Spine Hacks
Our spine goes through a lot of stress in our day-to-day life, up to 1650N of force.
To put this in perspective 1000N of force is the equivalent of a 15 stone person standing on you. This is a quick guide on how to minimise the daily stresses on the spine as best as possible.
Lifting:
Lifting puts a heavy strain on our spine, even light loads. It is best to lift those using the golfer’s lift.
To lift heavier objects, keeping the back in neutral and hip hinging (almost like you are shutting a drawer with your bottom) can reduce the pressure in the spine by almost 90%.
Sitting:
Our day-to-day postures at a desk or in front of a TV can slouch the posture and put pressure into the discs, joints and muscles of the spine. Keeping screens at eye level is key to stop the head coming forward and sitting back into the chair helps with slouched posture. It is best to get up and move about every hour for a couple of minutes, as movement is key for joints and the spine.
A good stretch when you have been sitting is to stretch into extension, any bending should not be recommended, as the spine has already been kept in that position. Lift up off the seat and reach your arms up to the sky, take a deep breath in and out.
Exercises
Squats – hip hinge, back in neutral, knees bent, in line with ankle, keep legs out when squatting, squeeze buttocks together as you are coming up from the squat.
Lunges – Should be straight down and not forward with spine in neutral, knees in line with ankle
Avoid these exercises:
Sit ups/crunches – puts extra strain on the spine and activates the already tight hip flexors rather than the abdominal muscles
Leg raises and Superman – puts pressure on the spine and extensor muscles
Housework:
Housework can also stress the spine, picking up small light things with the golfer’s lift eases the stress on the spine. Any gardening should be done with the knees bent and hip hinged with a neutral back and not stooped over.
Hoovering involves a lot of repetitive twisting throughout the spine, it is best to hold the hoover with both hands in front of you instead of with one hand.
Sleeping:
Sleeping on the back is the best position for sleeping, the 2nd best is the side, sleeping on the front is not recommended, however if there is no comfortable position, sleep with no pillow to ease pressure on the neck.
Getting up out of the bed by turning on our side, dropping the legs off the side of the bed and lift yourself up using the elbow and the other hand.
Still finding you have spine pain? Book an initial consultation with Maria to get to the bottom of it https://www.phoenixhealthhub.co.uk/meet-the-team/chiropractor-east-sussex-maria-jeremy/
Written By Maria Jeremy