The spine is a highly flexible part of the body featuring a bunch of interconnected bones, muscles, ligaments, tendons, and nerves. As part of the central nervous system, the spine commands an important part which is to protect the tendons and nerves that connect the brain to the rest of the body which controls movement and other body functions.
Often, people do not give due importance to their spine’s health unless, of course, one feels a back pain one day. Such ailment can be debilitating and disrupts one’s daily routine in a huge way. Back pain is a common ailment that millions of people experience in a daily basis. The result? Too much pain can cause someone to miss work and/or other social obligations. Thus, quality of life is definitely diminished. So, before such pain occurs, take care of your spine now. This means, of course, taking care of your back and neck areas.
How? Here are some useful activities that you should try and incorporate in your daily lifestyle to help keep your spine healthy and strong.
Apply proper ergonomics at work. This means making sure that your workspace is appropriately equipped and arranged to your specific physical attributes and functionality. For instance, your chair should be comfortable, provides proper back support, and positioned according to your height and performance. The same consideration should likewise be done to whatever gadgets and equipment you maybe using at work like laptop, desktop computer, phone, among others. Follow other proper work ergonomics to lessen the stress on your neck and back while doing your job.
Staying active, whether at home and/or at work, lessens the likelihood of getting spine-related health problems. Do regular workouts to strengthen the spine. Make sure that you do physical activities in your daily routines even if its simply taking a walk or playing with your kids and/or pets. Do stretches throughout the day to keep your body flexible and your spine healthy.
Maintain proper posture. Usually, people don’t think about keeping proper posture while going about their daily routines. Make sure that you sit/ stand straight to keep your spine feeling good. Proper posture promotes better breathing, digestion, and improves energy, too.
Lastly, listen to your body. Take note of any warning signs that your body may indicate when something may be wrong. Don’t simply ignore it when you keep feeling pain. Avoid self medicating, as well. Visit a spine MD professional when you want to learn more about your spine and whatever spinal problems you maybe experiencing for proper treatment and knowledge.