Four Endorsed Health Tips: Save Your Spine

Feb 13, 2023

We are using technology more and more every day. It’s amazing what we can do with technology but there are also trade-offs. One of those being the increase in cases of tech neck. Today I want to share four endorsed health tips to save your spine.

THE SPINAL COLUMN

The spine is made up of 24 moveable vertebrae. When the vertebrae (bones I the spine) are in a proper alignment they protect the nerve system. The fact that they can move allows us to bend, twist and be athletic. At the same time their ability to move leaves the vulnerable to shifting and getting stuck out of proper alignment. When this happens, the vertebrae cause the nerves to become obstructed, causing pain & other symptoms.

The joints in the spine are connected by a ligament called a spinal disc. The disc acts like a spacer that maintains an opening for nerves to exit the spine and connect (like electrical wires) to other tissues and organs in the body. When proper signals sent from the brain, through the nerves to the body, the body functions optimally. But when the signal is obstructed, the body cannot function properly and over time pain & symptoms show up.

FOUR TIPS TO SAVE YOUR SPINE

YOU CAN USE THESE FOUR TIPS TO HELP PREVENT TECH NECK AND TO RELIEVE NECK PAIN IF YOU ARE ALREADY DEALING WITH TECH NECK.

1. Neck range of motion exercises are an excellent way to keep the joints in the neck moving. I find that people who sit long hours at work end up having stiff necks from poor ergonomics. There are six directions that the neck can move in. Each range of motion should be performed one direction at a time. I also recommend 10-12 movements in each direction. The first direction is looking up towards the ceiling. The second is looking chin to chest. The third and fourth are rotating the head, I like to first look to the right and second to the left. The fifth and sixth ranges of motion are lateral flexion. This can be done by moving your right ear towards your right shoulder followed by moving the left ear towards the left shoulder.
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2. The second stretch that can save your spine is a lateral flexion neck stretch. This is similar to the fifth and sixth range of motion that was described above. To perform this stretch you can be standing or seated. Position your shoulder down and back. Allow your head to hang right ear to right shoulder. Then take your right arm and place it on you head with your fingers towards your left ear. Gently apply pressure on your head pulling your right ear towards you right shoulder. You should feel a stretch on the left side of your neck. This stretch can be held for 12 seconds and repeated on the opposite side. I always recommend never to stretch into pain.

3. The next thing you can do is a neurological reset. Many people who use technology for many hours per day find their posture creep forward throughout the day. This can be corrected by resetting your nerve system to realize what an upright position is. To do this neurological reset you can perform a wall angel. First find a flat wall. Place your heels on the wall, move your bottom and your back to toucht the wall. The next instruction is very important. Tuck your chin in towards your spine and place the back of your head on the wall. You should not be looking up. Then you can place your elbows on the wall. They should be left and right of your shoulder and not down towards your torso. Then place your wrists and hands on the wall. Your fingertips should be pointing towards the ceiling. If you can slide your arms and hands higher on the wall. You can hold this position for 30-60 seconds to reset your nerve system.

4.The fourth tip to save your spine is to find a Gonstead Chiropractor. Gonstead chiropractic specializes in spinal disc health. The goal is a long-term structural correction and maintenance of proper spinal alignment.

DENVER GONSTEAD CHIROPRACTOR

As a Gonstead Chiropractor in Denver, I use an objective measurement to find structural shifts in the spine as well as nerve irritation. My goal is to make a long-term correction of the spine back within a normal functional range. This is very similar to how an orthodontist corrects the alignment of teeth.

We use objective indicators such as nervoscope, posture analysis & Xray to identify structural shifts of the spine. This is similarly to how an engineer assessing the structural integrity of a building. I pair the information that we find to create a well-rounded care plan to help patients get from where they are to where they want to be.