Our spinal cord is a bundle of nerves that runs through the vertebrae in our back, allowing communication between the brain and the rest of the body. Though resilient, certain routine activities can damage the spinal cord, leading to pain, numbness, and even paralysis if left untreated. By understanding what puts us at risk, we can take steps to prevent needless injury.
How These Activities Damage the Spine
The daily stress we subject our spines to can cause damage through:
Sudden Trauma and Impact
Accidents deliver violent impacts that can fracture or dislocate vertebrae, crushing the spinal cord. Examples include car crashes, sports collisions, and falls. The resulting swelling then compresses this delicate neural tissue further.
Repetitive Stress and Strain
Regular activities like running, improper lifting, or hunching over phones create micro-traumas. While individually minor, cumulatively this strain tears muscles, ligaments, and discs, resulting in chronic pain and instability.
Compression and Pinched Nerves
Sustained poor posture or a herniated disc displaces vertebrae, narrowing the openings for spinal nerves. This directly squeezes and irritates nerves, causing numbness, tingling, and weakness where they innervate.
1. Carrying bags home from the grocery store
Although you may save and score a bunch of great deals, carrying groceries for long periods of time will always be a daunting task. The more you try to carry, the more pressure your spine will suffer. With the help of the rest of your body, your spine is strong. But grocery shopping tends to be a weekly outing and will likely take a toll on your spine over the years, especially if you aren’t careful about the total weight-bearing load you are putting on your body.
Tips for Avoiding Spinal Cord Damage
- If you are walking or taking transit with your groceries, invest in a shopping trolly – they conveniently fold for storage and take the weight off your body.
- Do not lift with your back, but with your knees bent.
- Try to evenly distribute the weight of your bags so you don’t put more pressure on one side of your spine than the other.
2. Tying up shoelaces
Lacing up before heading out of the house is something people do every single day — and seems so harmless. It may be hard to believe, but doing things in a bent posture can affect the spine, especially when you don’t do it properly. As a result of the pressure put on a bent spine, nutritional substances escape the spine and cause it to flatten (which can have its advantages).That’s why, over time, you may feel sharp and distinct pains in certain areas of your back.
Tips for Avoiding Spinal Cord Damage
- Instead of leaning downward to tie your shoelaces and not bending your knees, sit down instead.
- On a stool, chair, or bench, pull one leg up at a time to lace up.
3. Changing a car tire
If you’re looking for instructions on how to replace a car tire, you may want to look somewhere else. But we can share with you how to do it safely and pain-free.
Tips for Avoiding Spinal Cord Damage
- Whether you’re unscrewing the rim’s nuts or jacking up the car, make sure to level out.
- Instead of leaning over the whole time, sit on the ground (or kneel) so your eyes are leveled with the car’s fender.
4. Carrying a backpack or purse
Do you ever feel naked without your backpack? It’s truly incredible what some people can fit in their backpacks, satchels, and purses. They could probably leave home and still be fully equipped to live the life of a squatter. But, with this extra weight on your back or hanging off your shoulder all the time, the spine is under constant pressure – especially in the case of a heavy purse or handbag that is lopsided weight.
Tips for Avoiding Spinal Cord Damage
- Pack lighter: If you honestly don’t think you’ll need your laptop or the four books you have on the go, leave them at home. Your spine will thank you.
- There’s a reason backpacks come with two straps – because the designers knew the importance of spine health. Using backpacks with soft and wide straps provides better shock absorption, as well as reduces the pressure on your spine and neck. You can even clip the horizontal strap across your chest (if your backpack has one) to more evenly distribute the weight.
- If you can help it, try to avoid using one-strap bags. The uneven weight distribution does not only harm your spine but your shoulders and neck as well. (It can leave you lopsided, too!)
5. Taking heavy objects down from high places
Everyone ‘can do it’ until they can’t. We all know a stubborn person like that (you may even be him or her). In addition to the risk factor of having a heavy object fall on your head, when you reach up for anything – naturally – your spine stretches. Now, the stretching itself is not a bad thing. But it can quickly become dangerous when your spine suddenly has to support the weight of a heavy suitcase. Chances are doing this once won’t hurt, but the repeated habit of supporting heavy objects with a stretched spine will eventually have consequences.
Tips for Avoiding Spinal Cord Damage
- Before taking a heavy object down from a high place, be sure to have a stool, chair or step ladder to minimize the pressure on your spine.
- If possible, have a family member or friend spot you in case you lose balance and you fall down with the object.
6. Washing the floor
Like you should take care when reaching upward, you should take just as much care when reaching downward. We feel like many of you already do this the right way, but it’s still worth mentioning. Cleaning the floor can be hard work, but bending over to scrub tiles, carpet or wood can put incredible strain on your legs, arms, neck, and back.
Tips for Avoiding Spinal Cord Damage
- Stop washing the floor with your hands! A little elbow grease is always admirable, but not at the cost of your spine. Try using some of the world’s greatest inventions – the mop or the brush!
