10 tips to a healthy spine:

AVOIDING BACK PAIN IS BETTER THAN TREATING IT.

Emma Colson, APA Sports and Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist provides some helpful tips to think about…

Stay in good general health.

Good general health will help keep you spine well maintained. Diet, exercise and avoidance of excessive alcohol and smoking will all contribute to the health of your spinal joints, discs and muscles.

Maintain good posture.

Prolonged poor posture in sitting and/or standing positions will tend to load up one area of the spine more than others. This can predispose regions of the spine to more stress than they were designed for. Actively using your muscles rather than relying on passive standing can help strengthen the very muscles that protect the spine.

Avoid doing activities that are unusual or infrequent without some help or preparation.

Some back injuries result from doing a one off movement or unusual stress on the spine (such as lifting furniture or playing a sport you are unaccustomed to). For sporting activities, speak to those who already participate in the specific sport and find out what you can do to prepare your body.

Practice good ergonomics.

This means at your work place and home, the tasks that have to be done are achieved with the least possible strain to the lumbar spine. This might mean changing the furniture in the home office, installing mechanical lifting assistance in the garage or garden or changing the height of commonly used work surfaces or baby change tables to avoid prolonged hunching over. Professional advice for solutions can require the assistance of a trained ‘ergonomist’. Take that little bit longer to position the body in the best spot to safely lift, rather than lifting from a long way away and twisting.

Night and Sleeping.

6-8 hours of the night are spent on our mattresses so don’t have a cheap one!
Stomach lying is to be avoided as it tends to strain the joints especially of the neck. When side lying, using a pillow under the top leg can help prevent the spine rotating excessively.

Stress. Avoid it!

Stress will tend to make the muscles of the spine tight and generally lower the body’s ability to withstand strain. Stress management should be considered as an option, along with lifestyle changes to avoid the triggers.

Footwear.

Good shoes are especially important to those people who spend a lot of time on their feet. If the work surface is hard the footwear should have good shock absorptive capacity. Those with pronated feet who spend a lot of time standing might benefit from the addition of inserts (orthotics) to support the structure of the foot. For additional advice on orthotics and footwear consult a fully trained podiatrist.

Vary positions.

Any posture sustained for too long no matter how ‘correct’ will put strain on the body including the spine. The body is designed to be moved in all different postures, so avoid prolonged periods at the computer, standing or lying in the one position. Move regularly and change position.

Toileting.

Straining on the toilet can also be harmful for the back so avoid being constipated and building up a lot of intra-abdominal pressure on the toilet. Try to lean forward a little keeping the chest facing out and the pelvis tilted forward to keep the back straight on the toilet. Avoid flexing the spine excessively in conjunction with straining.

Coughing.

Coughing can also load up the spine from the inside due to the increase in intra-abdominal pressure. When you feel a cough coming on, try and pretension your pelvic floor muscles (like holding in a wee) and hold you hands like a corset spread across the lower belly. This might help use your deep abdominal muscles a little better to support the spine.

Updated October 2006