broadway @ yew chiropractic

10 Tips for Keeping Your Back Healthy

• Maintain good posture
  Ears should be centered (ear over shoulders, and not in front of your body. Shoulders should stay centered above hips. Think tall and keep your shoulders relaxed, shoulder over hip)
• Do not cross your legs while sitting
  Keeping your legs crossed places stress on your hips and low back. It creates unbalance between muscles and ligaments, especially if you cross over the same leg each time.
• Drink 8-10 glasses of water each day
  Water is vital to every cell in the body, helps with toxin clearance and keeps joints and discs hydrated. You should also increase your water intake if you are a caffeine drinker.
• Stretch your spine before and after any activity or sport
  Gently getting your back to move before activity decreases your chance of injury to the discs, especially in the morning. Try a cat/camel mobilization: on your hands and knees, alternate making your back and neck rounded (like a rainbow) and then arched with your head up. Do not push end range.
• Do not overload backpacks and if lifting objects, lift with bent knee and keep the object close to you.
• Never cradle the phone between your neck and shoulders
  This places stress on your neck and trapezius musculature.
• Sleep on your back and side NOT on your stomach
  It is also important to keep your arms below your shoulders while you sleep, to keep the nerves and blood vessels running smoothly.
• Invest in a good work chair, single pillow and medium firm mattress.
• Exercise regularly
  Exercise is paramount to a healthy body, and it will also help with stress and fatigue. With respect to back pain, exercise will promote proper circulation, clearance of pain metabolites, movement and lubrication of joints and increase bone mass with proper nutrition.
• Have regular spinal checkups

For more information please contact info@vancouverbackpain.com