How to Maintain a Healthy Spine: A Chiropractor’s Perspective
To maintain a healthy, pain free spine your spine needs to be in good shape to start with. If you have recurrent back aches, neck pain or headaches, this is a sure signal that your spine has a problem. Before you try spinal maintenance, be sure to consult your local chiropractor to ensure your spinal problems are corrected. This will ensure that you are in fact eligible to maintain a healthy spine and posture.
Spinal maintenance essentially requires four things, these are: appropriate intake of water, effective ergonomics at work and home, proper exercise and movement and lastly – spinal adjustments.
Keeping up suitable fluid levels in the form of water helps to lubricate the joints and has been shown to slow or even prevent arthritis. Your general health depends on your level of fluid intake or hydration. Your chiropractor may also suggest glucosamine and chondroitin to help re-hydrate already degenerated joints in the body.
Setting up your work environment properly to minimise repetitive strain on joints and muscles is important. Try following a few simple tips from your local chiropractor like: avoiding twisting whilst lifting, ensuring a good upright seated posture and taking breaks from sitting every half hour or so. These simple changes to your work environment and activities will all aid in spinal maintenance.
Exercise is important to maintain flexibility and movement in muscles and joints. It is important to only exercise on a stable, corrected spine. If you attempt to exercise on a damaged, misaligned spine, it is possible that more damage may occur resulting in more pain and discomfort. Your chiropractor may wish to organise an exercise regime at an appropriate time, following correction.
We are not told this but our spines actually require adjustments in order to maintain optimum function and overall health in the body. Like a car, or our teeth, our spines require a service from time to time. Due to the unnatural stressors placed on our bodies from modern living our spines are simply ill equipped to adapt to our lifestyles. Regular spinal adjustments will ensure small problems don’t turn into larger ones. These maintenance spinal adjustments are intended for overall health maintenance and vitality, as opposed to pain relief.
It is important to note that spines cannot be maintained by exercise alone. In order to provide long lasting joint, muscle and nerve health, they require an initial correction and subsequent chiropractic maintenance adjustments . Start your journey towards better health today by following these simple guidlines and start feeling younger, more energetic and revitalised.