It’s World Spine Day! Your spine is a dynamic structure made up of bone and discs. The bones surround and protect your spinal cord. There are muscles and ligaments that attach to the bones that help you stand, move, breathe, everything. While our backs don’t need “protecting” there are a number of things we can do to optimize our spinal health. We’ve got your back with these 5 recommendations.
Core Strength Endurance
When you think of a strong core, what image comes to mind? For most, it’s an image of 6-pack abs, but that’s not necessarily the case! Your core is so much more than your front abdominal muscles. There are people walking around with 6-pack abs and poor core endurance! Think of your core as a corset, wrapping around your middle. Your core supports you in everything you do. Learning proper bracing during exercise and training for endurance is very important to set yourself up for excellent spine health!
Core Training Tips:
– Start small! You don’t have to be able to hold a plank for 5 minutes or do 1000 crunches! Start in comfortable intervals and challenge yourself bit by bit every day!
– Fully engage your whole core. For example, if you’re laying on your back doing leg raises or “deadbug” slide a hand under your low back. Feel the natural curve of your low back. Brace your whole core so that when you perform your exercise that curve remains.
– Challenge yourself with instability! As your endurance improves try to add instability for added challenge. Try using an exercise or bosu ball to shake things up a bit!
Look to Your Feet
You can think of your feet as the foundation of your body. How are you treating them? Are they forced into high heel shoes every day? Are your heels and arches supported? Are you experiencing any foot pain? Good, supportive footwear and possibly the addition of orthotics could be an important factor in reducing or eliminating your back pain.
Foot Training Exercises:
– Siting on a chair with your feet on the ground, try to peel your toes and soles up off the floor as high as you can with your heel still planted on the ground. Next, curl your toes and lift your heels so you can tuck your toes underneath. You may feel a stretch through the top of the foot and shin.
– Sitting in a chair with your heel on the floor, starting with the pinky toe, try to place each toe on the ground, one at a time – almost as if you’re trying to play a piano with your toes. Now do it again starting with your big toe.
– Stretch: kneel on a yoga mat or pillow with your feet behind you, toes touching the ground. Tuck your toes forward so that the pads are trying to touch the ground. You may already feel a great stretch! If you need a bit more, slowly sit your hips back, experimenting with the amount of weight you put into your feet.
Don’t Sit Still!
It has long been believed that “perfect posture” will set you free. If you sit at a desk for 8 hours in “perfect posture” you will almost certainly still have aches and pains at the end of the day. The key is movement! What is best is changing your posture throughout the day. Set a timer to remind yourself to get up and move!
Movement at Work Tips
– Get up and walk around no less than once every hour. Go get a drink, walk to the bathroom, hand deliver documents to a co-worker, etc.
– Try some chair yoga! Seated cat-cow looks like this:
o CAT: Rest your hands on your knees, bring your chin to your chest. Imagine the way a scared cat arches its back – round through your back and push your spine to the back of the room. Hold here for 3-5 seconds.
o COW: This is the opposite posture. Head up, chest out and proud, shoulders back, arms can open to the sides. Imagine a cow standing in a field with its back hanging between its front and back legs.
– See if your employer will assist you in getting a sit-to-stand desk. Being able to change up your posture and stand for a while instead of sitting can do wonders for back pain. Keep in mind that standing all day isn’t great either so make sure to mix it up!
Lift Smarter
Take care of your spine when bending and lifting.
Lifting Tips:
– Pay attention to the weight of an object you are about to lift. Suddenly readjusting to an unexpected weight can cause muscle spasm.
– Lifting a box from chest height is the ideal place to start
– Remember your core endurance? Brace that core when you lift!
– Keep a neutral spine – just like with our core exercises, we want to try to keep that natural curve in our low back when we lift something from the floor. Try not to slump through the spine when bending, using your hips and knees instead.
Seek Care When Needed
When our teeth hurt we see our dentist. When our vision is changing we visit our optometrist. When our back hurts… we let it slide. Most back pain will resolve on its own over time, but trained health professionals such as chiropractors, physiotherapists, and massage therapists can help you get out of pain and back to doing the things you love faster. They will also help you with exercises and strategies to help prevent the pain returning!
Manual Therapy at gesund
Our team of Chiropractors, Manual Osteopaths and Registered Massage Therapists offers comprehensive care for your spine. Our Chiropractors are able to asses your spine needs and setup a treatment plan combining all manual therapies available at gesund. All of our practitioners are fully licensed to practice in Ontario and their invoices are eligible for an insurance reimbursement.
We are, in many cases, able to bill your insurance company directly. Just bring your insurance information to your first appointment and we will be able to help. Please follow this link for more information about Direct Insurance Billing at gesund.
