Keeping Your Spine Healthy

Millions of people across the world suffer from back pain every day. Beyond living and coping with the pain itself, this condition prohibits you from enjoying life to the fullest, as you miss work and other social activities, and you may not even be able to accomplish simple, everyday needs.

We tend to forget how significant the spine is, and that it is part of the central nervous system. Together with the brain, the spine relies largely on the peripheral nervous system, which consists of millions of nerves that send signals to the brain and control all bodily functions. An unhealthy spine greatly interferes with this entire system. This brings about a lot of discomfort and inconvenience that takes the form of unwelcome health issues including pain, weakness, numbness, impaired digestion and breathing, loss of control of the bladder and the bowel, just to name a few.

Most of the things you can do to improve your spine’s overall health involve nothing more than practicing and observing simple, yet better body mechanics like how to hold and move yourself when you go about your daily activities. Taking care of your spine today, especially your back and neck, will ultimately help lower the chances of you suffering from back or neck pain later. Below are just a few simple tips on how you can take better care of your spine to keep it healthy:

Good Posture Means a Healthy Spine

Many of us simply can’t keep a good posture, which is crucial if you want to have a healthy spine. Keeping a good posture means having your ears aligned with your shoulders and your shoulder blades retracted. This proper alignment significantly diminishes spinal stress and is considered the most efficient position to achieve the best posture.

How Long You Sleep and How You Sleep Matters

Research and studies have proven that neck and back problems are closely associated with insufficient sleep. It is critical to get at least seven to eight hours of sleep every day.  It  also greatly helps when your bedroom is a proper sanctuary for sleep. You should sleep with a mattress that isn’t either too thick or too thin and comfortable pillows as these are necessary for a restful night.

Strengthen Your Core and Joints with Simple Targeted Exercises

The American College of Sports Medicine has long considered exercise as therapeutic, and that merely 10 minutes of simple exercise is all you need to do to substantially strengthen your spine. Regular neck stretching, light weightlifting, yoga and pushups can dramatically improve your postural muscles and eventually the overall health of the cervical spine.

Soak Up the Sun

It may come as a surprise for some, but the sun actually greatly affects the body, including our spine. It wakes the body up and encourages it to stand up straighter, energizing us and making us feel more active and alert. Also, the vitamin D in the sunlight is manufactured in the body when it is exposed to the sun. This vitamin is necessary for building up strong bones including those in the spinal column. At least 10 minutes of sun exposure daily will do the trick.

Meditate

It is widely known how meditation can improve one’s mood, increase productivity and restore alertness. People should also be made aware how meditation could positively affect one’s spinal health. This is simply explained by the way meditating people concentrate on focusing on their core, ultimately straightening their spinal column in the process.