Cooperative Living October 2017 - 22

HealthyTake
Prevent Back Injury
Here's how to protect your spinal column and help ensure a good quality of life into your golden years.
Strengthen
your back and core
through regular
exercise of abs
and muscles along
your lower
back.
I
t's ironic that the old spiritual song,
" Dem Bones, " mentions nearly every
part of the body except for the backbone!
Your spinal column is composed of 33
individual vertebrae, most of which have
hollow centers to protect the spinal cord.
Because nearly every movement we
make involves the spine, injuring any part
of the back can greatly impact our comfort
and quality of life. While there's little we
can do to prevent the impact of aging on
our bodies, there's a lot we can do to
prevent back injuries.
Following the old adage " prevention is
the best cure, " here are 10 ways to protect
your spinal column and help ensure a
good quality of life into your golden years:
* Strengthen your back and core
through regular exercise, with yoga
and swimming among some safe and
effective options that strengthen core
muscles, including abs and those
along your lower back.
* Maintain healthy weight. Potbellies in
particular put extra strain on your back
and stomach muscles, as the back tries
to support the weight out in front by
swaying backwards, stressing one's
lower back.
20 | Cooperative Living | October 2017
* Your mom was right when she reminded
you to maintain good posture! Strive not
to slouch, but to sit or stand tall with
your head up and shoulders back.
* Support your spine while you sleep
and drive. If you sleep on your back,
consider placing a pillow under your
knees to help support your spine. While
driving, keep your back straight against
the seat back and close enough to the
wheel so that your knees are bent and
slightly higher than your hips.
* Take care in your footwear! Good
shoes provide a supportive base that
helps your body and spine remain
in alignment. A fairly snug fit in the
heels helps prevent over-pronation
or supination (too much rolling of the
foot to the outside or the inside).
* Getting ready to do some heavy lifting?
Plan before you grab! Think about
the item's weight and the distance you
will be moving it. For heavier objects,
consider using a cart, wheelbarrow or
other device - or finding a helper!
If you do lift a heavy item by yourself,
bend from the knees and keep the load
as close to your body as possible. Lift
with your legs, not your back.
* Once you've reached your
destination, set the load down
carefully and correctly. If putting
it on the ground, bend from your
knees rather than your back
and stomach.
* Know when to ask for help! If a
load is too heavy, bulky or awkward
for you to lift alone, find someone
to help you or break the load into
smaller loads. Look for simple
solutions that could save your back.
* Drink plenty of water! The
intervertebral disks between the
bones of our spinal column are
vulnerable to loss of hydration.
As they begin to shrink and lose
height, a person can become more
susceptible to slipped or ruptured
disks that are the most common
cause of sciatica, a type of back pain
that radiates down the legs.
* Enjoy the benefits of massage, which
will help increase endorphins - the
body's natural painkiller - and also
encourage blood flow and speed
healing of sore muscles. 
Source: www.webmd.com
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Cooperative Living October 2017

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