Spring is here, although you may not know if you looked out the window on Monday. If you’re like me then you’re probably itching to get outside and enjoy the nice weather. This brings us to your spine. As always prevention is the key when talking about lower back and neck pain. So let’s look at research, what does research say is best for prevention of lower back pain? The answer is a generally active lifestyle.
What is a generally active lifestyle? Simple put, it is a lifestyle that involves physical activity as opposed to sedentary activity. An example would be going for a hike on a nice day rather than watching a movie. Going to the park to throw the Frisbee rather than browsing your favorite social media site. Before we go further I would like to reiterate some of my previous posts where I have touted specific exercise. Specific strengthening exercise for the core or neck and upper back musculature is very effective in relieving and prevention injury. A generally active lifestyle outperforms these exercises over the course of a lifetime because at some point most people will stop going to the gym or forget about these exercises. If going for a walk is something you enjoy, you will never forget about that and you can reap the benefits for an entire life.
So, as the weather continues to warm remember this. Go have fun, enjoy the weather, be active, and do your stabilization exercise, as this combination will afford you the best chance at a healthy spine throughout life.
Bryan M. Steele, DC
O’Leary Chiropractic, PLLC