Looking to improve your back health in 2015? Here are some tips from Texas Spine Clinic that can help you reach your goals!
Sit and Stand Up Straight
Posture is perhaps the word echoed most when talking about spinal health, but that’s because it truly can make a huge difference. Avoid slouching while sitting or standing by rolling your shoulders back and keeping your chin up while facing straight ahead. This will relieve spinal stress as well as improve energy, well-being, and ease of breathing.
Take a Step Forward (Literally)
When you have back pain, the last thing you may want to do is move around, but walking is one of the best things you can do for your health. A 2004 study in The Spine Journal showed that a single session of an exercise like walking can reduce lower back pain by 10 to 50 percent! Even 10 minutes can make a huge difference. If you’re new to exercise, you don’t have to start big. Start by taking a walk around the block, browsing around the grocery store, or spending a few minutes on a treadmill. You can increase your walking time gradually.
Sleep More, Sleep Better
Sleep is one of the pillars of good health, and it definitely plays a hand in your spinal health as well. Sleeping on your back puts approximately 50 pounds of pressure on your spine. If possible, try to sleep in another position. If you have to sleep on your back, putting a pillow under your knees will reduce this pressure by half. Sleeping on your side will help ease your pain, and putting a pillow between your knees can take additional strain off your back.
Quit Smoking
This is a New Year’s Resolution for many Americans and can be a challenging one to keep! If you need another motive to kick the habit, consider these facts: smokers report more spinal pain than people who don’t smoke. They also heal from back pain more slowly because smoking tobacco restricts blood flow to the tissues around and in your spine.
Follow a Nutritious Diet
Although eating better is another popular New Year’s Resolution, the type of diet we’re talking about here isn’t the same as the extreme fad diets that are actually bad for your health (and are typically abandoned by February anyway). Try incorporating more fresh fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, and high protein foods into your diet. These foods are optimal for building lean muscle and can bring you to a healthier weight if they are the backbone of your diet. Foods with omega-3s are beneficial for spinal health, so try eating more walnuts, salmon, flaxseed, soybeans, and cauliflower.
If you need additional help putting an end to your back pain this year, don’t hesitate to give us a call! The chiropractors at Texas Spine Clinic are the experts in treatment for back pain in San Antonio. Better spinal health is at your fingertips! Call us today at 210-446-5341!
