More than 80% of Americans will experience back pain at some point in their lives. I hope you are not one of them, however, the odds are that you will be. And these odds increase as we get older because the discs in our back begin to age, or what the spine surgeons refer to as “disc degeneration”.
I got to find this out last year when I had lower back pain with tingling going down my leg, then numbness. Not good! I found out it was an annular disc tear. These are tricky to treat medically because they are not quite a bulging disc which can be treated successfully with some minimally-invasive procedures. There is not a lot you can do for an annular tear. So, I stopped running on pavement, which was causing the problem, and the running withdrawal almost killed me but that’s another story!!!! I started some serious back-strengthening exercises and stretches to add to my regimen. I still do them every single day and feel great!
So don’t panic if you have back pain! Thankfully, there are lots of preventive strategies to keep you out of the doctor’s office. I consulted with renowned spine surgeon John Peloza, M.D., Medical Director of the Center for Spine Care, and he offered up some helpful tips on keeping your neck & back healthy. In upcoming blogs, we’ll go in to further detail, because back pain is the second leading cause for visits to the doctor!
Here are some helpful tips:
- Exercise! Don’t be sedentary. Of course, sometimes as in my case, the exercise itself causes the back pain.
- Cross train–it keeps the entire body strong.
- Do core-strengthening exercises. This stabilizes the spine and keeps it strong. I do a series of these every day. Details in a later blog.
- Check your baggage and minimize carry-on luggage when traveling.
- Achieve & maintain an ideal body weight.
- Maintain good posture. You’ll feel good & look good!
- Create an ergonomically-friendly workstation.
- Wear comfortable shoes. Ladies, limit the high heels if you have lower back pain!
- Buy a good, quality mattress to sleep on.
You can read more about spine health at the Center for Spine Care web site:
In the next day or so, I’ll post a blog about ergonomically-friendly workstations.
Here’s to a healthy back!
