Safe Spinal Stenosis Exercises You Can Try

Story at-a-glance - • Exercise is one of the recommended options to help patients deal with spinal stenosis symptoms • It is highly recommended that spinal stenosis patients consult a doctor before partaking in these activities. This will help them determine whether certain exercise types are recommended for the severity of their symptoms While your back pain or sciatica usually renders you immobile, exercise can actually help relieve your back pain by helping your spine achieve better alignment and provide better support through stronger core muscles. Exercise Can Help Relieve Spinal Stenosis Symptoms Although it might seem impractical, exercise is one of the recommended options to help patients deal with spinal stenosis symptoms. Certain types of exercise can help free up space in the spinal canal by improving body alignment and correcting bad posture. Some of the recommended exercises for spinal stenosis patients include: • Swimming. Swimming removes the pressure on the spine through water support and helps the back muscles relax. However, note that some strokes can aggravate your back pain because of the backward flexion. Strokes that do not cause back pressure include freestyle and backstroke. • Yoga. Yoga improves the body’s alignment and flexibility, strengthens the core muscles and slows down the progression of spinal stenosis. However, patients should use yoga positions that focus on decompressing their spinal canal. Patients affected by central stenosis should avoid backbends as it further compresses the spinal canal. Side bending and twisting away from the affected areas can help dilate the spinal canal and reduce spinal pressure. • Tai Chi. Due to its gentle and fluid movements, tai chi provides a safe option for older people for relieving back pain caused by spinal stenosis and other back conditions. Tai chi, which is also known as “meditation in motion,” helps in strengthening the core and improving both flexibility and balance. Patients are also advised to do daily stretches to help strengthen the spine. However, it is highly recommended that spinal stenosis patients consult a doctor before partaking in these activities. This will help them determine whether certain exercise types are recommended for the severity of their symptoms. Activities Spinal Stenosis Patients Should Avoid The sensitive location of this spine condition usually entails a variety of contraindications for physical activities. Patients are advised to avoid sports and events that can cause additional pressure on the lumbar region or wherever the compression of the spine is found. Some of these activities include the following: • Heavy lifting. Patients with spinals stenosis are advised to avoid or limit instances where they are expected to lift heavy objects. Wrong posture when lifting heavy objects usually causes additional compression in the lower back. Constant pressure applied to the lumbar region may lead to the aggravation of spinal stenosis symptoms and may even cause spinal cord infarction. Heavy lifting can also lead to disc injuries, muscle tears and joint injuries. • Contact sports. Contact sports such as rugby and football can lead to spinal injuries and bruising, contracting the spinal canal further and making spinal stenosis symptoms worse. It can also lead to quadriplegia when the spinal cord is heavily damaged. *Don't forget that good quality Chiropractic Care can also reduce the pain from spinal stenosis. **Chiropractic care and proper exercise is even better to reduce lowback pain due to spinal stenosis. Source: mercola.com, 11/20/17.

5 Ways to Eat Your Way to Better Sleep

Do you struggle with sleep? Growing up, my problem was waking up, not falling asleep. I was a terrible morning person, so much so that I asked my family to refrain from trying to have a conversation with me in the first 30 minutes of me being awake. In hindsight, I was probably just a moody teenager. Now though? I can't get enough sleep! I find myself going to bed too late, or just not enjoying the type of restful sleep I imagine "normal" people have. I've tried the 5,6,7 and 8 hour sleep cycle with some results but the only outcome was that I'm aware now that I need at minimum of 7 hours of sleep a night to feel rested. Not exactly ground-breaking, but it's progress. New research however offers more insight into a variety of factors affecting your sleep, mainly how you eat. We're all aware that a double espresso or greasy meal before bed probably isn't the best idea, but what other ingredients should we be avoiding? In a new study, Data showed that eating less fiber, more saturated fat and more sugar throughout the day is linked with lighter, less restorative sleep. While tracking diet and sleep for a group of healthy adults over five nights, they found that diet did indeed have an impact on quality of sleep. Sugar, low fiber and saturated fat can cause sleeping problems such as light, non restful sleep and frequent awakenings during the night. You can see how that would be problematic. As much as your diet affects your sleep, your sleep can also affect your diet too. The same study also showed that poor sleep patterns have been linked to eating worse overall, worse diet quality and higher rates of both cardiac and metabolic disease. Here's the good part - you can follow these simple rules to improve both your diet and your quality of sleep. 1. Make Healthier Snack Choices Before Bed 2. Cut Back on Sugar 3. Avoid Heavy or Spicy Foods Before Bed 4. Lay off the Alcohol Before Sleeping 5. Lessen Your Caffeine Intake in the Evening Source: Colin Sparks, Smart Health, 10/25/17.