6 Daily Threats To Your Spine Health

A hard collision during sports or a fender bender car accident are some of the more obvious threats to your spine and whole body health, but oftentimes the underlying cause of back pain is much more innocuous. You need to be aware of these less obvious daily threats to your spine so that you can keep your back healthy long into your golden years. In today’s blog, we take a closer look at six daily threats to your spine health.

Be Aware Of These Daily Threats To Your Spine

Each of these factors can cause significant issues for your spine if you’re not careful, so be mindful of these daily threats.

1. Poor Posture – Poor posture is one of the leading causes of back problems. Being hunched forward at your desk or slouched down on the couch may not seem like a big deal, but when your spine is out of alignment, your cervical and lumbar portions of your spine have to handle increased stress. Over time this can lead to expedited disc degeneration or spinal canal narrowing.
2. Sedentary Lifestyle – Be sure to get up and move throughout the day and create a regular exercise routine. Activity helps to strengthen key muscle groups that help to support your spinal column. This helps to take stress off certain areas of your spine and can slow natural degeneration.
3. Bad Diet – Eating too much junk food, especially if it is paired with the above point, can lead to weight gain. Your spine has to handle the stress of your body weight, so the more you weigh, the more stress your spine is under with each step you take. Poor dietary choices can also be pro-inflammatory, increasing your risk of spinal discomfort if inflammation irritates nearby spinal nerves.
4. Smoking – If you’re a smoker, you’re probably aware that it’s not great for your health, and that sentiment is true for your spine in particular. Smoking limits healthy blood flow to key areas of the spine and can greatly speed up the rate at which your supportive spinal discs degenerate. Kick the habit if at all possible.
5. Overdoing It – The first four points may seem somewhat obvious, but too much of a good thing can also be hard on your back. If you are playing sports year-round without giving your body some time off, or if you are pushing yourself too hard at a physically demanding job or while training for a marathon, you can overload your spine and cause an injury. Listen to your body and gradually increase your exercise intensity or duration so as not to overload your spine in a short amount of time.
6. Neglecting Sleep – Sleep is a restorative time for your back and your whole body, so if you’re constantly burning the midnight oil or you’re sleeping on an unsupportive mattress, your back may not be getting enough health sleep. Strive to get at least 7-8 hours of continuous sleep each night so that your spine and the structures that support it can recover from the rigors of the day.

Be sure to be mindful of these potential threats to your spine health, and if you need help diagnosing or treating a new back problem, reach out to Dr. Jackman and the team at The Midwest Spine & Brain Institute today at (651) 430-3800.