How to Take Care of Your Aching Back as You Age
Everyone needs a little extra TLC for their aging spine
Back pain can be crippling and can deter you from doing your daily activities. Whether you are aware of it or not, your spine starts to age in your 20s and 30s and it continues throughout the rest of your life. A little preventive effort could go along way to reducing your changes of suffering from debilitating back pain.
Every individual will experience degenerative changes at some point in their lifetime, but the good news is that not all of these changes cause serious problems.
Arthritis is common in the aging spine
Everyone’s spine ages, but for different reasons. One of the common problems is arthritis. A clinical exam is the best time for your doctor to learn about your history and to also do a physical exam. If your doctor says you have degenerative changes, it’s typically some form of arthritis of the spine.
The percentage of patients with a significant amount of degenerative changes increases as people age. For example, in the average 80-year-old, more than 80% will have a significant amount of arthritis in their spine.
Signs of larger problems
If you are experiencing any of the following red flags, it’s time to consult with your doctor or spine specialist:
- Bowel or bladder changes. These may be caused by spinal cord or nerve roots being compressed.
- Clumsiness or poor balance.
- Pain that persists or worsens beyond a couple of months.
- Progressive weakness.
How to maintain spine health
As you age, there are a number of steps you can take to maintain your spine health:
- Wear shoes that are well balanced, flexible and comfortable.
- Maintain an ideal body weight to relieve the pressure of extra weight on your spine.
- Eat a nutritious diet. Focus on whole grains, fruits, lean meats and vegetables.
- Practice good posture by standing, walking, sitting, lifting and lying in positions where the least strain is placed on supporting muscles and ligaments.
- Take part in strength, stretch and aerobic programs to improve your fitness level, make you more resistant to injury and help speed recovery if you’re injured. For example, yoga can help you achieve core strength (abdominal wall and muscles in your back and neck) to support your spine.
- Quit smoking. Tobacco has a significant negative effect on the healing of your spine. You tend to heal faster when you don’t smoke and the effort of the medications we use, the therapy, the injections and the surgery are all impacted by smoking.
Bed rest is not recommended
While it may be tempting to stay in bed when you’re in pain, it’s important to remember to stay as active as possible and avoid being in bed for several days. The weaker your muscles get, the more back pain and problems you’ll have.
A little preventive effort could go a long way to reducing your changes of suffering from debilitating back pain. If you do suffer from crippling back pain, there a few treatment options available. Anti-inflammatory drug or pain relievers, physical therapy or surgery are possible treatments to help relieve your pain, according to the Arthritis Foundation.
Your spine provides support to your entire body which is why a healthy spine is important to your overall health.