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We’ve made it to the time of the year where we start thinking about what we want in the year ahead. For many people, we prioritize getting healthy and fit in the new year. However, have you ever thought about prioritizing your spinal health? Here are 5 ways you can focus on your spinal health in 2021.
Spinal Health
The spine is the boy’s support structure. It is what keeps us upright and connects the different parts of our skeleton together: our head, chest, pelvis, shoulders, arms, and legs. The spine, although made up of a chain of bones, is flexible due to elastic ligaments and spinal discs.
Most people don’t consider their spinal health until they’re in pain. If you take care of your spine before a problem occurs, or seek treatment as soon as you notice a problem, it is often possible to relieve the pain without having to rely on strong medications or risky procedures.
If you haven’t thought about it before, it’s time to start thinking about ways you can prioritize your spinal health. Here are 5 ways you can focus on your spinal health in the new year:
1. Sleep right
If you’ve been injured, you need rest to recover. Ideally, especially if you have back pain, you should be sleeping on your back. If you need, try resting with a pillow under your knees to help reduce stress on your low back. Your mattress selection is also important. If you want the best for your spine, you should sleep on a semi-firm mattress that supports the spine.
2. Exercise
One of the biggest components of spinal health is staying fit. You don’t have to train to be an olympic athlete, however, aiming to exercise and get movement in each day will help keep your spine strong and limber. Our tip? Aim for 30 minutes of exercise each day and incorporate exercises that strengthen your core and back.
3. Watch how you work and lift
Many of us find ourselves behind a desk most of the day, which can be detrimental to our spinal health. If you work at a desk, be sure you check your ergonomics, which means to pay attention to how you sit and work. Your feet should be touching the ground, and your desk should be aligned so you’re not straining yourself as you type and work on your computer. Further, your computer monitor should be at just the right height so you don’t strain your neck.
When you lift things throughout the day, like a package off the front porch or your backpack out of the car, be sure you’re lifting properly. Use your legs, not your back.
4. Maintain your weight
Along with exercising, you should be maintaining a healthy weight to keep your spinal health in check. Eating a well-balanced diet will help you maintain a healthy weight, as well as get the vitamins and minerals your bones and muscles need to stay strong.
5. Drink water
It’s no secret that most of us don’t drink enough water during the day, but drinking water is important for your spinal health. If you’re not drinking enough water, it can cause you pain. Water helps remove waste from your body and carries nutrients to different areas of the body.
Treatments for Back Pain
If you find yourself for back pain, our team at Texas Spine and Sports Therapy Center can help. The advancement of spinal treatments and the spread of chiropractic care now provides many more options that don’t come with so many side effects and risks. We can help with back pain by providing treatments like:
- Electrical stimulation to calm irritated and damaged nerves
- Spinal alignment therapy to straighten out slipped vertebrae and relieve pressure on discs
- Recommendations for braces or other support appliances to protect the back during actives that put it at risk
- Steroid shots to reduce pain in a specific area
In addition to these treatments, we also have an orthopedic and neurosurgeon on our team to help with surgical options if that’s what your pain needs. We will help you develop a treatment plan best for your individual condition, and get you on the road to being pain free as soon as possible.
Make an Appointment with Texas Spine and Sports Therapy Center
If you are suffering from back pain and don’t want to take it into 2021, our team at Texas Spine and Sports Therapy Center is ready to help you. We provide specialized treatment plans for your specific back pain. Call us today at (512)-806-0015 to schedule an appointment with us.
