Healthy Back Tips

Back pain is one of the most common reasons that people visit an orthopedic specialist. It is estimated that 80% of people will experience back pain at some point. Luckily prevention can help keep you out of the doctor’s office. While all these tips would be helpful; if you are able to even do some of these tips you will be better off than you were.

Tips for a Healthy Back

Quit Smoking for a healthy back

Everyone knows that smoking is bad for you, but did you know in addition to the obvious dangers of smoking there are some effects that can double your chances of needing a spine surgery in your lifetime? Nicotine constricts blood flow and carbon monoxide reduces the amount of oxygen in your blood. Smoking also promotes inflammation in your body. Reduced blood flow, less oxygen, and inflammation can wreak havoc on your spine leading to osteoarthritis, spinal stenosis, and disc degeneration.

Exercise your core for a Healthy back

A strong, healthy back is a back that is well supported. Regular exercise of the core will support the spine, reducing the amount of wear and tear that the spine is subject to. Well balanced muscles help with posture so that your spine evenly carries weight in the manner of which it is designed to. Even twenty or thirty minutes of walking a day can go a long way towards your spine health.

Stretch for the health of your back daily

Stretching your back feels good. Dogs and cats instinctivley stretch their back when ever they feel the need. We override this instinct because its not allows appropriate in every setting. If we would just listen to our bodies our spines would feel a lot better. Stretching increases blood flow and reduces back pain. Sedentary lifestyles, stress, and aging cause the muscles in the back to tighten, leading to a uneven load of weight being put on the spine. Stretching can loosen these muscles, allowing for proper spine alignment and reducing the chances of injury.

Proper Posture can help keep your back healthy

Proper posture will help your spine properly hold the load of weight that it carries, reducing the chance of irritating muscles and causing painful spasm. Proper posture also goes a long way on the impact of energy on the discs of the spine, reducing the chance of disc slippage and rupture. Not only does proper posture look better it also feels better. Having the correct amount of lordotic and kyphotic curve in the spine will help your spine last longer.

Healthy Weight for a Healthy Back

Our bodies are structurally designed to live far shorter than we are living these days as well as not carry the amount of weight they we are able to acquire in a society of plenty. They more weight we carry the more pressure put on the discs of our spine with every step. This extra load accelerates spine degeneration, and with longer lifetimes we are finding ourselves with back pain and conditions that could have been offset for many years if we took better care of ourselves.

Proper lifting to avoid back injury

Lift with your knees, not with your back. Proper lifting technique of bending at the knees and keeping the weight close to your body will help prevent muscle sprains and slipped or ruptured discs. An ounce of prevention is worth pounds of the cure when it comes to your spine.