Spinal problems are the leading cause of disability. An estimated 1 billion people suffer from spinal pain at any given point in time. Out of this 540 million suffer from lower spinal problems. That is why the world celebrates 16th October as World Spine Day. The day seeks to highlight the importance of spinal health. It also brings awareness to the issue of spinal pain and disability around the globe. This year’s theme is BACK2BACK, which focuses on good habits of activity, appropriate weightlifting, posture correction and more. 

The day is organised by the World Federation of Chiropractic and has the support of 600 official organisations from almost all continents. The World Federation of Chiropractic has been observing this day since 2008. Many people due to insufficient healthcare infrastructure are at a loss of access to good spinal health. With a lack of dedicated spinal health practitioners, many rely on traditional remedies. This can often times worsen their spine health. 

Here are two things you need to include in your lifestyle to have good spine health.

Good Posture

Slouching has become an endemic of its own. As time spent in front of laptops and mobiles increased, our ability to have a good posture has decreased. When one uses their mobiles we tilt our head down. Our head at an upright position weighs 10 to 12 lbs but when we tilt it forward it reaches the weight of 50 to 60 lbs. This causes extra pressure on the spine. Instead, use your hands to lift the phone up. Similarly, when using your laptop or PC, have your keyboard at your wrist level. Make sure to tilt your screen to cause less neck deviation. 

Exercise / Yoga

When it comes to back pain, regular exercise can help lessen your pain. One easy yet effective exercise is the Cat-Cow exercise. Get on your hands and knees and gently raise and release your back. Suryanamaskar is another great way to not only engage your back and spine but all your other body parts.