Dr. Stefano Sinicropi, M.D.

If you want to have a strong and healthy spine throughout your life, you need to make sure you’re caring for it at ages, which is why we wanted to dedicate a blog to 10 things you can do at any age to help build a healthier spine. Below, we spotlight 10 things people of all ages should be doing for their back if they want to keep it strong and functional throughout their life.

10 Ways To Care For Your Spine At Any Age

It doesn’t matter whether you’re eight or 80, if you abide by these tips, you’ll be decreasing your likelihood of needing to visit Dr. Sinicropi and the team at The Midwest Spine & Brain Institute. We love to help patients in need, but we’d rather prevent an issue from developing in the first place if possible! Here’s what you should be doing for your back:

1. Exercise – Exercise, or simply plenty of daily movement, is a wonderful way to keep your spine strong and functional. Movement and targeted exercise strengthens muscles, aids in flexibility retention and ensures the spine can stay capable of handling the stress you put on it every day. If back discomfort is making some exercises challenging, push for less impactful movements, like swimming, walking or cycling.
2. Maintain An Ideal Weight– The more you weigh, the more stress your spine has to handle. Over time, all this extra strain can speed up tissue breakdown and contribute to degenerative disc disease or arthritis. Maintaining an ideal weight throughout your life can protect it from the potential impact of excessive load management.
3. Eat A Healthy Diet– Your spine needs plenty of specific vitamins and nutrients to thrive, and oftentimes it gets these from our diets. If we’re eating a poor diet, not only can we gain weight, but structures in our spine can weaken due to nutrient deficiency. You don’t need to eat perfectly all the time, but try to be conscious about consuming a range of healthy foods to improve your nutrient intake.
4. Stretch Before Activity– You may feel like you don’t need to stretch before exercise or athletics because you’re young and agile, but take a couple of minutes no matter your age to ensure your body is prepared for the activity to come. Stretching helps muscles, tendons and ligaments transition from a passive state to an active one, preparing them for stress and strain that the activity will bring. Whether you’re about to play a soccer game, rake the yard or go for a swim, take a couple of minutes to stretch your spine.
5. Practice Posture Awareness– Be aware of your posture throughout the day and make adjustments when you notice that you’re shifting out of an ideal alignment. Sit up straight at your desk, don’t slouch forward at your computer, and limit how much time you spend looking down at your phone, as this tends to shift your neck out of a healthy alignment. Tech devices are expected to be a leading cause of spine symptoms in the coming years, so be aware of your spinal alignment when using these devices.
6. Wear Protective Gear– Be sure that you wear the right protective equipment and safety gear when partaking in activities that have the potential for injury. Wear your seatbelt in the car. Wear a helmet when you’re riding a bike. Make sure athletic gear fits properly and is worn correctly during practices and games. Your spine is strong, but an injury can be catastrophic, so give it a little extra protection when your risk of injury is elevated.
7. Healthy Stress Management– Mental and emotional stress can actually lead to the onset of physical symptoms. When you’re stressed, you may be unknowingly tensing your muscles, and oftentimes people hold this muscle tension in their neck and upper spine. Unmanaged stress can lead to tension headaches or neck pain, and it can also contribute to other unhealthy habits like stress eating or a reliance on alcohol or tobacco. Find healthy ways to manage the stress in your life.
8. Limit Alcohol And Tobacco Use– Speaking of alcohol and tobacco, really try to limit your use of these products. Alcohol can damage healthy spinal tissues and tobacco has been shown to decrease blood vessel size, making it harder for healthy blood to easily circulate to key spine structures. Limit consumption of these products or kick the habit altogether.
9. Lift Wisely– Lifting injuries send countless people to medical centers across the country every single year, and many of these issues could have been prevented had the person used correct lifting techniques. Bend with your knees, not at the waist, and always perform tandem lifts for particularly heavy objects.
10. Seek Out Professional Care For Injuries– Finally, know that you’re not on your own when it comes to protecting your spine and treating any new or chronic injuries. If you’re having trouble overcoming an issue, if symptoms are lingering or if you simply want to better understand what you’re dealing with, connect with a medical expert in your area. They have the tools and the training to diagnose and treat your issue so that you can get back to all the activities you enjoy with a healthy spine!

If you keep these tips in mind and connect with Dr. Sinicropi in the event a back issue does develop, we’re confident you’ll have a strong spine throughout your life! For more information, or to set up an appointment, give the team at Midwest Spine & Brain Institute a call today at (651) 430-3800.

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