How To Keep A Healthy Spine
No matter who you are, we all want a happy and healthy spine deep into our twilight years. Ask most people, and they probably expect everything to work out well enough no matter what they do or how old they get. The truth is that our spines are surprisingly delicate and can be damaged very easily if we’re not careful. The good news is that, while you do need to steer clear of a few things, the number of habits you’ll need to take on to keep everything good is relatively small. Just a few good habit changes and you can have that strong and healthy spine no matter your age.
#1. Stretch & Exercise Regularly
While some would argue that these are two separate things, the fact is that they both work synergistically with each other. Stretching allows you to exercise more effectively while regular exercise helps you with a deeper stretch. As mentioned, you want to do both as they keep the spine from stiffening while also reducing excess weight placed on it.
#2. Have A Healthy Diet
Not only will eating healthy foods keep that extra weight off your spine, but it also gives you more energy to exercise and do well with the rest of your daily activities. And to make matters even better, maintaining a healthy diet also means eating foods high in vitamin D and calcium, two vital parts of a strong spine and bone formation.
#3. Reduce Stress
When we say stress here, we mean it twofold. You want to reduce the stress put on your back as this can cause some of the vertebrae to suffer damage. However, you also want to reduce the amount of daily stress you normally expose yourself to. Stress increases the amount of adrenaline in the body while also tightening up your limbs. This tightening makes you less flexible, again, causing stiffness and a chance for the spine to be injured.
#4. Learn To Properly Lift Things
Lastly, you want to learn how to properly lift things. Again, additional weight and stress put on your back open you up to potential damage. To avoid this, learning to lift from your thighs and legs over your back and upper body will significantly reduce the chance of suffering an injury.
What To Do For A Damaged Spine
If you’ve already suffered damage to your spine or are in need of corrective procedures, consider seeing a spinal expert. Individuals like those at ADRSpine are specially trained to handle spinal injuries such as Disc Replacement Recovery Surgery, Orthopedic Spine Surgery, and other spinal repair procedures. For those that have already suffered some level of damage, this may be the fastest and most effective option available.