Spinal health is one of the fast developing healthcare fields today. Celebrate National Spine Health Awareness Month by learning more about what this month can mean to you.
Medical professionals across the United States have dedicated every October towards highlighting the importance of spine health, designating October as National Spine Health Awareness Month, with October 16th as World Spine Day.
Spinal issues can stem from many different causes, including back pain, spinal fractures, scoliosis and more. According to Dr. Zee Khan, “disability due to spine problems is the number one problem in the world that affects us. It is the number one morbidity that will prevent us from going to work.” Around one billion people struggle with spinal pain, as the world varies in degrees of knowledge and healthcare resources to tackle this issue. Even in first-world countries like the United States, millions of people suffer with back pain that impedes their life in some capacity.
World Spine Day and National Spine Health Awareness Month are dedicated to spotlighting the need to maintain a healthy spine. Some may assume that all this means is advocating for spinal surgery, but that is not the case. Dr. Khan believes that spine surgery is typically a last resort for dealing with these kinds of issues, as according to her, “For me, the purpose of back surgery is not to address the back pain itself because there are many factors that affect that.” According to World Spine Day, maintaining a healthy diet, keeping a healthy sleep schedule, lifting with one’s knees, and keeping a proper posture are some of many ways to better your spinal health. By doing these things, one can take initiative on maintaining their health and negate the need for surgery.
If a patient’s spinal issues become worse, there are various ways to be treated. Obviously there is surgery, but there are other ways of dealing with these issues that are not so drastic. What may be best for you will depend on your issues, but exercise, medications, or alternative medicine practices like acupuncture are just some of the many ways people can be treated. It is important for you to communicate whatever issues you are feeling with your doctor, so that they can provide the best assistance they can for you.
These points are just some of the many that World Spine Day and National Spine Health Awareness Month works to bring into the public consciousness, and there is a great amount of support for these occasions by professionals. With over 600 international organizations supporting World Spine Day and U.S. Congress officially recognizing National Spine Health Awareness Month, people are starting to recognize the importance of spinal health. Nevertheless, there is still a long way to go, and it starts with you. Researching what you can do to maintain spinal health is a great way to start, and celebrating those who help patients’ recoveries in this kind of field is even better. For more information on how you can recognize World Spine Day, visit them at www.worldspineday.org.
Here at Alliance Orthopedics, we are proud observers of National Spine Health Awareness Month. Our multi-disciplinary team here in New Jersey feature various locations to provide highly skilled treatment from a board-certified and experienced selection of providers. Dr. Alok Sharan, the Director of Spine and Orthopedics at Alliance Orthopedics in Matawan, New Jersey, is a renowned spinal surgeon who specializes in minimally invasive surgery and treatments. We also provide conservative treatments by Dr. Peter Bufano and many more health-care providers, ranging from experts in chiropractic care, physical therapy, and more. Alliance Orthopedics celebrates this October and the awareness brought to spinal health, and the many ways medical professionals such as ourselves can help patients Get Better Faster.
Sources
National Spine Health Foundation. (2020, October 21). Congress Recognizes National Spine Health Foundation. PR Newswire. Retrieved October 6, 2021, from https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/congress-recognizes-national-spine-health-foundation-301156390.html.
Utica Park Clinic. (n.d.). National Spinal Health Month: Bringing Awareness to Spine Problems. Utica Park Clinic. Retrieved October 6, 2021, from https://uticaparkclinic.com/blog/national-spinal-health-month-bringing-awareness-spine-problems.
World Spine Day. (2016, July 28). Preventing back pain. World Spine Day. Retrieved October 6, 2021, from http://www.worldspineday.org/keeping-active/.
World Spine Day. (2018, July 20). What is back pain? World Spine Day. Retrieved October 6, 2021, from http://www.worldspineday.org/what_is_back_pain/.
World Spine Day. (n.d.). World Spine Day. Retrieved October 6, 2021, from http://www.worldspineday.org/.