subject: The Five Easy Keys To Spinal Maintenance [print this page] Everything in life requires maintenance: your car, your lawnmower, your house, your teetheven relationships. If you dont maintain these things, eventually they start to break down and ultimately fall apart. Dont change the oil in your car and see what happens. Eventually the engine is going to stop working.
We know that your teeth require regular care in order to prevent tooth decay, cavities and other problems. When I was a kid (in the 1970s), I remember somebody coming to my school to teach us about proper dental hygiene. They had us chew up this little red tablet, and then look at our teeth in a mirror. This showed us where we failed to adequately brush our teeth. It was a powerful lesson and one I remember to this day (some 30+ years later).
Your spine requires regular on-going maintenance. Most people dont know this. And this accounts for why (according to the research) 85% of us regularly suffer with some kind of problem centered around the spine and nervous system (be it back pain, neck pain, headaches, poor posture, low energy, nervousness, irritability, and other symptoms).
The key to preventing spinal decay is regular, on-going spinal maintenance (just like the way to prevent tooth decay is regular, on-going dental care). Just like how somebody taught me about how to take care of my teeth, I want to teach others how to take care of their spines so they can last a lifetime.
There are five keys to maintaining your spine. Do these things and youll feel a whole lot better.
1. Eat right: food is the fuel which drives our bodies. You need to eat high quality food with a focus on whole foods, lean-clean proteins and avoiding sugar, flour, gluten, dairy, processed food, junk food and fast food.
2. Exercise: the benefit to exercise is that it helps to oxygenate your tissues. Oxygen is required by all cells. Exercising for 30 minutes, 3-5 times per week is adequate to boost the oxygen supply to all the cells in your spine.
3. Hydration: You need to stay adequately hydrated by drinking plenty of filtered water every day. Coffee, tea and sodas are not a substitute for drinking water. Actually those beverages tend to dehydrate your system, thus setting the stage for increased joint pain, disc erosion and other problems. Most people need to drink 8 to 10 glasses of water per day.
4.Alignment: You spine is under considerable stress due to the effects of gravity as well as the demands we place on it every day. A well-aligned spine will be able to handle the demands placed upon it much more so than a crooked spine. Abnormal postures (such as forward head posture, a high shoulder, or a twisted pelvis) places abnormal loading on the joints, discs, muscles and various connective tissues. Keeping your spine aligned and the posture corrected goes a long way in preventing many spinal disorders.
5. Ergonomics: Ergonomics has to do with how we interact with our environment. You can help your spine by flipping and rotating your mattress, adjusting your chair correctly, using a lumbar support, and re-configuring your work station so you dont have to twist, or position yourself in an uncomfortable, awkward way to work.
Doing these five key things will help prevent problems from occurring. Remember something: If your teeth wear out, you can always get dentures. But if your spine wears out where are you going to live?
