Your spine is comprised of your neck and back. It can be trained to be resilient, but if you ignore your posture and continually do things that compromise its integrity, it will eventually remind you it needs attention. Unlike a bad haircut which will soon grow out, the spine is not very forgiving. Often, the initial sign of spine insult is a little stiffness which is easy to ignore. Another common presentation is sudden severe pain in your neck or back which seemed to happen for no reason. Well, it’s likely because you’ve been slouching, or lifting improperly, or sitting too much, or, in a chair with poor support. It can be an overuse issue – where you do something you haven’t done for a while like snow shovelling and the muscles get overworked. They simply aren’t used to doing that activity for so long. It seems obvious that injuries like falls can also cause back pain, and they do, but not as often as these other things that are usually a result of neglect or poor decisions.
If you learn to take better care of your spine now, it will be more forgiving. You will be less likely to gradually stiffen up or suffer from a sudden back or neck pain. Be aware of your posture, have good chairs with lower back support, avoid slouching, and stand with your head held high and your shoulders back. Also, to be extra careful, you could do some daily stretches like easing into touching your toes, twisting, side bends, and arching backwards. If you do develop a sudden pain or gradually become sore, or stiff, consider seeing a Chiropractor for a tune-up before it becomes more severe.