Mid-February is just around the corner and you know what that means…
Valenspine’s Day!
That’s right! February 14th is Valenspine’s Day! How does one celebrate
Valenspine’s Day, you ask? Why, by showing your spine how much you love it, of course!
The health of your spine is vital to the health of your whole body. A strong spine allows us to move and exercise which helps keep us in healthy physical shape. A straight spine also allows your brain to receive messages from the rest of the body. The spinal cord goes from the base of the brain to the waist area and protects the nerves that run through it. Peripheral nerves that run throughout the rest of the body send messages to the spinal column which transmits the messages to the brain. If these nerves become damaged or “pinched”, messages won’t get through.
How To Show Your Spine Some Love
Taking care of your spine isn’t hard and it involves a lot of things that you should be doing anyway.
Exercise
A strong core means a strong back. Look for ways to strengthen your core like biking, swimming, tennis, weightlifting, and yoga and do them regularly. Yoga is particularly good for the spine and stretches all the muscles in your body, improving your range of motion which will improve your performance.
Sleep
A restful night where you get 8-9 hours of sleep allows your body to heal itself from the day’s activities. Getting a good night’s sleep can:
- Reduce inflammation
- Improve your memory
- Help you maintain a healthy weight
- Reduce stress
Be sure to get the right mattress for your back. A mattress that’s too soft won’t give your back the support it needs and one that’s too firm could push on your pressure points and cause misalignments.
Eat a Healthy Diet
We all know that it’s important to have a diet full of lots of fruits and vegetables but did you know that some foods cause pain? Inflammation contributes to chronic pain in the body including back pain. The main culprits that cause inflammation are sugar, high fructose corn syrup, artificial trans fats, vegetable and seed oils, refined carbs, alcohol, and processed meats. To fight inflammation, eat foods that are inflammatories such as vegetables, plant-based proteins, dairy, and salmon.
See a chiropractor.
Your chiropractor can make sure your spine is in alignment by fixing any subluxations that can be caused by things other than an injury such as poor diet, poor posture, age, and other disorders. Through gentle spinal manipulations, a chiropractor can get your spine back in proper working order. You’ll increase your range of motion, improve your mobility, be more relaxed, and reduce your pain.
This Valenspine’s Day, make an appointment with us at North County Pain Relief. At North County Pain Relief, we take a holistic approach to your health and believe that the health of your spine is vital to your overall health. Upon your initial consultation and exam, we’ll come up with a plan to treat your pain and ailments to improve your whole health. If you’re from the St. Louis area, call North County Pain Relief today at (314) 731-4201 to schedule a free initial consultation. At North County, every day is Valenspine’s Day!
