8 Ways to Revitalize Your Spine

Your spine is the backbone of your entire musculoskeletal system, so it’s essential to keep it healthy to ensure a good quality of life. Composed of vertebrae, joints, discs, and various soft tissues, the spine protects the spinal cord, supports the body, and enables us to move in a variety of ways. Due to its prominent role in our daily lives, it is essential to take the necessary steps to ensure the spine and back remain healthy. Here are eight ways that you can revitalize your spine:

1. Quit Smoking

Smoking is a major risk factor for developing back pain as it decreases blood flow to your spine. As a result, less oxygen and nutrients are sent to your intervertebral discs and joints, accelerating their natural degeneration. Not only can tobacco use lead to disc degeneration, but studies also indicate that smoking lowers your bone mineral density, placing you at a higher risk of fracturing your spine. Get help quitting smoking today to restore your spine and improve your overall health. 

2. Maintain Correct Posture 

Maintaining correct posture involves keeping your spine in alignment when you stand, sit, or move. The natural curvature of the spine has three distinct sections: 

1. Cervical curve: inward curve at the neck
2. Thoracic curve: outward curve of the upper back 
3. Lumbar curve: inward curve of the lower back

Good posture should uphold these natural curves, and it can offer numerous benefits: 

• Decrease the strain on your spine 
• Helps prevent and relieve back pain 
• Allows your muscles and ligaments to work more efficiently 
• Improves overall physical performance 
• Increases flexibility

When sitting for long periods of time, be mindful to: 

• Relax your shoulders
• Keep your feet on the floor
• Bend your elbows between 90 and 120 degrees 
• Fully support your back and hips
• Keep your thighs parallel to the floor 

3. Eat a Healthy Diet 

Eating a healthy diet is another critical factor for reducing your risk of developing back pain. To promote spine health, it’s important to consume foods rich in nutrients and antioxidants to decrease inflammation and revitalize your spine. Some foods to add to your diet include: 

• Plant-based proteins: chia seeds, lentils, beans
• Vegetables: kale, broccoli, spinach, carrots
• Fatty fish: salmon, mackerel, tuna, sardines
• Herbs and spices: turmeric, rosemary, ginger 
• Fruits: avocados, berries, oranges, apples 

 4. Use Proper Lifting Techniques

Although lifting weights and other heavy objects is an excellent way to exercise and strengthen your muscles, lifting with improper technique can wreak havoc on your spine health. From tearing a muscle to rupturing a disc, you can injure your back in multiple ways. When lifting, keep these tips in mind: 

• Bend at the hips while keeping your torso upright
• Keep your chest forward and back straight
• Hold items close to your body

5. Change Your Sleeping Position

One of the best ways to revitalize your spine is to sleep on your back on a comfortable mattress. Sleeping on your back is the best position to sleep in because it keeps your spine aligned in a neutral position, avoids unnatural curves in your back, and evenly distributes your weight. If you struggle to sleep on your back or have problems snoring, the second-best position to sleep is on your side.

6. Wear Supportive Shoes

Wearing comfortable and supportive shoes is another effective way to ensure that your spine stays healthy. Your feet absorb shock with every step they take, so wearing shoes that help absorb this shock is important to minimize the impact on your body. You may also want to avoid high heels, as they shift your muscles, joints, and spinal cord out of alignment and place excessive pressure on the front of your foot. 

7. Exercise Regularly 

Exercising regularly can also replenish your spine in numerous ways. Exercise can help reduce excess strain on your spine by:

• Helping you lose weight 
• Strengthening muscles and ligaments that support the spine
• Improving your balance and stability 
• Correcting your posture

8. Visit The Spine Pro

If you are experiencing significant back pain that persists after making these lifestyle changes, then it may be time to visit Dr. Hooman Melamed at The Spine Pro. An internationally-recognized spinal surgeon specializing in minimally invasive procedures, Dr. Melamed, will be able to diagnose the source of your pain and develop a customized treatment plan focused on relieving your pain and improving your spine health. 

Call (424) 21-SPINE or make an appointment today to learn more about Dr. Melamed’s holistic and integrative approach to helping his patients seek pain relief.