What habits are bad for your spine? How can you slow down the aging of your spine?

Some people say that "nine out of ten office workers suffer from cervical spondylosis". Although this is a bit exaggerated, it also shows the prevalence of spinal diseases such as cervical spondylosis. According to relevant reports, 90% of the middle-aged and elderly people over 60 years old in my country suffer from spinal diseases, and more than 40% of people under 40 years old also suffer from spinal diseases to varying degrees. Moreover, the incidence of spinal diseases is increasing year by year and is showing a trend of younger people.

What is spinal disease? Simply put, spinal disease is the pathological changes of the bones, intervertebral discs, ligaments and muscles of the spine. Many neck, shoulder, waist and leg diseases fall into the category of spinal disease, such as cervical kyphosis, lumbar disc herniation and other common diseases. Stiff shoulders and neck, back pain are some of the most common symptoms of spinal disease. Severe cases also include numbness of the limbs, dizziness, nausea, tinnitus and palpitations.

According to the "Disease Burden Report of China and Provincial Administrative Regions from 1990 to 2016", the number one disease affecting the quality of life of Chinese residents is "low back and neck pain". This survey result is probably beyond the expectations of many people.

(Image source: Zeng Xinying et al. Report on the disease burden in China and provincial administrative regions from 1990 to 2016 [J]. Chinese Journal of Circulation, 2018, 33(12).)

The formation of spinal diseases, in addition to genetic and age factors, is often related to bad living, working and exercise habits. If you read this article, you can recall:

Do you look down at your phone for a long time?

Do you often stand or sit for long periods of time?

Do you study or work at a desk for a long time?

Do you often sit slumped forward in front of your computer?

Do you often lean on a soft sofa to watch TV or play games?

Is your bed too soft, or your pillow too high or too low?

Do you often take naps lying down?

When lifting heavy objects, do you not bend your knees and squat?

Do you often cross your legs or wear high heels?

…

All of the above mentioned things will put excessive pressure on the spine, causing strain on the cervical and lumbar vertebrae, or accelerating their aging, leading to spinal diseases. Spinal diseases bring great pain to people. Li Zi has several friends who suffer from lumbar disc herniation. They cannot do intense sports, such as skiing, badminton, basketball, etc., and lose a lot of fun in life. When the disease is serious, the pain is unbearable and they can only lie flat on the bed. According to them, getting up to go to the bathroom will become "unbearable pain in life"...

Therefore, if you have the bad habits listed above, as well as other behaviors that are not good for spinal health, you must correct them as soon as possible. At the same time, you should also strengthen the spinal muscles through proper exercise, so as to "reduce the burden" on the spine, stay away from the troubles of spinal diseases, and improve the quality of life.

The spine, commonly known as the "backbone", is made up of vertebrae connected by intervertebral discs, joints, ligaments and muscles. An adult's spine has 26 vertebrae, from top to bottom, including 7 cervical vertebrae, 12 thoracic vertebrae, 5 lumbar vertebrae, 1 sacrum and 1 coccyx. The spine has important functions such as supporting the trunk, performing exercises, and protecting the internal organs and spinal cord.

As the central axis of the human trunk, the spine plays a role of "connecting the upper and lower parts". It supports the head above, is attached to the ribs in the middle, and connects to the hip bones below. The spinal cord in the spine is the center of the nervous system (the brain and spinal cord are collectively called the central nervous system, the brain is the higher center, and the spinal cord is the lower center). The nerves emitted by the spinal cord control the functions of the internal organs and the sensory and motor functions of the limbs.

This shows how important the spine is. If there is a problem with the spine, it can cause poor posture, difficulty in movement, limb pain, or even disability and paralysis, as well as diseases related to the head, heart, and other organs.

In the spine, the cervical vertebra has the greatest flexibility and the highest frequency of activity, so it is most susceptible to strain; the thoracic vertebra has less flexibility and a relatively low incidence rate; the lumbar vertebra bears the weight of the upper body and is under pressure when standing, sitting, turning, bending, etc., so it is also prone to problems.

What exactly are the intervertebral discs that often cause problems in the spine? We can imagine the spine as a soft whip made of bone. The 26 vertebrae are the 26 hard segments of the whip. Between the segments are intervertebral discs. In addition to connecting the vertebrae, the intervertebral discs are very elastic and can deform. With them, the "whip" has flexibility and can bend flexibly. The adjacent vertebrae will not "collide head-on", and can buffer and reduce shock, increasing the pressure that the vertebrae can withstand.

The elasticity of the intervertebral disc comes from the annulus fibrosus and nucleus pulposus that make it up. The nucleus pulposus is wrapped in the annulus fibrosus. If the annulus fibrosus ruptures, the nucleus pulposus will protrude (or fall out) from the ruptured part, which will stimulate or compress the spinal cord and nerves, causing symptoms such as pain and limb numbness. This is a common spinal disease - intervertebral disc herniation.

Changes in intervertebral discs during trunk movement

Lumbar disc herniation is one of the most common spinal diseases. If you want to stay away from it, you should focus on prevention, change incorrect work and life habits, and strengthen muscle strength through exercise, so that the muscles can share the load and stabilize the work, and reduce the pressure on the lumbar spine. So how to exercise effectively? Song Fei, deputy chief physician of orthopedics at Beijing Tsinghua Chang Gung Hospital affiliated to Tsinghua University, gave us the answer:

1. Little Swallow Flying

It is simple and effective, but requires some physical strength. Lie on the bed with your chest and abdomen touching the bed surface, and stretch your head and limbs upwards. Hold for 5-10 seconds and repeat. Each time, it takes 5-15 minutes. It is suitable for young and middle-aged people with good physical strength. It is very convenient to do one set before going to bed and when getting up early.

2. Back leg lift

This is a simplified posture that can be tried by older or weaker people. Lie on the wall or on the ground, support yourself with your hands, keep your upper limbs straight, and try to lift one leg back alternately. This can also exercise your waist muscles. If you persist for a long time, you will see improvement.

3. Plank

This is a project that looks simple but is difficult to do. There was a period of time when many people posted their records on WeChat Moments. It mainly exercises the core muscles, and of course also includes the spinal stabilizer muscles in the waist and back. However, you should do it according to your ability. The record of one time is not important. The key is to maintain the habit of exercise and persevere.

4. Five-point support

This is a good exercise for all ages, highly recommended! It is less difficult than the "Flying Swallow". Just lie on the bed, bend your elbows and knees, rest your head, elbows and feet on the bed, and lift your waist and hips off the bed.

Dr. Song Fei also emphasized that any of the four types of exercise can be chosen according to physical strength and habits, but the key is to do it at the right time and "protracted battle". During the onset of low back and leg pain, rest is the main thing, and only during the relief period is it suitable to do back muscle function exercise. The time for each exercise does not need to be too long, but if you can persist for a long time, you can effectively prevent the recurrence of low back pain, delay the aging of the spine, and keep lumbar disc herniation away from you.

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