Have you ever wondered why is the spinal cord given so much importance? It is one of the most parts of the human body. The nervous system runs electrical impulses up and down the spine to areas that feel sensation. A damaged spinal cord can disrupt neural responses, disabling sensations in parts of your body.
Let us look at some other vital functions below:
- Your spinal cord gives you the ability to bend and twist. When your spine is injured, your mobility is limited.
- An injury to the spinal cord can make walking, bending, sitting straight, twisting your spine, or moving your neck difficult.
- Your oesophagus is parallel with your spine. If you accidentally injure your spine, it can press against your oesophagus, obstruct it, or puncture it and hamper food intake.
- Incorrect movement, intense exercises and bad posture can add unnecessary pressure to the spine, which over time can lead to degenerative diseases.
- Without your spine working properly, your quality of life can greatly deteriorate. You won’t be able to enjoy many of the activities you love.
Spinal problems can begin as early as the late twenties. To prevent injury to your spine or further deterioration, it is important to strengthen your spine with exercise. Millions of people are affected by back pain every day. It affects their quality of personal and professional life. In fact, lower back pain is the leading cause of job-related disability.
Here are simple yet important tips to maintain your spine health:
- Lift correctly – Improperly lifting heavy items can put your lower back muscles in abnormal positions and cause muscle strains. Additionally, improper lifting may cause your spinal joints to lock or your spinal discs to rupture.
- Walking – The benefits of walking are plentiful, including strengthening the core muscles that keep your body upright, improving flexibility, and strengthening your bone structure.
- Match your pillow to your sleeping position – When you lie down to sleep, you want a pillow that supports the natural curve of your neck. This means that people who prefer different sleeping positions will need different kinds of pillows.
- Choose your food wisely – Your daily diet plays an important role in maintaining the health of your spine. Choose vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes. over processed foods and unhealthy sweets.
- Exercise in the water – Exercising in a pool reduces the downward stress of gravity as the buoyancy of water helps to support your spine, thus reducing the risk of injury.
- Quit smoking – Smoking increases your likelihood of developing degenerative spinal disorders and back pain.
- Sleep well – Sleeping well is important to your overall health. Your body needs a good night’s sleep to repair itself. Sleep on your side, not your stomach as it puts too much pressure on your spine.
- Stretch out – Regular stretching and being flexible helps maintain normal joint functions and also reduces the risk of injury.
- Maintain a healthy weight – Being overweight or obese a risk factor for low back pain.
- Work smart – Proper ergonomics can help reduce a lot of stress on both the lower and upper back. Ensure your desk is set up for your height and functionality. Take regular breaks to periodically get up and walk around the office or home.
Some risk factors that contribute to back aches:
- Back pain is more common as you age, you may first have back pain when you are 30 to 40 years old.
- Poor physical fitness leads to spine ailments.
- A diet high in calories and fat can make you obese, excess weight can stress the back and cause pain.
- Some causes of back pain, such as ankylosing spondylitis can have a genetic component.
- If you have to lift, push, or pull while twisting your spine at work, you may get back pain. A sedentary job with a bad posture may also lead to back pain.
What Are the Causes of Back Pain?
Some of the common mechanical problems which cause back pain are:
- Disk breakdown
- Spasms
- Tense muscles
- Ruptured disks
- Injuries from sprains, fractures or accidents.
Back pain can also occur with some below conditions:
- Scoliosis
- Spondylolisthesis
- Arthritis
- Spinal stenosis
- Pregnancy
- Kidney stones
- Infections
- Endometriosis
Do not ignore spinal problems or pain. Pay attention to any warning signs. If left untreated, problems with your spine can worsen and become serious. The Centre for Bone and Joint at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital offers comprehensive solutions for various spine disorders. Please refer below link for more details:
https://www.kokilabenhospital.com/departments/centresofexcellence/centrefor_bonejoint.html
