22 Mar 5 Tips for Maintaining a Healthy Spine

5 Tips for Maintaining a Healthy Spine

With this article his week we want to focus on some tips for maintaining a healthy spine. While chiropractic care can be incredibly effective in treating spinal issues, there are also things that you can do at home to keep your spine in top condition.

Here are some tips for maintaining a healthy spine.

1. Practice good posture: Poor posture puts maintaining a healthy spine:extra strain on the spine, leading to pain and discomfort. Make sure to sit and stand up straight, with your shoulders back and your chin up. (Avoid forward leaning head phone users!). Put your backside firmly into the back of the chair to start the process correctly.
   2.Stay active: Regular exercise helps to keep the muscles and joints of the spine healthy and flexible. Aim to get at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise each day. Healthy muscles support joints and reduce the load that leads to premature ageing of our joints.
   3. Lift heavy objects correctly: When lifting heavy objects, make sure to use your legs, not your back. Bend your knees and keep your back straight. Recognize that a lot of work can be done by the large hip joints as opposed to the hinge joints of our lower spine.
   4. Invest in a supportive mattress: Your mattress plays a big role in the health of your spine. Look for a mattress that provides adequate support for your back and neck. Be wary of riduculous mattress claims. Get a mattress with a good return policy. The only way to test a mattress is by spending 8 hours on it every night for a week or so. You’ll quickly establish if it is good for you or not.
   5.  Beware reaching for lightweight objects; While we pay attention to heavy things it can be more dangerous to reach and twist to do light tasks. Our brain does not see the same danger signals when lifting and reaching for lightweight objects. However, the leverage effects of reaching make the activity quite an opportunity to develop back pain, especially if you twist as well. So don’t reach from the driver’s seat to the back seat to do a quick task for example. Get out and do it properly.

By following these tips, you can help to maintain a healthy spine and reduce your risk of injury and pain. Of course, if you are experiencing any spinal issues, we encourage you to schedule an appointment with us to discuss treatment options.

Spine maintenance
Even more tips

If you’re a Northside resident in the Northcote, Thornbury, Fairfield, Preston or Reservoir area we are just around the corner to help you out with your spinal concerns.

Greg, David and Jack – your Chiropractic Team

Greg Conlan Principal Chiropractor

Chiropractor with 35 years of private practice experience in Melbourne, Australia. Greg has had many years of work in Northcote, Essendon and surrounding suburbs helping people with their lower back pain as well as shoulders, hips and knees. As a "senior" himself, Greg particularly enjoys helping over 40's regain their physical wellbeing and get back into life.

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Hip and knee pain Lower Back Pain