10 Tips For Maintaining A Healthy Back

Maintaining a healthy back is very essential as all our daily activities revolve round a little bit of stretching, lifting, playing and walking.

The more you know, the better chance you have of avoiding back pain, which affects 80% of the adult population and is the second most common reason people visit their doctors.

1. Exercise regularly to prevent back pain and injury. It is import to keep the muscles of your back, neck, stomach, and limbs strong and flexible. Stretch your spine before and after sports activities
2. Follow a healthy diet, your body needs the proper nutrition so that the muscles can continue to move and support the spine.
3. Maintain good posture. Poor posture can cause abnormal stress and strain on the muscles and ligaments in your spine. Over time these structures can begin to suffer mechanical breakdown which causes you to feel pain. If not corrected, this pain can become so severe that it can be quite debilitating.
4. Don’t overload your backpack or shoulder bag. A good backpack is designed to evenly distribute weight, but it’s important to use both shoulder straps. A backpack should never be worn over one shoulder.
5. Stretch your legs and back after each hour of sitting
6. When lifting, kneel down on one knee with the other foot flat on the floor, as near as possible to the item you are lifting. Tuck your chin in and lift with your legs, not your back, keeping the object close to your body at all times.
7. Never cradle the phone between your neck and shoulder because it strains your back
8. Sleep on your back or side, not on your stomach. You should avoid sleeping on your stomach because it strains the neck and eventually your back.
9. Invest in a good mattress. Your mattress must be firm enough to support the spine. The heavier a person, the firmer the mattress has to be to provide adequate support.
10. Have regular spinal check-ups. Even if you are not in pain, having regular spinal exams can provide detection and treatment of spinal problems before they develop into more serious conditions. In addition, chiropractors offer lifestyle advice and coaching that helps many patients achieve better health and overall wellness in both the short and long-term.

If you have back pain or want to know how to avoid it, please contact us for a consultation.

Photo Credits: Miss Treats