Dr. Stefano Sinicropi, M.D.

If you’re one of the millions of Americans dealing with chronic or dull back pain, know that this doesn’t have to be your new normal. Odds are you can’t overhaul your back pain overnight, but there are a few simple things you can do today to help your back feel better tomorrow. Stack enough of those days in a row, and there’s a good chance that your back will soon feel stronger and healthier than it did weeks ago. Today’s blog takes a look at three of these simple daily tweaks you can make to have a healthier spine in the future.

Three Tips For A Healthier Spine Tomorrow

Again, we’re not asking you to completely overhaul your life, but if you can try to make some small improvements in these areas of your daily life, there’s a good chance that your back will feel healthier in the days and weeks that follow:

1. Move/Exercise More – You don’t have to hit the gym five days a week in order to have a stronger and healthier back, but you should strive to move more or seek out a little more exercise than you currently pursue. As we age, our spinal muscles and supportive soft tissues need more attention if they are going to remain strong and functional. If we slow down as we age, our muscles don’t get this healthy stress, and that can exacerbate the rate at which these tissues weaken. Find little ways to be more active each day, or actually commit to pursuing some spine-focused exercises 2-3 times per week. Walk more, pick up a yoga class or swim laps a couple times a week. Whatever you do, simply strive to move more in the coming days and weeks than you do currently, and your spine should respond to the effects of this healthy stress.
2. Diet Tweaks – Odds are your diet isn’t perfect, and we’re not asking it to be, but similar to the above point on movement, it takes a little more conscious effort to eat healthily when you’re older and your metabolism has slowed. We don’t want you to completely overhaul your diet, because there’s a good chance those major changes won’t stick in the long run. Instead, make some small, sustainable changes to your eating habits. Swap out potato chips for carrot sticks, or grab an apple instead of a bagel for breakfast. These small changes can ensure your spine has the healthy nutrients it needs to keep bones and tissue strong, and there’s a good chance that when paired with the above point that you’ll lose a little weight. Shedding just a few pounds can take an immense amount of strain off your spine, so these dietary tweaks can be quite protective of your long term spine health.
3. Posture Awareness – Another simple thing you can do to help your spine feel strong is to become more aware of your posture when you’re standing and sitting throughout the day. If you’re hunched forward at your work desk or you’re slumped on the couch, stress is going to be more heavily channeled to specific areas of your spine, particularly your cervical and lumbar spinal segments. Over time, this stress will add up and speed up degeneration in these segments. Be more cognizant of your spinal positioning throughout the day and make it a point to adjust your posture when you notice that you’re not in the best alignment. Try to have your head positioned directly over your shoulders and your hips in line with your chest. Investing in a more supportive desk chair is another great way to naturally help your spine rest in a healthier alignment. Be more aware of your spinal alignment throughout the day, and it’s less likely that posture issues will fatigue your spine.

If you do all these things and connect with a spine specialist like Dr. Sinicropi when back pain develops or worsens, we’re confident that you’ll take some small steps towards having a healthier spine in the future. For more information, or for help with a different spinal concern, reach out to the team at Midwest Spine & Brain Institute today at (651) 430-3800.

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