While the spine is the body’s pillar, people rarely think about its health until it is late. A healthy spine offers the basis for your body’s posture and mobility and its structural capability to carry on with your daily activities seamlessly. Keeping this wonderfully complex structure of our bodies healthy is important for our overall well-being. If you or a loved one has encountered spine issues, here are four practical tips for maintaining a healthier spine in the future.
1. Put Your Spine to Relax While Sleeping
How you position your back while sleeping impacts your spine’s rest and health. During sleep, your spine has the perfect chance to rest after carrying your body upright the whole day. Placing it in the perfect position on the bed goes a long way.
Ensure you have a comfortable mattress and pillow to enhance your back’s ultimate relaxation. The mattress should be firm or slightly firm to support your back while asleep. A softer mattress can cause your spine to sag.
If you sleep on your back more often, place a pillow underneath your knees to help lower the stress on your lower back. If you sleep on your side, place the pillow between your knees to keep your hips balanced.
2. Book a Massage
Whether you’re experiencing mild back pains or advanced cases like scoliosis, a medical or chiropractic massage can help alleviate the pain and ease the symptoms. With the new developments in scoliosis treatment, patients can now enjoy some relief after a professionally done chiropractic massage. If you’re only tackling mild back pain, a good back massage can help:
- Increase blood flow to your spine
- Align connective tissues
- Lose your back muscles
All these can work together to give you the relief you need when experiencing back or spinal aches.
3. Reduce Your Sitting Hours
Sitting too long can cause many health problems, including incessant back pain. If you work for extended hours without an ergonomic office chair, sitting for long hours without breaks can put your spine under pressure. This can strain your spine discs and tire the crucial back muscles supporting your spine.
It’s important to create an ergonomic workstation to improve your sitting experience and take frequent breaks from work to stretch and relax. You can set regular reminders to get up and walk around for a few minutes before returning to work for a healthy spine.
4. Swim More Often
Regular swimming or water therapy can help alleviate back pain, especially for older patients and those who have had trouble with out-of-water exercises. Since everyone is buoyant in water, swimming helps relieve stress on the back, making it easier to move your limbs while the spine relaxes.
Compared to running and walking, swimming is the only exercise that keeps your heart pumping and lungs functioning without stressing your spine. Swimming is a perfect consideration if you experience incessant lower back pain or common conditions like back stiffness or osteoarthritis.
Maintaining a healthy spine can be challenging if the problem is genetic. Advanced back spine problems like scoliosis need constant care and attention to alleviate pain and manage the condition. Talking to a doctor and sticking to their medical prescriptions can help you live a less painful life.