proper rest is essential to have a healthy back.
• Posture is important for your back to be healthy. If your posture is bad now, will it be better in the future? Make efforts to work towards better sitting, standing, and sleeping postures.
• Don’t let stress get to you. When you are stressed your body reacts accordingly. As your nerve system travels through your back, the health of your back can be impact by prolonged stress being experienced by your brain.
• Proper footwear. The mechanics of your feet, knees, and hips will impact the health of your back. Wear proper shoes for the demands on your body. Consider orthotics to specifically address your foot knee and hip mechanics

I hope these tips on keeping your back healthy will help you reach your health goals throughout life. Connect with us to learn more and to put these steps into action!

Sincerely,

Dr. Callum Peever – Chiropractor in Caledonia