Your body, as a whole, is made up of numerous individual pieces that are all vital and essential in their way. From many organs like the heart, lungs, and brain, to many of the different bones in your skeletal structure, your body runs like a well-constructed piece of machinery where everything has its vital function, no matter how small or insignificant that function may initially appear.
One of the most important areas of your body includes your spine. Quite literally the backbone of your entire skeletal and physical makeup, your spinal cord is what holds your body together as well as directly influences your ability to walk, talk, move around, and every other physical activity that you engage in. Simply put, if you’re reading this article aloud, using your fingers or hand to scroll the page, or walking to your computer to get to it, that’s all thanks to your spine.
Just as the spine, when healthy, allows you to perform just about any and all physical actions (from sitting upright, to walking around, to even moving your head and neck), a damaged, injured, or degraded spine can make virtually all actions either extremely difficult or outright impossible. It’s because of this importance that you should take as much care of your spine’s health as possible.
How To Maintain A Healthy Spine
Method #1. Stretch Regularly
Being as flexible as possible directly results in the body having optimal joint health and function. Not only that, but it ensures you have as close to a full range of motion, thus reducing any chance of overall risk or injury to the body.
Simply put, the more flexible you are, the healthier your spine will be.
Method #2. Sleep Well
As you sleep, your body naturally heals and repairs itself. Because of this, you must get as much sleep as you can so that you can maximize this healing process. In addition, you should also focus on improving the quality of your sleep. You can do this by sleeping on your side or by investing in a quality mattress and pillow to improve spinal alignment and reduce any pressure placed on it.
Method #3. Reduce Strain
Lastly, you want to minimize the amount of weight and strain placed on your spine. You can do this in either one of two ways. The first way is by carefully controlling your form when lifting and carrying heavy objects. Most people tend to lift incorrectly, which can weaken the spine’s integrity and potentially lead to strain and eventual degradation. When lifting, the proper way is by pushing up with your legs and knees, putting the weight and strain below your waist rather than on your back.
The second way to reduce strain is by maintaining a healthy weight. Just as lifting too heavy an object improperly may cause damage to the spine, so too can an excessive amount of weight in the body. Remember that your spine is holding up your entire form and structure. The more weight placed on that structure, the more likely it will strain and ultimately collapse. You want to regularly drink water and exercise while engaging in a healthy and sustainable diet lifestyle.
Treating A Damaged Spine
If you do suffer a damaged spine, while it may be painful, it is not the end of the world. There are options. While some of the lower-grade options include visiting a physical therapist or finding ways to reduce nerve inflammation, your best bet may eventually be to consider some type of spinal replacement surgery. For more information on what may be best for you, visit the spinal experts at spine.md.
