And back pain, we all know it’s a super horrible, no question about that. But is there something we can do to prevent it? Of course there is. Spine surgeon Dr. Melamed is here with the answers, how to keep your spine young, just in time for World Spine Day, when we come back.
Tomorrow is World Spine Day. We’ve invited the board-certified surgeon Dr. Hooman Melamed to give us tips on how to keep our spines as strong and healthy as possible.
Hey, tomorrow is World Spine Day. It’s a time for everybody to focus on the 33 stacked bones of muscles and ligaments that keep us upright and moving. And Dr. Hooman Melamed is a board-certified spine surgeon. He’s here to walk us sort of through those crucial life in which we can actively make changes to keep our spine strong and healthy. Thanks for being here. I was doing yoga once, and someone said to me, the spine, you’re only as young as your spine. And I think it’s so true, but it’s a lifetime commitment.
Absolutely it is. You know, I get asked a lot, like, what can I do, one activity. There is no such thing as one activity or one thing. It’s, I like to look at as a lifestyle commitment to it, you know, more of a holistic approach. It’s combination of diet, is very critical, now we’re learning, exercise properly, and getting in good habits from early on to set those habits. Because, you know, if you don’t have bad habits, you don’t have to break them as you grow older.
Okay, let’s talk about the decades. In your 20s, what is happening to one’s spine?
So if you look at the spine here, the disc here, we have a spine model. This is our last disc, this is the pelvis here, the last disc. This is the bone here, the vertebra, the bone, the disc and the cushion. These are the shock absorbers, or the cushion. The degeneration process really starts in our, actually in our 20, in our 20s. And it’s very critical to getting those good habits, like I was talking about. So it’s critical to get into a good cardio program, a good Pilates, yoga, weightlifting program, you know, involving all the muscles, like your fast twitch, slow twitch, intermediate, you know, getting their good habits, start doing this. And also the diet, getting on anti-inflammatory diet, avoiding dairy, avoiding gluten, basically turmeric, ginger, all those things, you know, get the habits. You know, because if you have a good anti-inflammatory diet, it prevents inflammation in your body, and that actually helps to prevent this degeneration [inaudible]. Smoking is another thing. Smoking ages yourself, what
Well, in your 30s, people get a lot, a very active weekend warrior. He plays basketball like it’s a lot, but is that good or bad?
It’s very bad. I see so many
What do you mean it’s very bad?
Basketball is great, but don’t do just on Saturday, Sunday. You got to keep it consistent, like four times a week, you’ve got to do the exercise.
What about 40s? What about the water, water, water?
40s, you know, it’s about that. Remember, the degeneration process is continuing, so being obviously very hydrated, you know, stretching is gonna become critical, especially stretching after your exercise. It’s like counterintuitive, but stretching is very critical afterwards to keep the muscles and joints basically from getting sore afterwards. And there is no reason why you can’t compete at a very, very high level, like triathlete, very high exercise at that age, if you do everything properly. Getting up at work, a lot of people become sedentary. You gotta get up, like, you know, get people like just standing, standing this, moving, move, move, move, become very active.
And when you become 50s, specifically for women, osteoporosis becomes a problem, doesn’t it?
Absolutely, absolutely. This, so that, that’s why I say, if you go back to your 20s, if you do this stuff properly, the proper nutrition, you avoid the osteoporosis. We get older, we gotta be careful about the high impact activities. You know, if you’re running, a lot of people running, no problem, and run on soft surfaces, on grass, like rubber, on the stand, the cement, the poundings.
Well, let me ask you some, you know, I’m right between my 40s and 50s, let’s just say, and I play basketball once or twice, okay, yeah, on, on wood. Is there, am I killing myself? Is it horrible for me, or am I okay?
Once or twice a week, no, it’s fine. But I mean, he wants to do is the basketball is not good, because you’re more [inaudible] if you’re not doing some kind of a yoga or Pilates, plyometric, you know, with the TRX, oh, that balance training and stuff like that. Those are what actually, what keeps you really, your dynamic stabilizers, your muscles. It keeps your back from getting injured.
And on that note, I think about like 60s, and even my parents in their 70s, and like, sometimes I’ve almost tripped downstairs before. If your core is not strong and your lower back and back not strong, then you’re gonna fall.
Absolutely it is. And you know, the other things that we get always, what people don’t realize, that I have a knee injury. If you don’t take care of that, you’re more at risk of spine problems, hip problems. These are all connected. It’s a big chain. It’s like having a symphony, one person’s symphony kind of doing their own thing, the whole thing is not gonna be
If you’re like Sam, you’re like, you know, between 55 and 60 and approaching 60. Is there anything that you could say specifically to Sam Rubin? And you’ve seen his body type.
Sam, I would say if you’re not doing Pilates, you should be doing Pilates, yoga and a good diet, basically, on that.
He works out a lot, actually. Sam is good at it.
But proper workout techniques.
Sam, I got your back.
Proper workout technique is critical.
Doctor, good to see all of these tips posted on KTLA.com. For more information about the Dr. Hooman Melamed and his advice for strong and healthy spine and back, go to the thespinepro.com.
Yes, I like it. Thank you so much.
Thank you guys, thank you.
