If you were a tree, your back would be the trunk of you. It keeps you standing upright, it’s strong and reliable. It’s the main structure of your entire body. Without a healthy back, all of the things you do on the day-to-day would no longer be possible. A healthy back is the way to stay and keep yourself healthy for the rest of your life. But your spine is put under immense pressure all day and every day. It’s under pressure from the way you sit at your desk chair, from the way you’re picking up the ottoman to tuck it away while you sit on the couch and so much more. With any sort of semi-active lifestyle, it’s very important to value the health of your spine, but that doesn’t always seem easy. So, how do you keep your spine healthy for years to come and relieve the back pain that may already be building up?
Stand Right
Unlike you first thought when your teacher demanded you “stand correctly,” there is a right and a wrong way to stand. It’s not just a matter of avoiding slouching when you’re standing around, it’s a matter of keeping your body properly aligned. Most spinal stress comes from stretching and resting your body in weird ways that aren’t doing you any favors. Make sure that when you’re standing, you maintain the natural curve of your back. You can measure this by estimating if you can draw a line in your mind’s eye from your ear, over your shoulder, hip and to your ankle and keep it straight. This avoids putting stress on your spine from slouching your shoulders or tucking your butt. Making sure to wear good shoes and complete the occasional ab workout will do wonders to make maintaining this stance easy.
Workout The Right Muscle Groups
The main complaint in regard to any posture is the discomfort that comes with it. However, it is only uncomfortable if you’ve been training your muscles in the wrong way your whole life. Training your shoulders to slump instead of relaxing in an up-right and pulled back position is just a matter of the exercises you’re doing and the way that you’ve trained your body to stand over the years. Reversing this isn’t easy, but it’s worth it. Your core muscles, which you’ll find in your lower back and abdomen (think below the diaphragm) are responsible for most of your posture. They’ll need to be strong to be able to properly support you and your spine for years to come. When they’re strong and well-supported, they’ll be able to take most of the pressure off of your lower back and diminish back pain and future spine health issues. You can start toning and engaging these muscles through specifically targeted exercises that you can simply work into your normal workout routine. Depending on the type of back pain you’re experiencing, be sure to check with your doctor before trying any new exercises, as some may do you more harm than good depending on your condition.
Invest In Proper Spine Health Now
At the Spine Care Center in Manassas, we care about your long-term health. The fewer folks out there with back issues that follow them through life, the better. Yet we realize this is no easy task as much of the work we do in modern-day jobs puts extra stress on the muscles surrounding the spine and the spine itself. If you’d like advice on how to best pursue the health of your back, please reach out to us. We’re always happy to investigate any recurring back issues and help you find solutions and treatments that work for you. Reach out to us to schedule an initial consultation now.