5 Lifestyle Habits for a Strong and Healthy Spine

Your spine needs to stay strong and healthy as you get older. Spinal degeneration and wear and tear commonly cause neck pain and back pain, and can even reduce your range of motion. To feel good and move freely in your golden years, you should focus on supporting spinal health today.

Expert neurosurgeon Dr. Beejal Y. Amin understands how delicate your spinal region is, and why it’s worth engaging in preventive measures now, to avoid more complex, hard-to-treat issues down the road. Dr. Amin provides care to new and existing patients from his locations in Hinsdale and Woodridge, Illinois.

Here are five lifestyle habits Dr. Amin recommends you adopt in order to keep your spine strong, flexible, and problem-free for years.

1. Straighten up your posture

Posture problems create spinal stress and wear and tear over time. When you slump over, stand with hunched shoulders, or slouch around on the couch, your spine isn’t ideally aligned to support the weight of your body.

Poor posture results in extra pressure on specific areas of your spine. Over time, that extra wear and tear can result in degeneration, including herniated spinal discs. In contrast, standing up straight keeps your spine correctly aligned, improving your spinal health.

2. Maintain a healthy weight

You also add pressure on the delicate components of your spine when you’re overweight. Carrying excess body weight means that every bone in your spine has to do more work, and deal with more pressure. 

You can take pressure off your spine by maintaining a healthy body weight. Even a small amount of healthy weight loss makes a difference in your spinal health.

3. Bend and stretch regularly

You help your spine stay flexible when you regularly bend and stretch. Twisting stretches can be helpful for back pain. You should stretch at least once or twice daily, and you should always stretch before engaging in intense physical or athletic activity.

4. Build up your core muscles

Your core muscles support your back and are an important element in distributing the weight of your body in your musculoskeletal system. You can sustain your spine by building your core muscles using exercises like curl-ups, crunches, and weight-lifting. With a strong muscular support system, your spinal bones and discs don’t take as much wear and tear.

5. Pay attention to pain

It can be easy to think of pain as a normal part of getting older. But, pain symptoms provide you with important information. 

If you experience chronic back or neck pain, or if you notice increased pain symptoms after types of activity or inactivity, listen to the information your body is giving you. It’s often easier to treat spinal problems with early detection before spinal degeneration progresses.

If you’re concerned about your spinal health, or suffer from regular, chronic, or severe neck or back pain, contact spine expert Beejal Y. Amin MD for advice and any needed treatment. Schedule your initial consultation appointment online, or call today to book.