Here at Georgia Neurosurgical Institute, the spinal cord is one of our primary focuses. A spinal cord injury can be one of the most severe, devastating injuries a person can suffer. Injuries of this magnitude deserve the best care and treatment available. There are numerous steps you can take to protect your spine from injury.
Are you suffering from spine pain? Call us at 478-743-7092.
Strengthen Your Core
One of the best ways to avoid a spinal cord injury is to strengthen all of the muscles surrounding and supporting the spine, mainly your core. Core muscles do not get a proper amount of usage throughout the day for most of us. It’s important to exercise your abdominal and lower back muscles specifically.
Sleep Properly
Your spine is one of the main areas of your body that deserves a break at the end of the day. Getting adequate sleep is important for your entire body, but especially for the spine. Make sure that your mattress has the proper level of firmness to allow you sound, rejuvenating sleep. Additionally, sleeping on your side rather than your stomach can take pressure off of your spine.
Get Enough Calcium
We’ve been taught since childhood the importance of drinking milk for strong bones. The idea behind this is to make sure people are ingesting enough calcium. Based on your age and gender, your doctor can help you determine what your daily calcium intake should be. Good sources of calcium include: leafy greens (spinach and kale), dairy products, soy and white beans, and some fish like salmon and perch.
Lift With Your Knees
Perhaps some of the most common advice we hear on a regular basis when doing anything physical is to lift with our knees, not our backs. This phrase has become so common because it’s true – lifting anything heavy can put you at risk of a spinal cord injury. When doing heavy lifting, whether you’re moving or exercising, use your legs and keep your back straight.
