Dealing with nagging pain in your neck and back interferes with your quality of life. Anyone who has been injured in an auto accident or while playing sports understands just how disruptive injuries are to us.
When you're struggling with pain, you're likely not enjoying all the other things that you love to do. If you don't take care of it, it can lead to chronic pain or even disability.
If you find yourself suffering from acute or chronic back or neck pain, we suggest the following lifestyle improvements.
To have a better, stronger, and healthier back and neck, here are five principles you can adopt right away:
1. Do Something Active Everyday
Daily activity is one of the most critical ways to improve movement in your back and neck. A lack of movement leads to more pain as your muscles and joints atrophy.There is considerably less back and neck pain in active individuals than those who live a sedentary lifestyle.
What can you for a few minutes every day to increase your heart rate and get moving?
Make sure to talk to the chiropractor or doctor first to check if there are any limits to what you should do during a workout if you're starting new.
We advise you to start slowly. Once you have established a schedule, you can steadily increase your training strength and duration.
2. Take Care Of Your Posture
Having great posture is essential to your health. Whether you're standing, seated, resting, or working at a desk.
A spine that is not maintained as it should be creates several back and neck problems. You should be mindful of holding your spine in a neutral position to prevent tension in your back. To reduce upper back and neck pressure while sleeping, you should do your best to eliminate heavy or multiple pillows. Do your best to avoid sleeping on your stomach.
Are you working from home these days? For advice on setting up an ergonomic workstation the right way, we recommend downloading this infographic.
3. Keep A Healthy Diet
A balanced diet is another key component of good health. Any excess weight causes extra pressure on the back. There is good reason to try to eat less red meat and processed foods such as sugar and white flour. You should also listen to the advice you give your kids and increase your veggies and fruit intake.
Opt for "healthy" oils such as olive or canola and select water instead of beverages with high sugar and calorie content.
You will find that you look and feel so much better when you lose the pounds.
4. Stretch A Little Everyday
Stretching is the best protection against pain in the back and your neck. 10-15 minutes of stretching every day will significantly influence how you feel and how your body performs.
Try this simple Bruegger Relief stretch that can be performed from just about anywhere.
5. Schedule An Appointment with Us
Just like your teeth need to see the dentist, your back and neck could use an evaluation to see how they are moving. To see how you are doing, we suggest scheduling an appointment with our team. Come for an assessment and visit us. Our doctors always take the time to evaluate how you're doing and help you get back to your overall health.
When you take the right care of your body you'll find yourself looking younger, feeling better and having a different perspective on life. It just takes a few small adjustments to your lifestyle.
