Love Your Spine. You only get one!

February is considered the month of love, and what could be more relevant then an Osteopath teaching you to love your spine?

The 3 main functions of the spine…

1. Movement:Your spine enables us to move in various directions.
2. Protection: Your spine creates a protective cage around the spinal cord, nerve roots and organs.
3. Structural support: It’s what helps keep our bodies upright.

The structure of the spine…

The spine is made up of 3 sections:

1. Cervical spine (neck) consists of 7 vertebrae.

2. Thoracic spine (upper back); consists of 12 vertebrae.

3. Lumbar spine (lower back); consists of 5 vertebrae.

If you have had an X-ray or MRI scan of your spine you may see things like C6-7 or T4-5 or L4-5 on the report. The letter represents the section of the spine involved and the number represents the vertebra involved.

The spine is such a core element of our bodies. It’s my inspiration for the clinic name ‘The Backbone’. The phrase is also used in other instances when referring to someone or something that holds, supports and runs things….“She is the Backbone of this organisation”.

So how can you show your spine some love?

• Nutrition: The body needs the right fuel and nutrition to heal and support it. To keep your bones healthy eat more:-Dark green leafy vegetables (for example- kale, broccoli and cabbage)-Alkaline foods; Most fruit and vegetables are alkaline. When the body is more acidic internally the body buffers this by drawing calcium from the bones. Eat more alkaline to reduce this.-Cereals fortified with calcium.-Nuts.-Fish where you eat the bones, such as sardines and pilchards.-I usually recommend UDO’S oil as a super food to add to meals or take as a supplement itself. It’s vegan and suitable for most lifestyles.
• Movement: The spine was designed to move. The more you keep it moving, the easier it will be. The less you move, the more restricted it will become. Exercise like swimming, yoga, Pilates, stretch classes introduce movement into all the sections of the spine.
• Keep your core strong: The core are a group of muscles and structures that support the spine (like a natural corset). Exercises which introduce elements of balance are a great way to work these structures.
• Maintain healthy weight: Visualise a wire clothes hanger with a light shirt hanging on it. The hanger represents our spine, the shirt our body. Add a light jacket to it, what happens to the hanger? Add a heavier coat to that? What happens to the hanger? In exactly the same way, when we put on weight, the skeleton doesn’t grow with us! Even half a stone can have a massive impact with how your spine functions. Keep your weight healthy.
• Good posture: The spine was created to be upright, NOT sitting! However, our lifestyles have changed so much so that in a day we can easily spend the best part of it sat down. Whether you are travelling/commuting, sat at a desk at work, sat in your lunch breaks, sat at home etc. With all the sitting it creates chains of tightness in the body and habits where we slouch and bend more even when standing. It’s important to create good postural awareness. This means, have a good idea of how your body feels when you are standing upright so you can correct yourself. There’s more information on our website regarding this. Click here to learn more…
• Preventative treatment: We service our cars once a year and use our spines and bodies so much more. Why not do the same for your body? Unlike the car, when it wears out, you won’t be able to upgrade it for another! Some self care and preventative treatment is important in spine health management. Treatments are an opportunity to also speak with your Osteopath and learn more about how YOUR spine functions and what you can be doing to better this. Whether it’s once a month, once a quarter or once a year, invest in your spine and body.

I hope that’s given you a few more ideas on how to love your spine. Remember to look after it and it will look after you!