4 Cornerstones Of Spine Health

You want to have a strong and healthy spine now and in the future, and that really comes down to making some smart decisions each and every day. Doing a couple simple things each day for your spine can help build a great foundation for prolonged spine health. But what aspects of your spine health should you be focusing on? In today’s blog, we take a closer look at what we consider to be the four cornerstones of optimal spine health.

The Four Keys To Optimal Spine Health

If you can make it a point to improve these four daily aspects, we’re confident that you’ll be laying the foundation for optimal spine health.

1. Exercise – Arguably the best thing you can do for your spine is to exercise on a consistent basis. Exercise will improve your muscle strength, push healthy blood to key spinal structures and make it easier for you to maintain flexibility and range of motion in your spine. Developing a strong core can ensure that your spine is supported and stable, which can help ward off problems related to instability or muscle weakness. Try to exercise for 30-45 minutes a few times each week.
2. Diet – Another crucial aspect of your spine health is your diet. Having a healthy diet is important for your whole body, but it’s especially helpful for your spine. A proper diet will ensure that spinal structures will have access to a range of vitamins and minerals in your bloodstream, which aids in tissue development. Minding your diet and pairing it with the above tip will also help you maintain an ideal weight. The heavier you are, the more stress your spinal column is under, so losing just a little weight can take an immense amount of daily stress off your spine. Eating right can make a huge difference for your spine health.
3. Posture – It is also imperative that you have proper posture when you’re seated or standing. As we mentioned above, your spinal column handles and disperses the stress of your body weight, and if you have poor posture, it only increases the strain on your spinal column. Conduct regular posture checks to make sure that you aren’t slouched forward or hunched down in your chair, as this will put excess strain on your lumbar or cervical spine. When you’re standing up, strive to have your head directly over your shoulders, and limit the time spent looking down at your smartphone, laptop or book, as this too can increase the strain on your neck and upper spine. Improving your posture is a small change that can have major implications for your spine health.
4. Smoking and Alcohol – Finally, you’ll really want to cut back or eliminate your reliance on substances like alcohol and tobacco. These products can inhibit healthy blood flow and speed up natural degeneration in your spinal discs, potentially limiting your flexibility and making movement more painful. It’s never too late to curb or completely change your habits, and reevaluating your tobacco and alcohol use can do wonders for your spine and your whole body. We can provide some personal assistance if you’re finding it difficult to cut back on these habits.

If you can focus on trying to improve all four of these cornerstones of spine health, it will go a long way in protecting your back now and in the future. And if you have questions or need assistance with any above aspect, reach out to Dr. Sinicropi and the team at The Midwest Spine & Brain Institute today at (651) 430-3800.

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