Importance of Spinal Health & Ways To Keep It Healthy

Imagine walking into a building and finding out that the router was down and communication between different sections of the building was slow because of it. On top of that, there was damage to the central support beam, making it more prone to outside damage.

This isn’t a building anyone would want to be in. Yet this is the state we put our bodies in when we don’t care for our personal communication router and support beam: the spine. Understanding the importance of spinal health and the ways to keep it healthy is essential to overall wellness.

The Function of the Spine

As mentioned, our spines play two significant roles in the body: your nervous system’s router and your skeletal system’s support beam.

The Nervous System

When the brain sends a message to another part of the body, the spine’s job is to direct these messages into the peripheral nervous system, thereby controlling the body’s primary functions, such as:

•Voluntary muscle movements

•Touch perception, such as pain, temperature, and pressure

•Regulation of body temperature

•Digestion •Heart rate and blood vessel contraction

•Reflexes

•Hormonal regulation

The Skeletal System

Your spine is the central support of your entire skeletal system, connecting the skeleton’s outer appendages. This makes the spine responsible for many of your gross motor movements, such as walking, standing, or twisting.

The Importance of Spinal Health

With all the vital roles the spine plays in the body, it’s not difficult to imagine how important spinal health can be. Here are just a few problems that can result from spinal injuries or misalignments:

•Chronic pain

•Reduced mobility

•Headaches

•Digestive issues

•Poor circulation

With the grave importance of spinal health, finding ways to keep the spine healthy is crucial. Fortunately, there are a plethora of ways to go about it.

Ways To Protect Your Spine’s Health

Watch Your Posture

Sitting slumped over in our seats takes a greater toll on our bodies than we’d like to think. It causes unnecessary muscle tension and fatigue, and it’s the easiest way to cause spinal dysfunction. Simply taking the time to sit or stand up straight will do wonders for your spinal health.

Stay Active

More people than ever before are living a sedentary lifestyle. Unfortunately, sitting for extended periods puts added pressure on the spine, potentially leading to a herniated disc. If you work a desk job, it’s essential to take opportunities to stand, stretch, and walk around throughout the day in addition to regular exercise.

TENS Treatments

Because electricity is such a destructive force, it can seem counterintuitive to introduce it to a damaged spine. While you shouldn’t apply TENS electrodes directly to the spine, you can introduce them to specific areas of the back to relieve pain from spinal cord injuries. Our TENS machines for back pain are perfect for helping you meet this need.