October is Spinal Health Month!

Spine health is more than just making sure you use proper posture. It is living a healthy lifestyle to ensure that you can enjoy life without the limits of back pain. October is Spinal Health Month, which is recognized to raise awareness, encourage prevention, and highlight the importance of spine health.

Staggering Spine Statistics*:

  • 80% of the population will suffer from spine pain at some point in their life
  • Back Pain is the leading cause of disability throughout the world
  • $50 Billion Healthcare dollars are spent each year managing back pain in America
  • Back pain can affect anyone, at any time!

The majority of back pain is acute, meaning sudden, and typically goes away over time. One essential part of managing acute back pain is early intervention along with prevention and treatment.

Prevention

You CAN protect and prevent yourself from having spine pain by living a proactive, healthy lifestyle. Prevention techniques include:

  • proper posture
  • strengthening your core through exercise
  • maintaining a healthy weight
  • not smoking
  • lifting carefully
  • sleeping well

Treatment

If back pain persists for more than four weeks, seeing a spine specialist can be beneficial for your spine health.  Benefits may include:

  • Finding the source of the pain quickly
  • Greater potential of Conservative Treatment Options
    • Such as Physical Therapy, injections, and/or medication
  • Starting your road to recovery faster
  • Quickly getting back to a pain-free lifestyle

There are times when you should see a doctor immediately for your back pain. Check out our blog post on When to Seek Medical Treatment.

It’s time to get a handle on your spine health and live free of pain! However, always check with your physician to see if these tips are safe to follow based on your health history.

If you have back pain or back problems, make an appointment with one of First State Spine’s specialists.

*Statistics from the American Chiropractic Association