7. Doing the dishes
Whether you’re washing your face or scrubbing dishes, it’s easy to stoop into a half-bed position with strained arms and rounded shoulders over the sink. This constant strain often leads to shoulder blade pain.
Tips for Avoiding Spinal Cord Damage
- Now, it’s hard not to roll your shoulders forward if they’re sticking out in front of you. So, take a stool or chair and rest one knee on it while you’re cleaning the dishes and switch legs as necessary or just try and remain standing up straight with both feet on the floor.
8. Brushing your teeth
In addition to brushing your teeth, you probably find yourself in the same standing position throughout the day. Standing still for long periods of time puts tremendous strain on the spine over time. (Pay attention to the pain you feel releasing from your lower spine tonight as you lay on your back in bed.)
Tips for Avoiding Spinal Cord Damage
- So, whether you’re brushing your teeth or chatting by the water cooler, rest one hand on the wall or sink with your free hand to distribute some of the weight. This will help take all the pressure off your spine.
9. Lifting Children
Lifting kids improperly strains back muscles and compresses discs. Their sudden movements further tweak the back.
Tips to Avoid Spinal Damage
- Squat with a straight back to pick up children.
- Hold them close to the body when carrying them.
- Avoid picking them up while twisting the spine.
10. Texting and Emailing
Slumping over phones and laptops to text or email strains neck muscles and misaligns the upper spine.
Tips to Avoid Spinal Damage
- Use proper ergonomics like external keyboards to avoid hunching.
- Take frequent breaks to stand and stretch the back.
11. Sleeping Positions
Poor sleeping postures like stomach or fetal positions twist the spine unnaturally, straining muscles, ligaments, and discs.
Tips to Avoid Spinal Damage
- Sleep on the back or side to keep the spine neutral.
- Use thin pillows that don’t elevate the head excessively.
12. High Heel Wearing
Wearing high heels excessively misaligns the spine by tilting it forward unnaturally. This strains the lower back.
Tips to Avoid Spinal Damage
- Limit high-heel usage to special occasions.
- Opt for low heels or wedge shapes for everyday wear.
- Take them off whenever possible.
Preventing Spinal Cord Injury in Everyday Life
Making sensible adjustments helps us perform daily activities safely:
Drive Safely and Limit Distractions
Obeying traffic laws, paying attention, scanning surroundings, and keeping phones away reduce accident risk. Proper headrest positioning also protects the neck during collisions.
Use Proper Form When Exercising
Warming up beforehand, using controlled motions, avoiding locking knees when weightlifting, and building up intensity gradually better protect the spine. Allowing rest days gives tissues time to recover.
Improve Balance and Watch Your Step
Removing tripping hazards, using railings on stairs, wearing shoes with good traction, and proceeding slowly on uneven terrain help prevent painful falls.
Maintain Good Posture and Lift Properly
Keep the ears, shoulders, and hips aligned when standing and sitting. Get close to loads before lifting with bent knees while keeping the back straight. Carry weight near the body and avoid twisting.
When to Seek Medical Care
Promptly consult a doctor after any injury resulting in:
Persistent Pain or Numbness
Lasting neck or back pain that fails to improve with rest or over-the-counter medications needs evaluation. Numbness or tingling can result from nerve compression requiring prompt realignment.
Loss of Motor Function
Being unable to use a body part properly due to weakness signifies possible spinal cord injury. These include the inability to hold objects or walk steadily. Seek emergency care if paralysis occurs.
Bowel or Bladder Control Issues
Loss of bowel or bladder control indicates the possibility of nerve damage and requires immediate emergency medical attention to limit further damage.
FAQ
What are some early warning signs of possible spinal damage?
Early signs of possible spinal injury include localized neck or back pain, muscle spasms, reduced range of motion, numbness, tingling, and weakness in the extremities. These warrant prompt medical evaluation.
Which sports pose the greatest risk of spinal cord injury?
High-impact sports like football, rugby, hockey, wrestling, and gymnastics carry the most risk of spinal injury due to collisions and falls. Protective equipment helps but proper training and caution are essential.
What car seat adjustments help prevent spinal injury?
Properly adjusting headrests to align with the middle of the head protects the neck in rear collisions. Seatbelts should fit snugly across the hips and shoulder to distribute impact forces.
Can poor posture eventually cause permanent spinal damage?
Yes, sustained poor posture eventually strains muscles and distorts vertebrae, leading to herniated discs, arthritis, and nerve impingement. Early correction is key.
When is surgery required to treat spinal cord injury?
Surgery is often needed to realign vertebrae, stabilize the spine, remove herniated disc fragments, drain hematomas, and decompress pinched nerves caused by spinal injuries.
Conclusion
In summary, we subject our spines to repeated stress during seemingly harmless daily activities. Being mindful, using proper techniques, and taking preventative steps go a long way toward avoiding cumulative spinal damage from routine tasks. Take care of your spine and it will take care of you!