Improve Your Spine Health to Avoid Back Pain

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Improve Your Spine Health to Avoid Back Pain

Do you suffer from back pain? Back pain can range in severity from minor aches to sharp stabbing pains. When you wake up in the morning, stand for more than 10 minutes, or walk long distances, you may notice that your pain worsens.

Low-back pain is one of the most common and expensive musculoskeletal problems in the world. According to studies, approximately 80% of the population will experience low-back pain. Fortunately, your back pain can be avoided and resolved by working with a chiropractor at Paul Weiner Physical Therapy Clinic to improve your spinal health.

Call Paul Weiner Physical Therapy Clinic today to learn more about how the health of your spine is influencing your back pain. Our Physical Therapists team is happy to teach you about the benefits of chiropractic care for managing back pain!

Why is spine health important?

You may be wondering, “How can I tell if my spine is healthy?”

When we think of health, we typically focus on nutrition, exercise, and heart health – but spine health is also vital for your overall well-being and normal daily functioning.

Your spine does a lot for your body – it protects your spinal cord, allows you to breathe correctly, and allows your body to move. Almost every function in your body is directly connected to the health of your spine!

If you live with back pain, you know how limiting it can be. To make sure your spine is at its optimum health, you must achieve the following:

• Proper posture with natural spinal curves.
• Strong muscles (i.e., core, hip/pelvis, and lower back)
• Full (maximum) mobility throughout the spine and all the different movements of the spine (i.e., bending forward and backward, rotating and side bending)
• Good nutrition and rest at night.

The good news is that the chiropractic team at Paul Wiener Physical Therapy Clinic can help you achieve better spine health!

Improving your spine health at home

Your spine is a complicated structure of vertebrae, discs, joints, ligaments, tendons, muscles, and nerves. Therefore, it takes a delicate balance to ensure it is at its peak level of health and function. Of course, much like anything else, taking care of your spine health requires your participation.

Chiropractic care involves a multifaceted approach, including spinal manipulation therapy, self-management advice, and strengthening exercises to effectively address acute and chronic back pain. The best practice is a comprehensive program where you do everything you can to ensure the health and function of your spine.

Below are some ways to improve the health of your spine:

1. Get enough sleep: Adequate rest in a comfortable position while sleeping helps you maintain a healthy spine. Suppose you are struggling to find a comfortable position for sleeping. In that case, it is generally best to try and maintain a neutral spine position and to use pillows and blankets to support your body in achieving these positions. A neutral position is easily found lying on either side of your back.
   Too often, people try to force themselves to sleep in a particular position, but research in sleep labs has shown us that we change positions throughout the night regardless of where we start. Choosing a position that allows you to sleep is the most important factor.
   Regarding the ideal mattress, medium firmness seems to help more people get good rest than either too soft or too firm. Although there are a lot of anecdotal stories about the “best” firmness, research shows that it is a personal preference and most people choose medium firmness for proper rest.
2. Work on the mobility and strength of your spine: Your body is meant to move – this is the most important purpose of the spine. A general routine where you take your entire spine through various movements and positions (stretches) can help keep your spine healthy. You can make sure your spine remains mobile by stretching for 10 minutes every day.
   It is also essential to move around when possible at work. Stretch your spine by reaching overhead, turning right and left, then leaning over from one side to the other.
   It is also important to spend 3-4 days a week working on strengthening exercises. Performing core exercises (i.e., abdominal, back, and hip/pelvis muscles) will help keep your spine strong and prevent future pain and/or injuries.
3. Maintain proper posture: If you sit at a desk during the day, make sure you sit tall and use lumbar support. Avoid sitting slouched for prolonged periods, and change positions as soon as you notice tightness or pain no matter how you are sitting!

When lifting, keep your spine in a neutral position. This position will allow your entire core to engage while simultaneously using your legs to lift the weight/object. Ideally, you will maintain an arch (lordosis) throughout the whole movement. Avoid bending forward and especially bending with twisting-type movements.

How chiropractic care can help improve your spine health

Chiropractors are healthcare professionals who specialize in diagnosing and treating spinal disorders and neuromusculoskeletal disorders. They use various techniques to improve spinal health for your overall health and well-being. Fun fact: chiropractor comes from the Greek words “cheir,” meaning hand, and “practor,” meaning practitioner.

A chiropractor at Paul Wiener Physical Therapy Clinic will be able to assess your spinal health and any joint pain or injury related to the functioning of your spine. After asking you health-related questions and performing a complete evaluation of your body and movement abilities, they will be able to determine what techniques would be the best fit for you.

We emphasize the importance of education to help you understand what is causing your pain and how to resolve it. Your chiropractor may employ spinal manipulation, manual therapy, or modalities and taping techniques. Your chiropractor may also recommend making changes at home and doing specific exercises or changes to your nutrition to reduce pain and inflammation.

Know that during your treatment, you can feel free to ask questions! Our clinic will always do our very best to handle any concerns you may have so that you feel comfortable and satisfied when you leave your appointment.

Request an appointment with us today!

If you have been living with back pain or want to avoid potential back pain, don’t hesitate to contact Paul Wiener Physical Therapy today and request an appointment with one of our skilled chiropractors.

We can resolve the issue you’re facing so it doesn’t progress further. Don’t live with back pain limits – improve your spine health with a chiropractor today!

Sources:

• https://www.jac-chiro.org/pdf/WHOguidelinE.pdf
• https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpain.2021.765921/full
• https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/acm.2020.0107
• https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0203029
• https://content.iospress.com/articles/work/wor2243

Tags: Health and Wellness, aches and pains, back pain relief, Natural Pain Relief, physical therapy