5 Ways to Protect Your Spine from Injury
Your spine is one of the most crucial components of your body. An injury to it can cause you to lose your ability to work, exercise, and take care of your family. For those reasons, you must do everything you can to ensure that you protect your spine from injuries at all times. These are some tips for protecting yourself:
1. Wear a Back Brace
One of the best ways to protect your spine is to use a good back brace to provide yourself with support. You can purchase one at a variety of department stores, or you can visit a standalone sporting goods store. It would be a good idea to wear the brace whenever you engage in any activity that will put a strain on your back. That includes gym workouts, moving activities, mechanical work, and vigorous cleaning. The belt will give you the extra support you need and brace you for future activities.
2. Warm Up Before Exercising
You can also prevent an injury to your spine by partaking in warm-up exercises before doing strenuous activity. Many companies whose employees perform physical labor have incorporated workout routines into their daily programs because they know how important it is for workers to protect themselves. You can engage in some quick exercises that will make your back a little more flexible and get your mind ready for the heavy work. That way, the work you do won’t be such a shock to your sensitive system.
3. Use Your Legs to Lift
Many people who suffer from back injuries have these problems they have because of improper lifting. Lifting heavy loads the wrong way is one of the quickest ways to cause an injury to your spine. Thus, you should always bend your knees and keep your back straight. Put the pressure on your legs and feet rather than your back. Furthermore, you should find someone willing to help you if you are going to lift anything that weighs more than 50 pounds. Two people lifting a heavy object is always safer than one person doing all the work.
4. Visit a Doctor ASAP
Being proactive about your body is one of the best ways to stay healthy. You should always pay attention to what your body tells you, and you should respond promptly if you experience any issues. You should contact a doctor for neck and back pain and make an appointment if you have any discomfort with your body in those areas. Your specialist might be able to catch an issue early and help you avoid needing surgical treatment to resolve the issue. You should contact a reputable doctor the moment you notice that something isn’t right with your body. You’ll be glad you took the time to tend to yourself in the end.
5. Use Ergonomic Seating
Seating and posture are important, whether you work in an outside office or you work from home. Thus, you’ll want to take steps to ensure that you always have complimentary seating for your back and neck. You have a bit more control over it if you work from home. You can simply invest in ergonomic seating that offers lumbar support and other back support. You can still do a few things to help yourself if you work in an office. Perhaps you can invest in separate seating or padding that you can attach to your work chair to give yourself support.
6. Eat a Healthy Diet
Eating a healthy diet and staying hydrated are additional ways to protect your back. You’ll need to get a healthy dosage of vitamins and minerals like B complex vitamins, as well as iron, calcium, and vitamin D. You’ll also need lots of magnesium to protect your back. Water is something else you need to keep your entire body healthy and strong. Ensure that you drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water every day to keep everything in your body circulating well. That way, you’ll be healthy all over and avoid injuries.
Start Being Proactive About Your Spine
Those are some of the things you can do to avoid injuries to your spine. Take each one of those tips seriously to ensure that you and your spine have a positive relationship at all times.
