Back pain is one of the most universally experienced health issues among adults. This pain is often a result of poor posture or lifestyle habits. These habits can lead to serious spinal conditions or a weakened spine that is more susceptible to injury. Fortunately, there are many exercises and lifestyle changes you can start adopting right away which can help strengthen your spine and improve back pain.
Strengthening and protecting your spine can be more beneficial to your health than you may realize. The spine is a crucial part of the central nervous system and protects the spinal column which helps send and receive messages from the brain to the rest of your body. When the spine is injured, weakened, or not functioning properly, it can disrupt many functions within the body and lead to a host of unpleasant issues. This guide will take a look at effective methods of strengthening your spine and managing your back pain.
Techniques To Strengthen Your Spine
Working to strengthen your spine can have a number of great benefits from controlling back pain to improving your overall health. But, how exactly does one go about strengthening their spine? There are a number of different ways you can help improve the health and strength of your spine. Here are some of our favorite methods:
Maintaining Proper Posture Is Key
Most of us have endured our parents telling us over and over again to fix our posture when standing or sitting. While many of us may have scoffed at these repeated reminders, our parents actually had a good point. Maintaining proper posture as you stand or sit can ensure you are keeping a strong and healthy spine.
So, what is proper posture? Proper posture is achieved when your ears are in line with your shoulders, shoulder blades retracted, and back straight. When your spine is properly aligned it decreases stress placed on the spine and allows for better support of your body.
Poor posture has been linked to depression, weight gain, heartburn, weakened immune systems, anxiety, respiratory issues, and even migraines. On the other hand, maintaining good posture can lead to easier breathing, better overall health, increased energy levels, reduced back pain, and better athletic performance. To top it all off, better posture lengthens the spine, giving you a taller appearance.
Exercise Can Be Extremely Beneficial
Exercise, even minor exercise, can help you strengthen and maintain a healthy spine. Therapeutic exercises can also help you recover from some spine injuries or following spine surgery. The key is performing exercises that stretch and strengthen your core muscles which help to support the spine.
People who suffer from pain or weakness in the cervical spine (upper spine) can help manage their symptoms through simple neck stretches. These stretches can be performed by slowly moving your head from side-to-side, up-and-down, and lowering your ear to your shoulder on either side. However, do not force these stretches if they are causing you significant pain.
Yoga can also provide wonderful exercises that are low impact, stretch and lengthen your spine, and help to strengthen the core muscles that support your spine. You may also consider some strength exercises using, such as back rowes, or body weight exercises, such as push-ups which can improve posture.
Develop A Breathing Practice
Deep breath can have a wonderful improvement on not only your physical well-being, but also your mental health as well. Practicing deep breath exercises helps to calm the body and the mind. As you breath deeply in and out, the nerves within the spinal column are able to move. This can relieve a pinched nerve and promote better pain management.
Your Diet May Play A Bigger Role Than You Think
One factor many people overlook for the health of their spine and their overall well-being is their diet. Your diet can play a big role in helping to strengthen your spine and manage pain symptoms. Focus on a diet that consists of plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, healthy fats, and lean proteins. A healthy diet combined with exercise helps promote and maintain muscles that can strengthen your spine.
Supplements and vitamins also play an important role in the health of your spine. Consider incorporating a daily multivitamin, B-complex, and Omega-3s into your daily routine to help manage nerve pain within the spine.
Adjust Your Sleeping Position
The amount of sleep you get in a night and the position in which you sleep in can contribute to increased pain in the neck, back, and shoulders. You should aim to get around six to eight hours of sleep each night. This helps improve the function of your immune system and allows your body to recover better as you sleep.
Your sleeping position is also important. You should avoid sleeping on your stomach as this position places the most amount of pressure on your spine and can cause pain. It is best to sleep on your side. This puts the least oamount of pressure on your spine and can even be improved by sleeping with a pillow placed between your legs.
Have A Little Fun In The Sun
Another often overlooked activity that can help improve your overall well-being is spending some time in the sun. The health benefits of getting a little extra sunshine in your life can include increased energy, more alertness, and improved mood. Additionally, being in the sun helps deliver vitamin D to the body. Vitamin D can help strengthen bones including the vertebrae in the spine. Aim to get around ten to twenty minutes of sun each day.
The Surprising Power Of Meditation
Meditation is also a wonderful practice to develop for strengthening the spine and managing back pain. Similar to sunshine and deep breathing, meditation helps to improve mental function and mood. Continued practice can also help improve your posture through deep breathing as you meditate. Meditation naturally tends to force people to concentrate on their core which helps strengthen your spine. Work on setting aside ten minutes a day to perform a meditation practice.
Treatment Options For Back Pain
Back pain can be a serious issue for many Americans and it should not be overlooked. If you have been struggling with back pain, it may be time to consider visiting a doctor that specializes in spine issues. The spine experts at Florida Surgery Consultants can help diagnose the root cause of your pain and help you determine a course of treatment that works best for you.
Non-Surgical Options
Unless you are suffering from a severe spine injury, doctors will almost always recommend trying a more conservative approach to treatment through non-surgical options. Non-surgical treatment should be tried for at least 6 months. If your pain and symptoms have not improved through non-surgical treatments, you may need to discuss your surgical options with your doctor.
Some non-surgical options for treating back pain include:
- Pain Medication: You should only take over-the-counter or prescribed pain medication as directed by your doctor. These medications can help reduce inflammation and pain symptoms.
- Hot and Cold Therapy: Using hot and cold therapy can be an excellent non-surgical treatment option. Heat helps warm the targeted area, improving blood flow and oxygen supply. Cold therapy helps to reduce inflammation and numb pain sensations.
- Physical Therapy: Working with a physical therapist can be excellent for improving back pain. A physical therapist can help guide you through exercises to strengthen your spine and recover from injuries or surgeries.
- Chiropractic: Chiropractors use a more holistic approach to health and wellness, focussing on improving the health and function of the spine.
Surgical Treatments
Surgical options for treating back pain are usually considered if non-surgical options have proven ineffective or for serious injuries that need immediate medical action to treat. Surgery does come with the risk of complications and generally longer recovery times. There are many different surgical procedures that can be used to treat a spinal condition. The treatment that will work best for you will depend on the type of injury or condition you suffer from.
Surgical treatments for back pain include:
- Microdiscectomy: This is a minimally invasive procedure that can help treat a pinched nerve caused by a herniated or ruptured disc.
- Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion (ACDF): Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) is a surgery to remove a herniated or degenerative disc in the neck.
- Artificial Disc Replacement: A neurosurgeon performs artificial disc replacement surgery to remove a disc causing pain in the lower spine or the cervical spine (neck) and replaces it with an artificial disc.
- Coflex Surgery: Coflex surgery is a neurological procedure that implants a titanium alloy device, known as the Coflex Interlaminar Stabilization device, in the back of the spine to relieve pain or numbness.
- Laminectomy: Laminectomy is a special procedure designed to relieve nerve pressure in the back of the spinal canal.
- Percutaneous Laser Disc Decompression (PLDD): PLDD is a procedure that relieves (decompresses) pressure caused by herniated discs. It can provide significant pain relief in the lower back and the legs.
- Spinal Fusion: Spinal fusion is a minimally invasive form of neurosurgery that involves fusing two vertebrae together to stabilize the spine.