How to Keep Your Spine Healthy and Avoid Back Pain

Did you know that people with back pain are oftentimes less healthy overall than people without? Back pain can affect your mobility and exercise habits, and it can even have an effect on your emotions and stress level. With spine health playing such a vital part in people’s daily lives, it’s surprising how easy it can be to overlook. But the truth is that around 80 percent of people experience some form of spine pain during their lives. However, if you pay attention to your posture, diet, and lifestyle, you will have a better chance at maintaining a healthy spine and avoiding future back pain.

The first thing to consider is your posture. If you’re like the majority of people, you probably don’t think much about the way you stand while in line at the store or how much pressure is being put on your spine while you sleep. But, if you try to make it a habit to consciously monitor your posture, you could reduce your chances for future spine issues. When you are standing still for a time, try keeping one foot a bit in front of the other with your knees slightly bent to take pressure off your lower back. Good posture is also highly important while sitting. Try to ensure that your back stays straight-slouching forward puts unnecessary strain on the spine. It’s also beneficial if you can keep your knees slightly higher than your hips; that’s why you might see people who work in offices using foot rests under their desks. Additionally, many people don’t really notice that their lower back has a natural curve to it, which is something you want to try to maintain while you’re sitting down. You can do this with a pillow, or you could also consider buying lumbar support for your office chair or car seat. It’s also important to try to have good posture while you sleep. It’s understandable that you may not be able to control your movements while you are sleeping, but you can, however, try to start out in a healthy position. For example, the most commonly recommended sleeping position is with the knees slight bent. If you like sleeping on your side, try putting a pillow between your knees. Similarly, if you prefer sleeping on your back, put a pillow underneath your knees to achieve that slight bend. Most importantly, just try not to fall asleep in a position that twists or angles the spine in an awkward manner.

Another factor that contributes greatly to spine health is general wellness. Something as simple as diet and exercise not only affects overall health, but bones and joints, too. Therefore, it’s a good idea to talk to your physician about your eating and exercise habits in order to establish a plan for healthy living. If this is going to be a big life change for you, it’s perfectly okay to start out slow. You shouldn’t feel like you need to drastically change your habits over night. Try to focus on some of the basics at first, such as including fruits or vegetables with every meal, drinking a lot of water each day, or taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Did you know that smoking affects spine health, too? Studies have shown that smokers are more likely to experience back pain than nonsmokers. Additionally, it takes longer for back pain to subside if you’re a smoker because the chemicals in cigarettes prevent blood from flowing to the spine properly.

Just by making some of these simple alterations to your daily life, you could be protecting yourself from unnecessary back pain in the future. Not only that, but you’ll also be setting yourself up for a healthier lifestyle overall.

Taylor Thomas is an experienced writer who has written for a number of notable publications. As a lifestyle expert, Mr. Thomas is able to offer advice and insight on a multitude of topics, including those pertaining to back pain.

Taylor Thomas is an experienced writer who has written for a number of notable publications. As a lifestyle expert, Mr. Thomas is able to offer advice and insight on a multitude of topics, including those pertaining to http://www.laserspinewellness.com/ back pain.

Author Bio: Taylor Thomas is an experienced writer who has written for a number of notable publications. As a lifestyle expert, Mr. Thomas is able to offer advice and insight on a multitude of topics, including those pertaining to back pain.

Category: Wellness, Fitness and Diet
Keywords:

Leave a Reply