Dr. Stefano Sinicropi, M.D.

Having improved circulation is helpful for your entire body, but it can be particularly beneficial for your spine. Improved circulation can relax tense or tight muscles, and it provides key nutrients to your spinal discs to slow down natural disc degeneration. If you’re dealing with any of these spinal issues or you simply want to have a stronger and healthier back, then this is the blog for you. In today’s blog, we explore some of the ways you can work to improve blood flow to your spine.

Boosting Blood Flow To Your Spine

Here’s a look at some simple and effective ways to improve blood flow to and from your spine.

• Low-Impact Exercise – Exercise is wonderful for getting your heart pumping and boosting your circulation, but if you’re dealing with degeneration, arthritis or symptoms in your back, it’s probably wise to steer towards low-impact exercises. Exercises like walking, swimming or cycling can increase your heart rate without amplifying stress on the spinal column.
• Stretching – Take 5-10 minutes a couple of times a day to do some gentle stretching. Stretching helps to take static stress off different muscle groups and open blood vessels to improve circulation. Move your spine in all directions to boost blood flow to different areas.
• Move More, Sit Less – Try to break up extended seated sessions with some standing and movement. Circulation can slow when you’re stuck in a seated position, but getting up and moving around, even for just a few minutes, can have a positive impact on your blood flow. Make it a point to move more this year, and your circulation should improve.
• Drink Water – Staying hydrated is one of the simplest ways to make it easier for blood to flow freely throughout your body. Blood vessels are more open when you’re hydrated, and water helps to maintain the volume of blood in your body, which helps the heart pump it around more efficiently. Drink plenty of water throughout the day, even if it doesn’t seem like you’re losing a lot of fluids to sweat.
• Develop Your Core – Working to strengthen your core muscles can also make it easier for key spinal structures to get the blood and nutrients they need to thrive. When you have a strong core, you’re less likely to have poor posture, which can overstress certain areas and limit blood flow to different regions. A strong core ensures stress is dispersed more evenly across your spine, which allows blood to flow more freely.
• Weight Loss – Shedding just a few pounds can prove beneficial for your circulatory system. Your heart doesn’t need to work as hard to pump blood when you’re carrying less weight, making it more efficient at moving blood to your spine and your whole body.

Focusing on just a couple of these recommendations can greatly improve circulation to your spine and prevent or treat some common issues tied to inhibited blood flow to the region. For more information, or for help overcoming a specific spinal issue, connect with Dr. Sinicropi and the team at Midwest Spine & Brain Institute today at (651) 430-3800.

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