Dr. David Peer of Liberty County Clinic of Chiropractic is on a mission to improve residents’ spinal health. Peer opened his practice at 951 C E.G. Miles Parkway on Nov. 1, 2010. He is a member of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association, the Georgia Chiropractic Association and the Liberty County Chamber of Commerce.
Peer offered the following tips for strengthening spines:
1. Understand why a healthy spine is important. “The spine is the central support structure of the body,” Peer said. “The spine also carries the neurological lifeline from the brain to all other parts of the body.” He added that when the spine is injured, a person’s overall health also can suffer.
2. Proper posture is key to maintaining a strong spine. “Always stand as erect as possible, with your shoulders, back and your head centered directly over the spine,” Peer said. He said people should sit the same way they stand, erect with the head over the spine. Also, do not sit with your legs crossed, except at the ankles, he added.
3. Be sure to lift properly. Try to bend from the knees and not from the back, keeping your back straight at all times, and keep the weight of the object you’re lifting close to your body as you carry it, the doctor said. He added that parents of small children should not bend from the back but bend from the knees when they lift a child from the bed or floor.
4. Adjust sleeping positions. “Never sleep on your stomach,” Peer said. “Sleep on your back or side instead.” If you sleep on your back, lie flat with a pillow under your head and neck and a pillow under your knees, he suggested. “Do not sleep with more than one pillow under your head. Your neck should not be pushed up so that your chin moves down toward your chest.” Peer said side-sleepers should place a small pillow between their knees to keep the pelvis from being tilted.
5. Lastly, he offered a few more “don’ts” to remember. “Don’t read in bed,” Peer said. When someone is sitting in bed with a book in front of them, it forces the chin toward the chest, he explained. And, if you’re being treated for a back injury, do not do any excessive lifting — more than 15-20 pounds — during the first four weeks of treatment, Peer said.
For more information, call 368-4002.