Spinal Hygiene
85% of 50-year-olds have degenerative disc disease and 37% of 20-year-olds have degenerative disc disease according to the American Journal of Neuro Radiology Nov. 27th 2014. Daily spinal hygiene doesn’t take long and is a great way to start taking care of your spine. Since a healthy spine is the foundation of a healthy life, we will go over some things you can do Light now to start regular spinal hygiene at home. By now, if you read any of our articles, you know your spine should be in a certain alignment. It should be straight when viewed directly from the front or back. Any curvature on this view, causes spinal instability, adds strain to the discs and nerves, and depending on the degree of curvature, could indicate scoliosis. From the side view, your spine should have three main curvatures. A forward curve in the neck, a reversed curve in the upper back and a forward curve in the low back. This is the foundation for spinal strength and stability.
Here are some simple things you can do at home to help:
Range of Motion Stretches: Daily spinal hygiene can be easily implemented in the morning along with brushing your teeth. Start with some basic range of motion stretches and do these every morning when waking up and as many times throughout the day as desired. Bend forward at the waist and hold that stretch for 10 seconds. Then bend back at the waist and hold that stretch for 10 seconds. Next bend at the side for 10 seconds and then bend towards the other side and hold for 10 seconds. Then, gently rotate your torso to one side and hold for 10 seconds and then rotate to the opposite side and hold for 10 seconds. Do these same stretches with your neck and in two minutes, you’ve properly stretched your spine! Remember not to bounce or jerk when stretching. If anything causes a moderate or severe pain, stop that stretch and make an appointment to have your spine evaluated. Simple and easy to add to your morning routine!
Resistance Band: Use a moderate to light resistance band to help correct and prevent forward head posture. Place the resistance band around the back of your head and hold the ends of the band in front of you with your elbows at 90 degrees. Look straight ahead and push your head straight back without lifting or extending your chin. Instead, tuck your chin slightly and push your head straight back (no extension – do not look up or down). Hold for 10 seconds and then relax for 10 seconds. Repeat 3-5 times at least once per day.
Wobble Ball or Exercise Disk: Sit on a wobble ball and bend your spine forward and back 10 times. This time you are NOT bending at your waist. Imagine you are putting a C shape through your spine so you are shifting your pelvis forward and backward slightly as you move your spine forward and back in a C-shape. Do the same thing side to side 10 times and then rotate your low back around in circles in both directions 10 times. Repeat 3-5 times.
Spinal Molding: Spinal molding can be done in the evening before bed and/or in the morning and you can do it while in bed. Simply roll up two small towels tightly as you would if you were going to the pool. Place one roll under the curve of your neck and the other under the curve of the low back (low waist area). Keep the rolls there for 5-20 minutes depending on your tolerance. You may bend your knees to decrease the intensity of the low back roll if needed.
Spinal hygiene is a great way to help keep your spine in shape and is something easy you can do at home to help you maintain a strong foundation in your spine so you don’t become one of the statistics. The range of motion stretches and resistance band exercises can easily be implemented along with your morning routine and the spinal molding can be easily implemented at night in bed before falling asleep. Wobble ball exercises can be done at any time that you prefer to work it into your normal routine whether that be before you start any screen time or after meals or in the morning while brushing your hair. We have convenient spinal hygiene home care kits (Spinal Hygiene Movement) available at our office that include an exercise resistance band, an exercise disk, 2 spinal molding rolls, a travel bag, and a quick start guide. These are inexpensive kits that are easy and convenient to help you maintain a healthy spine!
More info: https://www.spinalhygieneproducts.com/patients/