Latest / Staying Aligned with Dr. Kevin Hartung / Simple Daily Habits to Prevent Back Pain

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Simple Daily Habits to Prevent Back Pain · Staying Aligned with Dr. Kevin Hartung

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  Hey there and welcome back. I'm Dr. Hartung and
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  you're listening to the Family Chiropractic Center
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  podcast. Today we're talking about something
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  that affects so many people right here in Robinson
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  Township and really everywhere. Back pain. Specifically,
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  how you can prevent it with some simple habits
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  you can start today. No fancy equipment, no complicated
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  programs, just practical stuff that actually
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  works. Now, here's the thing. Most back pain
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  doesn't come out of nowhere. It builds up over
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  time. Little things we do every single day or
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  don't do add up. And the good news is that works
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  in both directions. Small daily habits can either
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  lead to pain or they can protect you from it.
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  So, let's talk about how to tip that balance
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  in your favor. First, let's talk about movement.
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  You know what I hear a lot in my office? People
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  say, I sit at a desk all day and my back is killing
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  me by three in the afternoon. And honestly, that
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  makes complete sense. Our bodies were not designed
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  to stay still for hours at a time. When you sit
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  for long periods, the muscles in your back get
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  fatigued, the discs in your spine are under more
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  pressure, and your posture starts to suffer.
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  Here's what I want you to do. Set a timer on
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  your phone for every 30 minutes. When it goes
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  off, stand up, take 10 steps, stretch your arms
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  up, roll your shoulders back. That's it. 30 seconds
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  is enough to reset your body and take the pressure
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  off your spine. Do that consistently, and you
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  will feel a difference. Second, let's talk about
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  how you're sleeping. A lot of people don't think
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  about this one, but you spend roughly a third
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  of your life in bed, so it matters a lot. Sleeping
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  on your stomach is tough on your lower back and
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  your neck. It forces your spine into an unnatural
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  position for hours. If you're a stomach sleeper,
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  try transitioning to your side. Put a pillow
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  between your knees to keep your hips aligned.
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  If you prefer sleeping on your back, a pillow
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  under your knees can take a lot of tension off
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  your lower spine. These small adjustments while
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  you sleep can make a huge difference in how you
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  feel when you wake up. Third, and this one is
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  huge, let's talk about core strength. Now, I
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  don't mean doing hundreds of sit ups. Actually,
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  traditional sit ups can put a lot of stress on
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  your lower back. What I mean is gentle, intentional
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  strengthening of the muscles that support your
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  spine. Things like bridges where you lie on your
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  back, bend your knees, and lift your hips off
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  the floor. Or bird dogs where you're on all fours
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  and you extend one arm and the opposite leg.
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  These movements build stability around your spine
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  without overloading it. Even five to ten minutes
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  a day of these kinds of exercises makes a real
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  difference over time. What can you start doing
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  today? Pick just one of these three things. Maybe
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  it's setting that movement timer. Maybe it's
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  grabbing a pillow to put between your knees tonight.
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  Maybe it's trying three sets of bridges after
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  dinner. Just one. Build from there. Consistency
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  beats perfection every single time. And here's
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  one I'd encourage you to come see us. If you're
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  already dealing with back pain that's been hanging
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  around for more than a week or two, don't just
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  hope it goes away. That's your body telling you
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  something needs attention. Even if you're not
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  in pain, getting a spinal evaluation is a great
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  way to catch small problems before they become
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  big ones. We see patients all across Robinson
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  Township and we would love to help you feel your
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  best. Thank you so much for tuning in today.
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  I really appreciate you spending a few minutes
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  with me. If you have questions or you're ready
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  to schedule an appointment, reach out to us at
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  Family Chiropractic Center. We're here for you
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  and we'd love to be part of your wellness journey.
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  Until next time, take care of your spine. It's
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  the only one you've got.