Lifestyle Changes to Help Prevent Spinal Stenosis

Spinal stenosis — a narrowing of the spaces within your spine —  affects five out of every 1000 people over the age of 50. You know how debilitating the condition can be if you're included in that statistic. As the space in your spine narrows, it can irritate your nerves, cause back pain, and contribute to muscle weakness and numbness. 

While some factors contributing to spinal stenosis are unavoidable, lifestyle habits can significantly influence spinal health and help reduce the risk of developing this condition. 

Take a moment as our team of experts shares the top lifestyle changes to help prevent spinal stenosis and when you should consider minimally invasive surgery at the Link Neuroscience Institute.

1. Add low-impact exercise to your daily routine

Regular exercise is one of the single most effective ways to maintain your spinal health. Exercise supports your spinal health in four ways. Exercise:

• Strengthens the muscles that support your spine
• Alleviates pressure on the joints in your spine
• Promotes flexibility and reduces stiffness
• Helps prevent osteoarthritis (a common cause of spinal stenosis)

Not all exercise is good for your spine though. Lower-impact exercises, like walking, swimming, or cycling, are better for your back. Low-impact exercise helps keep the muscles around your spine strong and flexible without causing undue stress.

Don’t skip your core workout either! Core-strengthening exercises help stabilize your spine, relieve pressure, and support proper alignment.

2. Practice good posture

Posture is how you hold your body, and it can be good or bad. Good posture means that your spine is in proper alignment whether you’re sitting, standing, walking, or sleeping. Poor posture means that your spine isn’t in proper alignment, and unfortunately, it can make spinal stenosis worse.

Sit and stand with your shoulders back and spine straight, and keep your weight evenly distributed. Ergonomic furniture, like a supportive chair or standing desk, is beneficial if you work at a desk.

3. Try flexibility training

Stretching exercises keep your spine — and the muscles that surround your spine — limber. This can also help reduce tension and stiffness. Gentle yoga and stretches can help ease back pain. 

Yoga can also help build core strength, and having a strong core can help keep the right curvature in your spine.

4. Quit smoking

It’s no secret that smoking is bad for your lungs, but the truth is that it wreaks havoc on all of your body, including your spine. Smoking restricts blood flow and reduces oxygen levels, which impairs spinal disc health and accelerates degenerative changes in your spine. 

If you smoke, consider a smoking cessation program for the sake of your spine. When you quit, you promote healthy blood flow and nutrient supply to the spinal discs. It takes anywhere from two weeks to three months for your circulation to improve.

5. Watch what you eat

What you eat can help prevent spinal stenosis in two ways:

A nutrient-dense diet helps you maintain a healthy weight

Excess weight, especially around the abdomen, puts added pressure on your lower back and can accelerate the natural wear-and-tear of your spinal discs. 

Maintaining a healthy weight reduces stress on the spine, minimizes the risk of spinal stenosis, and enhances mobility — and a healthy diet can help you stay at a healthy weight.

A nutrient-dense diet helps fight inflammation

What you eat can also help combat inflammation in your back. Eating anti-inflammatory foods like dark leafy greens, fatty fish, and nuts helps manage pain and inflammation around your spine. 

Avoid processed foods and sugary foods — both of which are inflammatory and can contribute to weight gain.

6. Use safe lifting techniques

Always lift with your knees rather than your back and keep the object close to your body. Avoid twisting while lifting because doing so can put stress on your spinal discs.

When possible, use a buddy, a two-wheeled cart, or other assistive tools to lift heavy objects.

What to do when lifestyle changes alone aren’t enough

Even the best lifestyle changes can’t address all risk factors. Your genetics and age, for example, are out of your control. This means that you may still experience spinal stenosis even if you do your best to prevent it. 

The good news here is that there are interventions to help with spinal stenosis, including radiofrequency ablation, spinal cord stimulation, or surgery. 

Our team of specialists offers minimally invasive surgery for spinal stenosis in Oxnard, Santa Barbara, or Camarillo, California, so you can get the surgery you need with the downsides of traditional open surgery. Regardless of the specific technique used, the goal is to alleviate pressure on your compressed nerves and eliminate your pain.

Questions? Give us a call or click here to reserve your appointment and find out how we can help you.